Sunday, September 21, 2003, Chandigarh, India

 

C H A N D I G A R H   S T O R I E S


 

REMOVAL OF BOOK MARKET
MP, student leaders seek Mayor’s intervention
Tribune News Service

  • The four-decade-old book market finds mention on the website of the Chandigarh Administration.
  • Lack of planning on part of the UT Administration: There is no proposal to set up a market of second-hand books. 
  • On the pattern of apni mandis, every major city allows a weekend market for the sale of second-hand books. The Sector 15 market remained open for the entire week.

Chandigarh, September 20
Sellers of second-hand books in Sector 15, who were forced to shut down their four-decade-old business, would have to wait till Monday to know about their fate. The Mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh, Mr Subash Chawla, said today that he would discuss the matter with the officials concerned on the next working day.

Mr Pawan Bansal, MP, said he was feeling bad about the displacement of the shopkeepers. He said he would take up the matter with the Chandigarh Administration.

The Mayor said Mr Bansal and student leaders of Panjab University had sought his intervention in the matter. Around 35 second-hand book sellers had been removed yesterday after officials of the corporation said roadside shopkeepers were conducting their business illegally on public land, adjoining the entrance to the university from the Sector 15 side.

Defending their drive as a routine exercise, officials said they had received orders from their seniors. Members of the elected body of the corporation blamed the officers for not taking them in to confidence before removing the encroachments. The anti-encroachment drive was carried out on a directive from the Administration, an officer said.

Questioning the drive, the displaced booksellers said there was more to the drive carried out by the enforcement staff than met the eye. “ How did the four-decade-old business suddenly catch the attention of the enforcement wing whereas the anti-encroachment drives were regularly conducted by the corporation?”, asked Javeed Khan, president of the Old Booksellers Welfare Association. Another displaced shopkeeper alleged that they were removed to allow certain private parties to set up their business of sale of second-hand books in the commercial centres of the city.

He said they would wait till Monday before announcing their future course of action. He said each shopkeeper had invested around Rs 1.5 lakh and the books taken away by the corporation were prone to damage.

Meanwhile, Mr Bansal said the book market was part of the city’s book culture. He said a few years ago he had proposed to the then UT Administrator, Lt-Gen JFR Jacob (retd), to set up an aesthetically designed temporary structure in Sector 15.

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A 40-year-old chapter closed
Monica Sharma

Chandigarh, September 20
His eager eyes looking for something interesting would invariably rest on Harold Robbins’ novels or Chekhov’s plays. Or else the complete works of William Shakespeare. Heedlessly, he would go down on his knees, pick up the dog-eared books with anxious hands and flip through the yellowing pages before pulling out crisp currency notes from his wallet for taking home the literature.

He would return to the Sector 15 book market after a month or so, resell the works of literature, and take home the new old novels at half the price. For over 20 years now, businessman Rajeev Anand has carried out the process without fail. In fact, he was still in college when he started buying and returning Ramji Lall, besides other “guides”, for clearing his English literature examinations.

Little wonder the news that the authorities were closing the book market’s chapter from Chandigarh’s history has left him shocked. Like so many other regular visitors to the market for the past over 30 years.

No one exactly recalls when the market came into being. A majority of the original sellers have, over the years, yielded place to new ones. Some insist the market is as old as the city. At least as old as Panjab University situated just across the road. Others claim for sure that the market started growing some 40 years ago. They all agree that the market was “always there”.

No matter when the market was created, book lovers across the city, including students and bureaucrats, have been depending upon it for fulfilling their academic needs.

“For hours together, we would stand in front of the books neatly stacked on the gunny bags lying across the barren ground of cobbled stones just behind the Sector 15 market, looking for something readable”, recalled bank executive Sandeep Bansal.

The reason behind the market’s popularity was not hard to see. You could pick up almost any book from the heaps lying in front of your eyes. If you were looking for “How to win friends and influence people” or “You can win”, the market was the right place.

This was not all. From Dostoevsky to Munshi Prem Chand, Maugham to Tagore, Hardy Boys to Nancy Drew, Archies to Chacha Chaudhary, you could get everything under the sun. Then there were magazines — imported as well as Indian — ready to be taken home.

For students also, the market had a lot to offer. Right from guides to sample question papers, rare books to dictionaries and encyclopaedias, they could buy the stuff without much worry.

