The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

Thou shall not lobby, PGI chief’s edict for doctors
Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 20
The PGI authorities have imposed a blanket ban on candidates appearing before the selection committee for promotion, from meeting external experts. Security guards have been deployed outside the guest house, where the experts have been put up.

Attempts by some faculty members to woo the experts in the selection committee has compelled the PGI Director, Prof S.K. Sharma, to issue a written directive to all faculty members to desist from such practices.

“It has been observed that some faculty members and even candidates appearing before the standing selection committee, try to lobby and meet the experts when selections have to be made. It is a very unhealthy practice,” reads the circular, signed by the Director, Prof Sharma. The circular further says that all faculty members and candidates appearing for interview are advised to desist from such practices.”

“In case any one is found to be lobbying or meeting the members of the selection committee and experts, a serious view would be taken,” the circular ends with an oblique warning.

The standing selection committee, comprising experts from different faculties from all over the country is holding interviews of doctors for promotion under the Dhar committee. The four-day interview process started on August 19 and the panel of experts in the selection committee, have been lodged at the Guest House Number-I and II on the PGI campus.

With selections and promotions at the PGI always remaining a controversial issue, the directive issued by Prof Sharma, only brings to fore the fact that faculty members indulge in lobbying to get promotions. In the past there have been several occasions when doctors sought the intervention of the court, expressing displeasure and lack of faith in the decision of the selection committee.

“It is a matter of shame that the Director, has been forced to issue a written warning, which only gives credence to allegations levelled by many doctors, who had even shot letters to the Union Health Minister, last year, when interviews were held in June about favouritism and pick and choose being done by authorities,” said a senior faculty member.

Infact, some of the senior doctors raised questions over the process of selecting experts, to be members of the selection committee, as they felt this was also being manipulated to benefit a few chosen ones. “In case those experts who are wellknown to you are made members of the selection committee, it becomes much more easier to manipulate things,” felt another doctor, who is skeptical about the fairness of the selection process.

Last year the PGI Employees Union had shot letters to the Union Health Minister, giving documentary evidence about some doctors in the Cardiology Department trying to manipulate the experts in their favour. The union, had even produced guest house and hotel bills, where the experts had been put up. The signature of the doctors, who were to appear before the selection committee were visible on the bills.

CITCO may run Panchayat Bhavan
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 20
Panchayat Bhavan in Sector 18, having 27 rooms, is likely to be handed over to the Chandigarh Industrial Tourism Corporation (CITCO) to be run as a budget accommodation for tourists.

At present the hospitality wing of the Chandigarh Administration operates Panchayat Bhavan. Located on Madhya Marg it has open spaces and halls which can be used for hosting parties.

The move has been reportedly spurred by CITCO’s success in running the nine-room transit lodge at the Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT), Sector 17. The transit lodge was opened a few months ago and has been enjoying 100 per cent occupancy. Seeing the great demand for budget accommodation in the city CITCO also evinced interest in Panchayat Bhavan which is very near to the ISBT, and also to the city centre in Sector 17. Commercial areas like Sector 7, 8, 9 and 26 are also nearby.

Senior CITCO officials have already visited the site and have made their demand before the Adviser to the UT Administrator and few meetings have also been held on the subject.

A final decision on the takeover is pending with the Administration which will decide on the terms and conditions, well placed sources said.

Since the Hospitality Department is a government wing transfer to CITCO, a semi-government body, will need some fine tuning for a formal takeover.

A clause of a fixed revenue for the Administration by way of lease money may be incorporated in the takeover. Also there may be a ceiling on the room rent to keep it within the range of budget tourists. At present Panchayat Bhavan has 14 airconditioned rooms. The tariff is Rs 500 per day. It also has 13 non airconditioned rooms. The tariff is Rs 200 per day. There is also a dormitory. The Bhavan also has two halls which are usually let out to people who put up annual sales in the city.

Sources said the halls can be an additional source of revenue as they can be used for parties with catering provided by CITCO. But these places require a major investment for refurbishing them for use in parties.

