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| Friday,
April 4, 2003, Chandigarh, India
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Parents’ expectations
weighing on children’s psyche Chandigarh, April 3 Among the primary reasons being cited for increasing level of stress among students is the parents’ pressure on children to show outstanding academic results. Peer pressure and a drastically changing lifestyle, too, have aggravated one problem. Teachers, psychologists and parents are of the opinion that over-expectation on the part of parents coupled with current socio-economic conditions, which demand that students should obtain high marks, is putting a tremendous psychological burden on children. “Parents should act as friends of their children instead of dictating terms to them,” commented Mr D.S. Bedi, president of the Private Schools Association, Chandigarh. Stating that children also have a right to be heard, he said while the expectations of parents were very high, there were no means of effective counselling to tackle the problems faced by the students. “Parents keep stressing upon their children that they have to do well if they have to get a decent job,” remarked Ms Sushma Sharma, a teacher in a private school. “Parents also tend to lay a number of options before children and expect them to prepare for them all. This also adds to their burden and creates confusion in their minds,” she added. There is also an opinion among a section of residents that some people try to fit into a certain stratum of society through their children’s performance and hence putting an extra pressure on them. “By highlighting their children’s excellence in academics, they try to project that theirs is a family of intellectuals,” commented Dr Ranjay Vardhan, a sociologist. In the present socio-economic scenario gripping the country, the endeavour is no longer to just being happy and content. Rather, success is measured in materialistic terms — how much money is one earning and how high one is on the social ladder,” he said. “Children are constantly being goaded to reach out for higher targets, pursue several different things at a time and to broaden the scope of their day-to-day activities. It is like forcing them to prepare for a tomorrow which they have not seen,” said Mr B.K. Mishra, a businessman whose son is a student of class IX. “Some are able to live up to such expectations, while others falter,” he added. |
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TRIBUNE INVESTIGATION
Chandigarh, April 3 Taking advantage of the ignorance of visitors who are unaware of the technical distinction between paid parking and pass parking lots in the sector, almost all contractors of pass parking lots have been overcharging entrants to the sector. Investigations conducted at seven pass parking lots in Sector 17 today revealed that each contractor was operating in blatant violation of the terms of parking lot contract with the MC. As against the permitted rate of Rs 2.50, to be charged for per entry parking of cars at pass parking lots, the contractors have been charging Rs 5, thus cheating the visitor of Rs 2.50 every time he enters the lot. This is being done in violation of the MC’s contract which states that entrants to paid parking lots have to pay Rs 5 per entry in case of a car and Rs 2 per entry in case of a scooter. But in case of pass parking lots, they have to pay Rs 2.50 per entry for a car and Rs 1 per entry for a scooter. However, the pass parking lot contractors are continuing to cheat the public which does not know this difference. According to estimates, about 500 persons use these parking lots daily, thus benefiting the contractor to the tune of thousands. This Tribune reporter visited seven pass parking lots to see how contractors fleece people. These lots include — pass parking lot behind Empire Stores, pass parking lot behind Sahib Singh and Sons, pass parking lot behind Kwality Restaurant (all three in Sector 17-E); pass parking lot at the entry to General Post Office in Sector 17, pass parking lot located near Old Regional Passport Office building in Sector 17-A, pass parking lot opposite Punjab Financial Corporation in Sector 17-B and pass parking lot opposite Regional Computer Centre in Sector 17-B. At each of these lots, the contractors issued parking slips with |
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Reliance
WLL service starts Chandigarh, April 3 With the calls now being forwarded and received, a huge number of Reliance WLL subscribers in the region are heaving a sigh of relief. It may be mentioned that the Reliance Group of Industries had announced its limited mobile service towards the end of December. Whereas the company went for the soft announcement of the service last year, it had not been able to provide the network in the absence of point of connectivity. |
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Administration