“The price was the advantage” said Sector 35 resident Nirmal Sharma. “You could get any book for half the price. The market was a part of the city’s culture. Instead of destroying it, the authorities should be doing something to regularise the market so that book lovers do not suffer”.
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HUDA to recover dues worth 15 cr
Ruchika M. Khanna
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, September 20
The Haryana Urban Development Authority has finally initiated proceedings against allottees of commercial properties, for recovery of dues worth Rs 15 crore here.

It is learnt that a list of 568 allottees of commercial properties, mainly showrooms, shop-cum-offices, booths, hotel sites etc, who have defaulted in the payment of their instalments to HUDA, has been prepared by the Estate Office. Notices are now being issued for initiating resumption proceedings against them for default in payments to HUDA.

Sources in the Estate Office inform that while notices to 300 allottees have already been issued, the cases of 234 allottees are under litigation in various courts after their properties were resumed. Officials inform that this list comprises defaulters who had been sold properties several years ago.

Officials say that a list of an equal number of defaulters, who owe instalments as well as late payment interest for the past three years was yet to be made. It is estimated that the sum due from these allottees could well be over Rs 15 crore. “We are already in the process of examining the files of all allottees of commercial sites in the township, so that a list of these defaulters as well as their outstanding dues, including interest on late payment, can be calculated,” informed a senior officer in Estate Office, Panchkula.

It may be noted that the entire exercise is being conducted after a top level meeting of officers of the Department of Town and Country Planning, Haryana, asked the Estate Offices in all urban estates to begin recovery from allottees. In Panchkula, though recovery is also due from the residential plot, school, nursing home, social, religious and institutional plot and industrial plot allottees, this recovery is only a fraction of the recovery to be made from commercial plot allottees.

Sources inform that the maximum number of amount is due from allottees of commercial sites in Sectors 5, 8, 9 and 11. Officials say that a large number of allottees, especially in cases of allotment before the year 2002, had not made payment to HUDA because of the reduction in the rate of interest to be charged on late payment of instalments as well as the possession offer interest.

The late payment interest had been reduced from 18 per cent to 14 per cent with effect from November 15, 2002, while the possession offer interest (interest charged to the allottee of any site auctioned / allotted by HUDA when he pays the amount in instalments) had been reduced from 15 per cent to 11 per cent.

This interest rate had been reduced after a number of allottees took legal recourse saying that this interest had been raised from 10 per cent to 18 per cent in case of delayed payment, and from 10 per cent to 15 per cent in possession offer interest in 1987, on the basis of increase in interest rates offered by banks. They had demanded that with the bank interest rates coming down to nine per cent, HUDA should also reduce its rate of interest.
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Free for all at grievance redressal camp
Kiran Deep

Chandigarh, September 20
A public grievances redressal camp organised by the UT police today turned into a free for all, as members of different parties, instead of sorting out their disputes through discussion, ended up exchanging blows and heated arguments, in full public gaze.

The human touch and compassion were completely missing in the personnel deputed at the redressal camp. It turned out to be a lot of “fun” and “hungama”, at least for the onlookers, if not for those whose cases were taken up. The camp was organised in the open ground of Sector 17, police station.

True to their image, the men in khakhi handled the situation by the use of power instead of compassion. As many of the parties started fighting with each other in the camp itself, the police thought it best to put them behind bars and bundled them in their vehicle to be taken to the police station. They were, however, brought back to the camp only after they apologised.

Though, a lot of people had come to the camp, but seeing the pace of events they started losing patience and the crowd thinned out. By afternoon only a few people were left behind and much before 4 pm, the scheduled time for the camp to conclude, not a single person was left at the camp. Thus the officials were forced to pack up early.

The scene became chaotic when the two parties, who were called by the police to solve a matrimonial dispute, picked up a fight within the camp. Both levelled allegations against each other.

Later, both the parties agreed to solve the dispute amicably and sought time from the police officials to discuss the matter outside the camp. As soon as both the parties moved outside the Sector 17, police station, an altercation took place. It was not just the husband and wife who had heated arguments, but even their family members and relatives started hurling abuses at each other and came to blows.

In another case where the husband had remarried without the consent of his first wife, a compromise could not be worked out as the wife pleaded that her husband should be directed to divorce the second wife.