The matter of future of employees of Panchayat Bhavan also needs to be sorted out. They can be adjusted in the upcoming wing of the UT guest house in Sector 6, where more staff is required, a source said. The Administration is adding about 40 rooms in the new wing.

Who will investigate Bhardwaj’s escape?
Kiran Deep

Chandigarh, August 20
The Chandigarh police and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seem to be not sure as to who would investigate the whereabouts of suspended Judicial Magistrate S.S. Bhardwaj during the period when he had escaped from the CBI custody, after being caught on May 10. He was arrested a month later on June 10.

A senior official of the CBI at New Delhi informed The Tribune that the CBI had nothing to do with the matter as the case was being investigated by the Chandigarh police. As such, the Chandigarh police and not the CBI had the locus standi to talk on this matter, the official said.

In a charge sheet filed in a court regarding the escape of Bhardawaj, the Chandigarh police has not mentioned anything about their investigations during the period between May 10 and June 10. Police officials said that investigations regarding Bhardwaj’s whereabouts were not in their jurisdiction as the CBI was the complainant in the matter.

The CBI and the police have filed separate charge sheets against Bhardwaj in courts within the stipulated period, but nothing was mentioned about the investigations done by the agencies during the period.

The police had attached a copy of the FIR registered against Bhardwaj and the statements of 14 witnesses, including senior CBI officials, the Superintendent of Police(CBI), Mr R.S. Bhatti, the Deputy Superintendent of the Police, Mr R. Upashak, and the Sessions Judge (Vigilance), Punjab, Mr L.R. Roojam.

The CBI had mentioned 46 important witnesses in the charge sheet including the Deputy Manager, Spice Communication, a Junior Engineer of the BSNL, the SHO, Kartarpur, a peon of Bhardwaj, a reporter with news channel Aaj Tak and a photographer and a reporter of a Hindi daily.

When contacted, Mr Ashish Sharma, a counsel for the suspended magistrate said Bhardwaj was not absconding but taking legal remedies and had applied for pre-arrest bail during the period.

The CBI had arrested the two judicial officers, Bhardwaj on May 10 and Jalandhar’s District and Sessions Judge R.M. Gupta on May 11, but Bhardwaj managed to give the slip to its sleuths. After days of legal wrangling, the absconding magistrate was arrested on June 10.

Mr Bhatti, had lodged a complaint against Bhardwaj on May 11 in the Sector 17 police station. Mr Bhatti had alleged that Bhardwaj was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting an amount of Rs 7 lakh. When the CBI was busy completing legal formalities at the residence of Bhardwaj, in the presence of two independent witnesses, he escaped from its custody at 12.20 a.m.

Family seeks memorial in son’s memory
Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 20
Struggles never end. Six years after his army officer son died along with his wife and son while saving the lives of movie buffs watching “Border” at Uphar Cinema in New Delhi, Captain Vardeep Singh Bhinder of Amritsar is still fighting for getting a memorial constructed in his only child’s memory.

Though two kanals were handed over for the purpose, the construction of a gate was reportedly stayed by the authorities. Representations were sent to the “present government, but nothing was done”.

The announcement regarding the construction of the memorial, including a life size statue, a gate and a stadium, was made by Punjab’s former Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal.

Ace horse rider Captain Manjinder Singh Bhinder, was selected for the Asian Games. He had gone to watch the movie, along with his wife and son, on June 13, 1997, when dense smoke rising from a blazing inferno had caused complete chaos in the hall. Showing exemplary courage and presence of mind, Captain Bhinder had done “a wonderful job in controlling and guiding the cine-goers”.

Unmindful of his own safety and that of his family, he had saved over 150 lives after breaking open the exit door and asking his companion to seek help from the army authorities. In the end, he, along with his wife and four-year-old son, had perished in the fire.

Soon after, the bodies of the late Captain, his wife and son were cremated with full military honours. In Mehta Chowk to console the bereaved family, Badal had then announced the construction of a memorial.

“But all the promises made by the politicians and the high-ranking officers were forgotten with the passage of time”, at least this is what Chairman of the All-India Ex-servicemen Welfare Association Bhim Sen Sehgal says. The association is helping the Brave Captain Manjinder Singh Bhinder Memorial Society at Mehta Chowk in Amritsar to fight the case.