slashes booth prices Chandigarh, April 3 There will, however, be a price difference on the basis of location. In Sectors 7, 8 and 11, Rs 3.60 lakh will be charged for the ground floor and Rs 2.40 lakh for the first floor, for category ‘A’ booths. The land price for booths under categories ‘B’ and ‘C’ will be a little lower. The price will be more for corner booths. Physically challenged persons will be charged at 50 per cent of the land rate reserved for general category applicants. The construction cost will be charged extra in all cases. Fifty-four booths have been reserved for physically challenged persons. The booths have been built up as part of a rehabilitation programme for rehriwallahs in various sectors. The Finance Secretary, Mr Karan Avatra Singh, said the Administration had got a feedback that the prices of the booths were higher than the market rates. This was examined and found to be correct, he said. |
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MC to lease abattoir to processing units Chandigarh, April 3 At the abattoir which has been able to evince the interest of meat processing units, an average of 200 animals per day are slaughtered against the possible capacity of 2,200 a day. Besides the corporation has not been able to make use of the blood oozing out of the slaughtered animals, bones and waste meat despite technology being available for utilising the same. The corporation has sent a proposal before the Finance and Contract Committee for engaging a consultant to prepare ground for leasing out the capacities of the slaughterhouse, sources told the Chandigarh Tribune here today. The consultant will give the corporation an estimate of how much profit it can earn from the exercise. The abattoir, modernised in August 2002 with an estimated cost between Rs 4.5 crore and Rs 5 crore, is touted as the best any municipal corporation has in the country. The idea to utilise its capacity came when a major private meat processor sent the corporation a proposal to utilise its facilities. The corporation is considering to lease out facilities for at least 16 hours to private parties at a subsidised rate of Rs 2.5 per animal. Only four hours of operation of the plant are required to fulfil the local needs. As per the Municipal Corporation meat bylaws, no animal can be slaughtered outside the slaughterhouse to ensure high standards of hygiene. Gurgaon-based Blue Cross Consultants has offered to prepare a techno-economic feasibility report, terms and conditions for the lease agreement, tender document and setting up a plant for the use of meat waste. Another proposal has come from Delhi-based Centre for Integrated Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development for preparing a project report, terms and conditions of the lease agreement, tender document, a feasibility report, creating facilities for pork processing and pork products. The Centre has also offered to prepare a list of meat processing units and its exporters for the corporation. Inquiries from the corporation revealed that the corporation could even consider creating facilities for increasing the shelf life of meat by making a cold store within the precincts of the slaughterhouse. |
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Kidnapped
boy returns home Panchkula, April 3 The family had not informed the police of the kidnapping. Sources close to the family said the kidnappers had called up the family demanding ransom. It was only around 11 p.m. that the boy finally reached home. The boy had gone to the Sector 5 cricket ground in a car for practice last evening. However, he failed to return home even after the night set in. The family, thinking the boy was with his friends, did not get alarmed until they received a phone call from some person, telling them that their car had been found on the Zirakpur-Rajpura road. Though the family denied that ransom was paid, sources close to the family said that several lakhs had been paid to ensure the safe return of the boy. When contacted, the boy’s family refused to divulge any details of the kidnapping or the ransom
call. |
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BJP’s Minority Morcha chief expelled Chandigarh, April 3 Mr Khan had been expelled from the party for six years by the president, Mr Yashpal Mahajan, the party spokesman, Mr Mahavir Prasad, said in a statement. “Mohammed Salim Khan is involved in a criminal case and an FIR has been registered against him in the Sector 11 police station,” the statement quoting Mr Mahajan said. It said Mr Khan had brought a bad name to the party. Mr Mahajan said Mr Khan was called to the state party headquarters yesterday to explain his conduct but he did not turn up and rather levelled allegations against the local leadership. Mr Khan in his resignation letter released to the Press today alleged that the party president was encouraging groupism, ignored the morcha and allegedly attempted to implicate his family and himself in a false case and worked against public interest. In another statement, Prasad lashed out at the Congress-ruled Municipal Corporation for demolishing houses of the awarded potters in Kumhar Colony, saying the Congress was bent upon destroying the lives of the poor through a pick-and-choose policy being pursued by the Enforcement Wing. |