Some of the complainants alleged that the police had forced them to compromise.

Meanwhile, the UT police claimed it to be a successful camp as 324 complaints were disposed off. The official informed that the response of the public was very encouraging and UT police would organise more such camps in the future.
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CBSE starts course to deal with disasters
Geetanjali Gayatri
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 20
With over 55 per cent India vulnerable to earthquakes and 70 per cent of land under cultivation prone to drought, 12 per cent to floods and 8 per cent to cyclones, India has been identified as one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world.

With this fact in mind, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has introduced disaster management as part of its frontline curriculum in Class VIII in affiliated schools all over the country as a part of the subject of social studies. The new subject, introduced after deleting a few topics of civics from the current syllabus, is aimed at creating a culture of prevention and preparedness among young learners. Exercises and activities have been built in to ensure that the students get involved in the learning process.

To be evaluated to the extent of 10 per cent in the examination, the syllabus has been designed in a manner that all natural and man-made disasters and vulnerable areas, their affects, preparedness and consequences, are discussed exhaustively in chapters. Pictures, stories and newspapers articles have been used to show the impact of disasters.

The teachers would be expected to evaluate students not only on written work, but also project activities, preparation of kits and plans with special attention to specific vulnerabilities of the particular area where the subject is being taught.

“We are the first board to have introduced this integrated short course. Chairman of CBSE Ashok Ganguly who is the brain behind the introduction of the course, thought it was high time to deal with disasters. We realised that while training students through this course, we could also inculcate and promote volunteerism in disaster-affected areas,” explains Mr P.I. Sabu, Regional Director of CBSE.

The CBSE officials are of the opinion that the course would train the students in a manner that it reduces loss and suffering as well as develops quick response to disasters. “The lack of skill in disaster preparedness increases the vulnerability of the population and negatively affects its ability to respond and recover from these,” he adds.

The board has even prepared textual material in the subject that is now available at all regional offices. Titled “Together, Towards a Safer India”, the books not only acquaints students about various disasters but also provides simple dos and don’ts that the children can imbibe and spread to families and community.
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PU green signal to college teachers
Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 20
Panjab University has decided to allow college teachers guiding doctoral research to go ahead with their unfinished projects. However, with regard to giving permission to college teachers for guiding doctoral research in future, the university has decided to re-look into the matter.

A decision to this regard has been cleared by the university Syndicate. The issue has brought forward some interesting aspects related to research standards, which need a closer look.

The university allowed qualified college teachers to guide research until a few years ago, when the PU Music Department barred a teacher from the local MCM DAV College to guide research. The Joint Research Board upheld the decision of the department. Thereafter, the question assumed bigger dimensions in connection to other departments.

It was contended that a number of colleges were ill-equipped to guide a standard research work. Accepting the fact, a Syndicate member said he could name at least 30 university teachers who had been promoted as professors and did not have a single research paper to their credit for the past decade. In the same set-up, there were qualified college teachers who had potential to guide good research works.

Dr Dinesh Talwar, a fellow, took the problem to the Vice-Chancellor and the matter was referred to the faculty which constituted a committee with the Dean University Instructions and Deans of the fine arts, education, science and arts faculties, besides others.

The Joint Research Board has given certain recommendations regarding the appointment of supervisors. Dr Talwar pointed out an interesting “modality” for the appointment of teachers as supervisors which reads “a non-teaching employee of the university can supervise up to three candidates of Ph.D at one time provided he fulfills the conditions”.

Dr Talwar said “without malice against anyone, does the university want to say that the college teachers are lesser qualified in guiding research than even the non-teaching employees of the university”.

The Syndicate was considering the recommendations of the board, which said teachers who fulfilled the academic conditions could guide research. The qualified teachers can be from teaching departments, regional centres or affiliated colleges of the university.

A teacher fulfilling the conditions will have to show interest through communication with the head of the department concerned on the campus. The request will be placed before the administrative and academic bodies of the departments concerned for consideration.

The university will first satisfy itself with the availability of the requisite infrastructure and academic facilities in the institutions where any college teacher wanted to guide research. The infrastructure will be assessed by a committee appointed by the Vice-Chancellor. This recommendation raised objections from certain quarters.

The synopsis of the thesis will be presented by the candidate in the department concerned before the research degree committee members in presence of proposed supervisors. The presentation will be open to faculty members and research scholars.