In a legal notice addressed to Punjab Chief Secretary and other authorities, Mr Sehgal adds, “No action was taken by the Punjab Government to fulfil the promise made at the time of Badal’s visit to the native village”.

The plight of Captain Vardeep Singh Bhinder, Mr Sehgal asserts, “was highlighted in these columns way back in 1999. In response, the Punjab Government sprung into action and announced the release of Rs 25 lakh through Markfed. The stadium was constructed and two kanals of common village land were allotted to the society for the gate. In fact, the land was handed over to the society after due approval, but then the authorities restrained the society from taking up further construction work without assigning any reason”.

The matter was taken up with the government, but nothing happened forcing the association to shoot off the notice for permitting it to raise the memorial. In the notice, Mr Sehgal concludes: “Captain Manjinder Singh Bhinder’s entire family, for the past six generations, is of freedom fighters. In fact, they had won many bravery awards, but with Captain Bhinder’s death the era of freedom fighters has come to an end as he was Captain Vardeep Singh’s only son.... The requisite relief should be granted, otherwise the association will move the court.”

Documentary to be made on Ladakhi tribe
Chitleen K. Sethi
Tribune News Service

SAS Nagar, August 20
The advent of the Aryans in India is traced back to 2500 years ago when the first Central Asian tribe set its foot across the Indus river. Tall, fair, well built and extremely good looking, the Aryans were thought to have fought and defeated the Indian aboriginals who were said to be short, dark and stout with snubbed noses. The supremacy of the Aryan race has since remained uncontested.

But centuries later after north western India became the boiling pot of races and cultures, a claim to be the purest Aryan tribe alive can hardly go unnoticed.

A Ludhiana-based doctor, Dr B.S. Shah, in collaboration with a Mumbai-based film maker Sukhwant Daddha will be documenting the life of Drogpas or Brogpas, a Ladakhi tribe living in a cluster of villages at Dahanu Dhartsig and Gorkon, about 130 km north-east of Kargil, considered to be the purest survivors of the Aryan race.

In the township today to address a group of volunteers who will be travelling to Ladakh for the filming, Dr Shah told TNS, ‘‘The Drogpas are believed to have migrated via Gilgit about a 1000 years ago from Central Asia. There are no documents in the village to suggest their exact origin or history but the general belief is that they fled from there when it was embroiled in the turmoil of warring chieftains.’’

The one hour documentary will be shot at Ladakh in September during the festival of fertility celebrated in these villages. ‘‘The weeklong festival of fertility is an occasion to drink, eat the best food, and since there are no taboos against anything, it is time when women and men indulge in free sex. Erotic songs are sung with gay abandon by members of all the tribes in these villages during their get together,’’ said Dr Shah.

Talking about the project Mr Dhadda said that he would be basing his documentary on the information gathered by historians and some local researchers. ‘‘We have a work of Rohit Vohra on the subject. But we will be working with whatever there is to know through the oral account of the tribals themselves, their folk songs, music tales etc.’’

But is corroborative evidence available about the purity of the race? ‘‘We are not here to look for the historical authenticity of the claim. The fact that these tribals are a bridge between Vedic India and post-Buddhist India is enough to make them interesting to document,’’ said Mr Dhadda.

The Drogpas are nature worshippers and also have some elements of a proto Buddhist form of religion. ‘‘Fertility and its symbols mean a lot to them, they revere the goat, drink its milk and eat it but cows are not revered. In fact, it is not allowed to wander in their villages. Similarly, they bury their dead in ways known to be ways of ancient Egyptians. They bury their dead in earthen pots filling them with household items, including food,’’ pointed Dr Shah.

Both Dr Shah and Mr Dhadda visited the area in June and will be returning next month for the filming of the documentary.

Coke drive to regain fizz
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 20
Reeling under the impact of the countrywide outcry against the presence of deadly pesticides in Coca-Cola, the American multinational seems to be finally getting its act together.