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Urban poor in a state of neglect Chandigarh, April 3 With a strong bias against them in the city’s planning process, there is less concern for the spontaneous and unanticipated consequences of urban growth. Since the focus on development in planned sectors of the city has led to the perception of upliftment of the rural areas and the colonies as a “peripheral” issue, no policy has been successful in taking care of the urban poor. Le Corbusier’s model city, with an epithet of ‘City Beautiful’, once considered as token of planned urbanism, now has an estimated over 30 per cent of its population living in jhuggis or rehabilitated colonies and villages. The number of such unplanned colonies has increased from six in 1970s to 27 encroached upon the public land like Kumhar Colony, Janta Colony, Gatta Colony, Colony No 4 and 5, Pandita Colony, Kuldip Singh Colony and many others. From a little over 20,000 persons in 1970, the population residing in the unplanned areas — villages, slum colonies and congested one-room houses (for economically weaker sections) — is now estimated at around 3 lakh. As per the 2001 census, 1,07,098 persons live in slums alone, including 21,777 children below the age of six years. A majority of population living in these areas constitute migrant labourers. Documents of the local administration reveal that some of the early days of the emergence of slums comprised construction labour. According to Mr Subash Chawla, Mayor of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, the earliest migration in the city was from Punjab and Rajasthan but gradually the pattern of influx changed with more people coming from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, with possible reasons of poverty or under-employment. Unskilled manual labour continues to be the dominant portion of the population in the slums and includes construction labour, rag pickers, rickshaw pullers and sweepers. Skilled manual labourers and people offering general services like Class IV employees closely follow them. A large number of slum dwellers are engaged in ‘low status-low income’ jobs. In the colonies, unhygienic surroundings, infection-breeding milieu, unremoved heaps of garbage, water logging and blocked drains are common scenes that make the slum dwellers vulnerable to diseases. It may also be mentioned that there is a significant relationship between the lack of education facilities and the poor health and sanitary conditions. A senior official of the municipal corporation said they had provided public taps for every 100 houses in such ‘unauthorised’ colonies and supply water throughout the day. However, he did not deny the use of shallow handpumps in the colonies for meeting the daily needs of water consumption. “There are at least 250 shallow handpumps in these colonies and despite warning by the public health staff, people continue using the handpumps water for even drinking purposes”, he added. However, contrary to the claims, when this reporter visited Kumhar Colony this afternoon, there was no water in the taps. Many buckets and cans were kept near the tap waiting for the of water. And even worse, an open drain was seen gushing right under the tap spreading foul smell with decomposition. Dr V.K. Chadda, an ayurvedic physician practicing in Daddu Majra Colony, told The Tribune,” the health condition of the people living in Daddu Majra Colony is weakening and many cases of tuberculosis, alergy, chest infection and viral fever are being diagnosed”. The Chandigarh Administration and the municipal corporation need to look into the problem immediately and take all possible remedial steps to prevent any epidemic in near future, he added. |
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20,000 pay obeisance at Mansa Devi temple Panchkula, April 3 Disclosing this, the Chief Administrator of Sri Mata Mansa Devi Pooja Sthal Board and the Deputy Commissioner of Panchkula, Ms Satwanti Ahlawat, said the devotees made offerings of three gold and 14 silver ornaments, four fans, a wall clock, 29 kg of desi ghee, four utensils and two sarees. Bollywood singer Vandana Bajpayee will enthrall the devotees with bhajans and devotional songs within the temple premises on April 7 night. |
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Alert after dog bites Kharar, April 3 The Deputy Commissioner, Ropar, Ms Seema Jain, has asked the SDM, Kharar, and the BDO concerned to visit the area. “The Animal Husbandry Department and the health authorities have also been approached” said Ms Seema Jain. When contacted, the SDM, Mr Sukhminder Singh, said he was looking into the matter. “Basically it is the job of the health officials and veterinary doctors and they would be taking action” said the
SDM. The recent incidents of dog bites have also shown that the affected people prefer to get themselves treated in Chandigarh than hospitals in their respective areas. |
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Money comes in way of surgery Chandigarh, April 3 The total cost of the surgery has been estimated at about Rs 90,000 as per the certificate issued by the PGI. Chitra Bahadur’s meagre earnings are not even enough to feed his three children. “How can I manage a staggering amount of Rs 90,000,” he asks. “Had I not been poor, I would not have faced such a helpless situation, where death stares my wife in the face and we remain mute spectators. My family is on the brink of disaster,” says Chitra Bahadur with moist eyes. |