The National Assessment and Accreditation Committee, on its recent visit to the local GGS College for Girls, Sector 26, had laid stress for greater research activity in colleges.
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Fire breaks out at PCA Stadium
Our Correspondent

SAS Nagar, September 20
Material removed from the electrical scoreboard at the PCA Stadium caught fire here today and it took more than an hour to bring it under control.

The fire broke out around 1.15 pm. The first to reach the site were members of the Top Security Group posted at the stadium. They used the fire extinguishers installed in the stadium building and tried to segregate the affected area.

Two fire engines from the local fire station reached the stadium to bring the flames under control. It is reported that fire brigade staff had to get the water pipes over the wall of the stadium as the gate (No 11), where the scoreboard was installed, was not opened.

The officials present at the stadium and even fire brigade staff were unable to specify the cause of fire. They ruled out the possibility of any short circuit as every part of the score board had been disconnected.

An employee working near the site told this correspondent that work for cutting the metal angles fixed on the frame where the scoreboard had been installed was being carried out with the help of a gas cutter. He said there was a possibility that a spark from the gas cutter could have fallen on the material which was of combustible nature.

Mr G.S. Walia, who is working as an honorary treasurer at the stadium, said the material that had caught fire was just scrap. He said now a video screen scoreboard was being put up at its place at a cost of Rs 1.55 crore.
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Media permitted to cover President-children meeting
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 20
The media has reason to smile when the President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, visits the city for the second time in three weeks on September 29 to meet school students. After being shut out from covering the President’s visit on the eve of Teachers’ Day, the media, this time, has been given “permission” to cover the interaction.

Sources said the decision to allow media coverage was taken after categorical instructions to the UT Administration from the President’s House were received. The coverage of the event by the media found special mention in the instructions received by the authorities in Chandigarh this time, especially after the confusion it had caused at the last minute on the President’s last visit.

To give exhaustive coverage, one correspondent from every media organisation would be allowed entry to the venue and permitted to sit through the entire session. Though all photographers would also be allowed inside the hall, they would, like last time, be given only two to three minutes to click the President before leaving.

However, the one hour interaction between President APJ Abdul Kalam and students from 12.45 pm to 1.45 pm at Bhargava Auditorium, PGIMER, would be meant only for the children with the media assigned to play the role of a silent observer rather than be a participant.

“The media has been given permission to cover the session on the condition that they will not ask any questions,” the Adviser to UT Administrator, Mr R.S. Gujral, said while confirming that the media would be allowed. Last time, the shutting out of the media had led to a lot confusion and criticism of Administration. The media had gone to the extent of trying to seek permission from the President’s House. 
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Community centres to be made clubs
Kulwinder Sangha

SAS Nagar, September 20
The Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) plans to convert community centres in the town into community clubs. The plan, which is being discussed at the highest level, is aimed at providing more facilities to the residents.

Sources at the PUDA office here say the proposal had been sent by the head office to local officials for their comments. It is learnt that they have reacted positively to the proposal.

According to sources, PUDA has proposed that after the community centres are converted into clubs, membership should be opened to residents of the area in question. These clubs would be meant for the common man, who could not afford to pay the high membership charges demanded by most clubs.

It is learnt that PUDA has been compelled to consider such a proposal as the average occupancy rate of the community centres is only three days a month. On other days the complexes, which have been set up on one acre of prime land in various phases, remain unutilised. Officials say that apart from maintaining the buildings and the surroundings, PUDA had to pay the wages of a gardener and a chowkidar in each complex.

According to PUDA figures, the community centres are turning out to be loss-making projects. In the year 2002-2003 the expenditure incurred on the four community centres in Sectors 54, 56, 60 and 65 was Rs 3.46 lakh, Rs 3.10 lakh, Rs 3.13 lakh and Rs 3.23 lakh, respectively. Against these figures, the income receipts for the period were Rs 2.82 lakh, Rs 1.68 lakh, Rs 1.86 lakh and Rs 2.88 lakh, respectively.

According to the plan, a resident could become a member of the proposed community clubs by depositing a fee and later paying monthly dues. It has been proposed that each club should have a swimming pool, a bar, a kitchen and arrangements for table tennis and others games. To begin with, PUDA will convert only one or two community centres into clubs, starting with the one which is being used the least by residents. An executive committee could be formed comprising ex-officio members from among PUDA employees and some private individuals. At a later stage, an elected body could take over the management of the club.