It has launched a campaign to “educate” consumers about facts behind the pesticide allegation. It has also published about 75,000 booklets in English and Hindi for distribution among the consumers, schools, colleges, hotels, restaurants, distributors and retailers of the soft drink. The booklets are entitled “Guilty without trial? The truth versus the NGO allegations on soft-drinks” and “Jaanch ke bina hi Doshi?” The nine-page booklet contains several charts and tables on safety standards and reports of various tests carried out in different laboratories.

“We are also meeting health authorities in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh to explain the correct situation to them”, said Mr Sanjay Lamba, Regional General Manager of Coca-Cola, in a talk with TNS here today. “We met the Punjab Minister for Health and Family Planning, Mr Ramesh Dogra, yesterday and his response was very understanding. We are also contacting the health authorities in other states”.

Mr Dogra admitted that the controversy has had a devastating impact on the sales of the soft drink. “There has been a nearly 40 per cent drop in the sales of Coca-Cola in the region. But we are trying to control the situation”.

As a part of its drive to rebuild consumer confidence in its product, Coca-Cola officials are meeting senior government functionaries and key media personnel. They are also placing out advertisements in newspapers, putting the facts of the case before the consumers. “We are also contacting schools and college principals because they are the ones who took the lead in banning soft drinks in their canteens. We will try to convince them”, said Mr Lamba. “We will also organise plant visits for school and college principals, media and key retailers so that can see for themselves the high safety practices and standards at the plant”.

BSNL offers free internet service on new connections
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 20
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has announced that all the new subscribers who book connections between August 20 to September 3, 2003, would be offered free 50 hour internet connection valid for 60 days.

Mr R.C. Vaish, Principal GM Telecom, Chandigarh, in a press statement issued here today, said, “Defence and para-military personnel booking new connections will not have to pay registration and installation charges. They would have to pay only annual advance rent in 10 equal bi-monthly instalments. At the time of booking, one instalment would have to be paid. This scheme will be valid up to August 31, 2003.”

For new Cell One connections, he said, the customers would not have to pay Rs 200 activation charges. Mr Vaish said customers would get free talk time worth Rs 600 equally spread over six months.

PU plans promotions on merit
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 20
Panjab University plans to make promotions, particularly in the non- teaching branches, on the basis of merit and not seniority. A proposal in this regard will come up for discussion at the forthcoming Syndicate meeting.

Prof K.N.Pathak, Vice-Chancellor, in a letter dated June 28, wrote to the Registrar that “it has been brought to my notice by officers that even incompetent persons are getting promotions. What will be the fate of the office?”

The Registrar was asked to give his views in this regard. He replied that “under the prevalent procedure incompetent persons are also getting promotions at the same rate as competent ones because promotion by and large is based on seniority.”

The reply further said,“Considering merit on the basis of the existing provision of ACRs (annual confidential reports) does not distinguish between an average and an outstanding person.”

It has been suggested that the university should accept the quantitative evaluation system as done by the Punjab Government which provides for “four points for an outstanding ACR, three for very good, two for good and one for average. For getting a promotion an employee is required to get at least 60 per cent points in the reports of the past five years.

300 take part in ‘run for nation’
Our Sports Reporter

Participants take part in a race “Run for Nation” on the occasion of the 59th birth anniversary of the late Rajiv Gandhi in Sector 17, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. — Tribune photo Parvesh Chauhan

Chandigarh, August 20
A ‘Run for Nation’ involving more than 300 schoolchildren was held this morning to mark the 59th birth anniversary of late Rajiv Gandhi was organised jointly by the Chandigarh Territorial Youth Congress and the Sports, Cultural cell of the Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee.

The run was flagged off by the President of the CTCC, Mr B.B. Behl, from Sector 17. It passed through various sectors before reaching the Congress Bhavan in Sector 35.

COMMUNITY

Cops eyeing LPG-driven vehicles
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, August 20
Discarding safety norms, more and more vehicles are being run on LPG cylinders, putting the lives of its occupants in danger. A number of cases have been reported in which the passengers had a narrow escape.

Alarmed by the increasing numbers of such cases, the Chandigarh Police has now decided to launch a massive drive under which challans would be issued against the violators.