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Head constable suffers burns SAS Nagar, April 3 The LPG cylinder was leaking slowly and gas had collected in the house after which the light switch sparked off a blast, said a fire department official. He also pointed out that a major tragedy was averted as the fire could have easily spread to nearby houses. Luckily, other members of Manmohan Singh’s family were not in the house when the incident occurred. The fire tenders were called in immediately and the fire was brought under control. |
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ULTA PULTA MR Sahib Singh Verma, Union Labour Minister, should start his own private airlines — Verma Airlines! It should be so very efficient that it would lure all the passengers of Jet Airways and slowly put get out of business. This way Sahib Singh Verma would have had his sweet revenge. A few days back a Jet Airway flight with Mr Sahib Singh Verma aboard, was delayed due to a technical fault. The Minister in a fit of rage, roughed up three members of the Jet staff, then clambered up the food trolley making his way to the Indian Airlines terminal. My first reaction was that the Minister was probably very very hungry. But when on counting none of the food packets were missing my doubts were cleared. Mr Sahib Singh was so furious that on getting off the flight he refused to sit in the Jet Airways bus. Instead he called out, “Taxi!” I imagine his wife would have reminded him that private taxis were not allowed inside. He then yelled out, “rickshaw!” His son told him, “Papa, this is an airport, not a railway station!” The only way out was to complain to the Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Shahnewaz Hussain. Poor Hussain sahib could only call for an inquiry. But before the inquiry could get started, Jet Airways had aleady apologised to the Minister. Last April in its flight to Bhuj, Jet Airways had left behind Mr Sahib Singh Verma who was late. So now to settle old scores, Mr Sahib Singh should start ‘Verma Airlines! |
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Bag with gold jewellery missing Chandigarh, April 3 According to the information, Mrs Subhodani along with her newly married daughter, Sangeet, who had come to meet their relative, Mr Radha Balab Sharma, boarded a bus for Delhi. While boarding the bus the woman forgot to take along her bag. Mr Sharma who had come to see off his relatives also did not notice the bag. When the woman reached Delhi, she found her bag was missing. The police has lodged the complaint in the Daily Diary Register
(DDR) and is investigating the matter. |
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Holiday
notice Chandigarh, April 3 |
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Woman held with smack Chandigarh, April 3 Identification parade In case of arrest of three persons in connection with the alleged rape of a minor girl in Bapu Dham Colony, the police will conduct an identification parade of the suspects. According to information, the victim is still recuperating in the Sector 16 General Hospital. Once the girl becomes fit, an identification parade will be conducted after taking permission from the magistrate. Meanwhile, the accused Jai Mangal, a resident of Mauli Jagran, Badal and Ravinder Singh, both residents of Bapu Dham Colony, were today remanded in judicial custody till April 17.
Theft cases Harbhajan Kaur, a resident of Sector 8, has reported that an unidentified boy snatched her purse containing Rs 300 from near her residence on Wednesday evening. A case has been registered. In another case, Dalip Kumar, a resident of Sector 35, has reported that his car (PB 28 B 1717) was stolen from outside his house on the night intervening April 1 and April 2. Bicycle stolen Panchkula One injured Phool Chand, a resident of Mahmoodpur in Yamunanagar, sustained injuries after being hit by a Canter (HR-68-0721) near Baganwali village, near Raipur Rani, on Wednesday. According to the police, Phool Chand was riding a cycle when the Canter hit him. The Canter driver reportedly
filed away from the spot. The Raipur Rani police has registered a case. |
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21 booked for group clash Dera Bassi, April 3 The police has booked Paramjit Singh, alias Goga, Sukhdev Singh, Balbir Singh, along with 18 other truckers, for their involvement in the clash. According to police sources, cases under Sections 307, 323, 324, 148, 149, 149 and 34 of the IPC have been registered against them with the Dera Bassi police station. They have been booked on a complaint lodged by Mr Gurcharan Singh, a former president of the union. On Wednesday afternoon, three truckers — Mr Gurcharan Singh, Mr Tajinder Singh and Mr Sarabjit Singh — were attacked by a rival group of the union over the union election. |