The decision to come down heavily on the owners of such vehicles is significant as a large number of city residents were violating the safety norms. In fact, a substantial number of youngsters have second-hand vehicles which they get converted for running them on LPG. Interestingly, the sale of second-hand vehicles has witnessed a steady growth in the city ever since the kits have found their way into the markets.

The reason behind this is not hard to find. “Petrol is expensive,” says a Sector 28 car dealer. "Domestic gas is comparatively cheaper. After converting the vehicles to LPG-run machines it costs 80 paise per km, which comes out to be very cheap as compared to a vehicle being run on petrol,” he said, adding that “one cylinder lasts up to 200 km, depending upon they way you drive.”

The conversion kits are readily available in the markets. In fact, banners promoting them can be seen in several markets. For getting a kit installed in your car you have to pay anything between Rs 7,000 to Rs 10,000.

“The procedure is simple,” a dealer says. “In fact it takes just half an hour in getting the job done.”

But the traffic police says, “It is illegal. Modifications of any kind in vehicles are not permitted under the Motor Vehicle Act.”

Janmashthmi celebrated
Our Correspondent

ISKCON devotees perform “Kalash Abhishek” on the occasion of Janmashthmi at Hare Krishna Dham, Sector 36-B, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. — Tribune photo Parvesh Chauhan

Chandigarh, August 20
The melodious notes of “Hare Krishna” filled the air as Sri Krishna Janmashthmi celebrations were held at ISKCON in Sector 36 today. Meandering queues could be witnessed outside the temple since morning.

Impressive nagar kirtan procession was also taken out by Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math to mark the day. Tableaux depicting life of Lord Krishna were also set up at Brahmakumaris Rajyoga Centre in Sector 21. Brahma Rishi Yoga International Centre in Sector 19 also celebrated the festival.

The programme started at ISKCON with “mangla aarti” at 4.30 am. It was attended by hundreds of devotees. The “aarti” was followed by a nagar kirtan. Later during the day, “Hari nam sankirtan and Krishna katha” was narrated. Prasad was distributed to the devotees.

In the evening, special “Deep Daan and Kalas Abhishek” programme was arranged. After midnight, Lord Krishna’s “Abhishek” was performed by bathing the Lord with milk, ghee, curd and honey. Aarti was also performed. The Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mr Justice B K Roy, presided over the “Kalash Abishek” ceremony.

As you enter Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math in Sector 20, “moving” tableaux welcomed the devotees. These were depicting “Kansa badh” and “Draupadi Cheer Haran”. “Shiv Ki Jataon mein Ganga Ji ka avtaran” was the main attraction. Swings were set up outside the temple and elaborate arrangements were made by the police to ensure free flow of traffic. The UT Nationalist Congress Party also celebrated the festival.

School celebrations: Students of Rai School in Sector 48-B celebrated Janmashtami by reciting bhajans after dressing up as Lord Krishna and Radha. Raas-leela was presented by tiny tots of Santan Dharam Public School in Sector 32. Havan was also held on the school premises.

Kids dressed up as Lord Krishna and “gopies” celebrated the occasion at Shishu Niketan Model Senior Secondary School in Sector 22.

SAS Nagar Diary
Protest against privatisation
Tribune News Service

SAS Nagar, August 20
Members of the Trade Union Council here staged a dharna outside the SDM’s office urging the central and state governments to review the policy of privatisation and demanding the right to strike by government employees. In two memorandums submitted to the SDM, Mr Ramji Dass, the general secretary of the Council strongly protested against the handing over of units in the health and education sector, PTL and 29 other state-run public sector units to private companies. The memorandum strongly resented the failure of the Congress to fulfil its promise to restart closed factories like Punwire, Punjab Digitals etc.

In another memorandum, addressed to the President and the Prime Minister of India, the workers resented the recent judgement of the Supreme Court banning workers and employees to strike work.

In another agitation held here yesterday, members of the Punjab Wireless Systems Employees Union marked two years of their protest by holding a massive rally. Stating that the Congress government had failed miserably in its promise of reviving Punwire, the leaders of the Union flayed the MLA Kharar, Mr Bir Devinder Singh, for making false promises. Mr Shahid Ahmed, president of the union, said that the union would now launch a fresh protest.

JANMASHTHMI: Kids Village Preparatory School here celebrated Janmashthmi. The best dressed boy and girl were given prizes. Students rocked the cradle of Lord Krishna. A cultural programme was organised and sweets were distributed.

OFFICE-BEARERS: Mr Jarnail Singh has been chosen as the President of the Punjab School Education Board Retired Officers Welfare Association Mr R.L. Arora is Vice-President; Mr Jagmohan Sharda general secretary and Mr B.K. Jain Cashier.

RESENTMENT: Mr Hardeep Singh, Member, Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), here has in a press note expressed resentment against the manner in which the hand written copies of Guru Granth Sahib have been kept at the Government Museum and Art Gallery in Chandigarh. Mr Hardeep Singh informed that a contingent of Sikhs will be meeting the Punjab Government in this regard.

EX-SERVICEMEN DEMANDS: More than hundred ex-servicemen non-commissioned met at the defence ground in Kumbhra village this week. The ex-servicemen have demanded the withdrawal of sales tax on CSD items by the Punjab government, 13 per cent reservation in government services and construction of a war memorial-cum-community centre at the Defence Grounds, Phase X Mohali.

RAINWATER PROBLEM: Mr Baljit Singh Jiti, Secretary of the District Youth Congress, Ropar, has in a press note stated that the Municipal Council, Mohali, had failed to solve most of the problems of the residents. He said that the Council had been in power for the past three years, but rainwater still makes way to people’s houses in Phase V.

Rajiv Gandhi remembered
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 20
The Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee(CTCC) celebrated the 59th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at the Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, Sector 35, here today.

Hundreds of workers and Congress leaders paid tributes to the departed leader. The leaders who attended the function included Mr B.B. Behl, president of the CTCC, Mr Ram Pal Sharma, vice-president of the CTCC, Mr Subhash Chawla, Mayor, Ms Lalit Joshi, president of the Mahila Congress, Mr Bhupinder Singh, president of the Chandigarh Youth Congress, Mr H.S. Lucky, Mr Pawan Sharma, Mr D.D. Jindal and Mr Surinder Bhatia.

Earlier, Mr Behl flagged off the “run for the nation” organised by the Youth Congress. He also attended the function organised by INTEC and gave sewing machines to widows.

AMBALA

The District Congress Committee of the Ambala Cantonment paid tributes to Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary. The function was presided over by Mr Hira Lal Yadav. Speakers highlighted the achievements of the party under the leadership of Rajiv Gandhi.

The block Congress of the town unit observed the day as ‘sadbhavna divas’. Mr Rajesh Bansal presided over the function. Among others, Mr Ramesh Singla, Ms Amarjit Kaur Sodhi, Mr Balwant Gupta and Mr Rajkumar were also present.

The Youth Congress (Urban), under the leadership of Mr Tarun Chugh, organised a function at Surya Public School. The day was observed as ‘prerna divas’. The District Congress, Minority Cell, organised a function, which was presided over by Mr Mohan Lal.

FATEHGARH SAHIB

The District Congress Committee celebrated the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi at Sirhind. A large number of Congress leaders and workers participated in the function and paid tributes to the departed leader.

Addressing the function, Mr Brij Lal Goyal, vice-president of the PPCC, said “Rajiv Gandhi made unrivaled achievements during his short tenure as the Prime Minister. He had complete faith on the youth of the country.”

Dr Harbans Lal and Vaid Harikrishan highlighted the role of the Gandhi family in the freedom struggle and in maintaining the sovereignty of the country.

Others who addressed the programme included Mr Pardeep Malhotra, secretary of the PPCC, Mr Samsher Singh, Mr Nakesh Jindal, Mr Subhash Sood, Mr Mohinder Mitter, Mr Joginder Maini and Pt Naresh Sharma.

Slaughter house issue hots up again
Our Correspondent

Zirakpur, August 20
Taking serious view of the complaint by residents of Luxmi Vihar Colony, Dhakauli village, the Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat today took up the slaughter house issue with the Panchkula Municipal Council.