Amendment to affect rights of juveniles Chandigarh, April 3 The city has no such unit as of now. An average 20 cases of juvenile are taken up by the Juvenile court comprising UT Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr C.L Mohal, Senior UT Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Mr S.S Bhardwaj, on every Thursday. The Juvenile Court has been functioning in the district court with a view to provide care, protection, development and rehabilitation of delinquent juveniles under the new act. The Juvenile Court meant exclusively to deal with juvenile cases and take up the cases on every Thursday. The magistrate, after enquiring the matter, can release the juvenile on bail or send him to a Juvenile Home. At present, there are two Juvenile Homes functioning under the Social Welfare Department in Sector 15 for boys where 13 juveniles have been lodged and in Sector 26 “Nari Niketan” for girls where 18 inmates are lodged Expressing concern over the increase of juvenile cases legal luminaries say to provide proper care and protection to juveniles, there is an urgent need to set up the special juvenile police unit to cope up with the rise in juvenile cases as per the new act. In every police station, at least one officer with aptitude, appropriate training and orientation may be designated as the juvenile or the child welfare officer who will handle the juvenile or child in coordination with the police. Talking about the rights of juvenile as per the new Act, an advocate Rajesh Khurana said “when any person accused of a bailable or non-bailable offence and apparently a juvenile is arrested or detained or appears or is brought before the court be released on bail with or without surety”. Giving details, he added that the juvenile will not be released if there appear reasonable grounds for believing that the release is likely to bring him in association with any known criminal or expose him to moral, physical or psychological danger or that his release will defeat the ends of justice. The president of the District Bar Association, Mr N.K. Nanda, said the new act was enacted to consolidate and amend the law relating to juvenile in conflict with the law and children in the need of care and also for providing proper care, protection and by adopting a child-friendly approach in the adjudication and disposition of matter in the best interest of children. |
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Implement
pay revision agreement: SBI Officers’ Association Chandigarh, April 3 Mr Amar Pal Singh, national president, All India State Bank Officers Federation, claimed that with the efforts of the employees, the SBI had emerged as the fastest growing and profit-making bank among the nationalised banks. While the management was ready to spend crores of rupees on the technological upgradation, but it was not coming forward to enter into the new wage agreement with the unions. He claimed that while the ICICI Bank had increased the salary of its official cadre by 100 per cent, the nationalised bank managements were offering just 3 per cent increase in salary after a period of 5 years. He said their federation had raised the issues of improvement in service conditions, including revision of promotion policy, fitment formula, leased accommodation, enlargement of coverage of servant allowance and improvement in welfare facilities, but without any result. Mr Vijay
Magon, president of the local unit, lamented that despite persuasive approach of the federation, the management had developed a tendency to violate all understandings. The federation has also sought implementation of the Chennai High Court order to provide interim relief to the officials. |
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RBI to exchange soiled notes Chandigarh, April 3 Besides, the RBI has delegated powers to all the currency chest branches of the public and private sector banks, under the RBI (Note Refunds Rules) 1975, to exchange torn, mutilated and defective notes. The branches, without currency chests, have been asked to accept soiled and cut notes over the bank’s counter in payment of government dues and for credit of accounts of the public maintained with them. However, in this case, the notes should not be of more than two pieces and complete number should be available in an undivided area on the pieces. The RBI has also advised the banks to open a separate counter for the exchange of notes. In case the branch officials refuse to extend the facility, the matter should be brought to the notice of the higher officials. |
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Eco-friendly
refrigerators Chandigarh, April 3 The ozone layer prevents entry of ultraviolet rays on to the surface of the earth. The harmful effects of the ultraviolet entry are many, namely skin cancer, damages to human eye and suppressing efficiency of human body’s immune system.
Cosmetics range Paramount Cosmetics (I) Limited ushers in its latest offering towards complete make up needs under the brand of Tips and Toes. It has come out with a wide portfolio of products ranging from lipsticks to nail polish to mascara, eye liners, eye shadow, compacts and blush
ones. |
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Licence
granted Chandigarh, April 3 |
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