Presidents of both civic bodies today visited the site and listened to the grievances.

Representations by the residents had been given to the Chief Secretary, Punjab, Deputy Commissioner of Patiala, Deputy Commissioner, Panchkula, and Chief Administrator of HUDA, in this regard.

The association also complained that HUDA had a proposal for a meat market adjacent to the colony, which would hurt their sentiments as majority of them were vegetarians.

Probe ordered in torture case
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 20
DSP S. S. Randhawa has been asked to inquire into the allegations against two sub-inspectors who allegedly tortured a registered bad character who had helped the CBI trap a sub-inspector in a case an year ago.

The inquiry has been marked on the complaint of Ashok Kumar, who was booked on August 15 on the charge of breach of peace after he quarrelled with a person at his PCO in Sector 25, the SSP said.

Mr Randhawa said he would call the two parties tomorrow as part of the inquiry. Ashok Kumar had given a written complaint against the two sub-inspectors recently.

Ashok Kumar alleged that the two sub-inspectors had tortured him after a scuffle and tried to force him withdraw the complaint against another suspended Sub-Inspector Gurmukh Singh.

IAF officer elected fellow of aeronautical society
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 20
Wg Cdr D.P. Sabharwal (retd) has been elected as a fellow of the Aeronautical Society of India. He is the second person from Chadigarh to get this honour.

An alumnus of the Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, he served with the IAF for 25 years. He is presently guest faculty at two engineering colleges in Chandigarh and is also consultant to the industry on management and quality aspects. A fellow of the Institution of Engineers, he has authored five books and written over 20 technical papers.

Traders deplore Chautala’s statement
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 20
Traders participating in a dharna organised by the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal today took a pledge that the interest of the traders will be the only parameter in the forth coming Parliamentary elections.

The mandal organised a dharna in Sector 19 and deplored the reported statement of the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, in which he had allegedly used derogatory words about the traders. The mandal also sought an apology from Mr Chautala.

The next dharna will be organised on August 22 in the Sector 46 market from 1 p.m to 2 p.m.

2 hurt in mishap
Our Correspondent

Zirakpur, August 20
Two residents of Ramdarbar in Chandigarh were injured in an accident when their scooter collided with a Ford Ikon car on the busy Chandigarh-Ambala highway in Bhabhat village this afternoon. The injured — Ishwar Singh and Satpal Singh were admitted to Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32, Chandigarh, where their condition is said to be stable.

CRIME

2 HC employees booked for forging court order
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, August 20
The police here has registered a case against two non-judicial Punjab and Haryana High Court employees, few businessmen and an advocate for allegedly attempting to forge a court order on the possession of land of an heir of the Maharaja of Jind even before the judgement has been delivered, the police said.

The accused had been booked for forgery of documents in the civil writ petition number 9725 of 1990 titled Satbir Singh vs Punjab.

The case, pending before a Division Bench of the high court, had been filed for the possession of over 50 acres of land in Sangrur district of Punjab.

The police is investigating the matter in the case registered by the Joint Registrar of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The accused have been booked under Sections 463, 464, 468, 471 and 473 of the IPC.

The police has refused to reveal the names of those against whom the cases have been registered in the Sector 3 police station.

Cop’s son held for passing lewd remarks
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 20
The police today arrested a sub-inspector’s son for allegedly passing lewd remarks at a woman last night. Harpal Singh, son of Sub-Inspector Baljit Singh, was today booked under Sections 509 and 323 of the IPC in the Industrial Area police station for allegedly assaulting Mr Parminder Singh and passing obscene remarks at his wife.

The police was investigating the matter, a press note said. Mr Parminder Singh complained to the police that at 9 pm yesterday, Harpal Singh, riding a scooter, made obscene remarks at his wife when their vehicle, bearing registration number CH 02 1035, stopped at the Railway Light Chowk. He alleged when they moved forward after the signal turned green, the accused chased them and blocked their way on the slip road of the Transport chowk and assaulted him, apart from hurling abuses at his wife. The accused was later released on bail.