However, a municipal councillor of Ward 13, Mrs Deep Kauri Shyan, has opposed any move to hand over the community centre in her ward area to the Gymnkhana Club. In a letter to the Chief Administrator, PUDA, she said if that were done, residents would be deprived of a facility they had acquired after years of struggle. The facility had been provided by PUDA after collecting money from the sale of plots to the public. Besides, clubs usually eatered to the needs of the rich. She said if PUDA was unable to maintain the centre in her ward it could be handed over to the municipal council.
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Mahajan to be BJP unit chief
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 20
Decks have been cleared for the unopposed election of Mr Yash Pal Mahajan to the post of the President of the local unit of the BJP. Mr Satya Pal Jain, who is a member of the National Executive of the party will also continue to hold the post for another term. The formal announcement of the results of the elections will be made by the All-India General Secretary of the party, Mr Parmod Mahajan.

On the last day of the filing of nominations for the post of the President of the local unit and member of the National Executive of the party, only one nomination each was filed for two posts. Mr Satya Pal Jain filed his nomination for the post of the National Executive and Mr Yash Pal Mahajan filed his nomination for the post of the President of the local unit.

The All-India General Secretary of the BJP, Mr Parmod Mahajan, will be in the city on the occasion of the announcement of the new President of the Chandigarh unit of the party on September 21.

Mr T.R. Kapoor, office secretary of the party, said Mr Manohar Lal had been appointed as the Returning Officer for the Chandigarh BJP Pradesh unit. The National Secretary of the party, Mr O.P. Dhankar, will also be present on the occasion.
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Artificial limbs, hearing aids for disabled
Our Correspondent

Kharar, September 20
Ropar District Administration on Thursday organised a block level camp under the national programme for rehabilitation of persons with disabilities at Morinda with the co-operation of the Lions Club.

The Deputy Commissioner, Ms Seema Jain, inaugurated the camp. Speaking on the occasion the Deputy Commissioner said district authorities had identified 10,758 persons with disabilities and they had been provided with various facilities, including tricycles, wheelchairs, hearing aids, artificial limb calipers, crutches and sewing machines.

In addition to this 3,992 disabled persons had been provided with facilities, including pensions, bus passes and railway passes.

The Deputy Commissioner said all persons identified under the scheme would be covered with the active co-operation of NGOs like the Lions Club and Rotary Club.

Ms Seema Jain said a resource centre had been set up at Ropar under this scheme where the services of expert doctors had been provided for counselling the physically challenged and facilities of physio-therapy had been made available in this centre.

Ms Seema Jain added that the Centre had provided a grant of Rs 62 lakh to operate this scheme in Ropar district and the district authority had taken steps to provide income generating schemes to the physically challenged to enable them to earn their livelihood.

In the camp 75 tricycles, 50 wheel chairs, 150 hearing aids and 10 crutches were distributed to physically challenged persons and 20 disabled were identified for providing artificial limbs.

The function was also addressed by Civil Surgeon Rana Harinder, SDM, Ropar, Daljit Singh, Municipal Committee president, Hari Pal, secretary of the Lions Club Gurjinder Singh, Khalsa College manager Col Malkeet Singh, Lions Club Project Director Vijay Tinku and secretary of the Red Cross Society Sanjiv Bhuddiraja.
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Involve NGOs in care of special kids: doctor
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 20
Seeing the failure of various projects launched by the government for providing medical and rehabilitation facilities for children born with problems like cerebral palsy, mental retardation and spasticity, it is felt that the task must be entrusted to voluntary organisations.

“The government has tried and failed as all facilities and welfare measures for these physically and mentally challenged children only exist on paper, so I feel that NGOs should be roped in to take on the responsibility,” feels Dr A. Pandit, Head of Paediatrics at King Edward Memorial Hospital, Pune. He was speaking at a workshop on “birth asphyxia” organised by the Paediatrics Department at the PGI.

“In case a child fails to get adequate amount of oxygen while the brain is in the developing phase, he will end up suffering from physical disorder like movement and posture problems or will be mentally retarded,” explained Dr Pandit. He regretted that because of absence of “regionalisation”, where a complicated delivery case with high risk is referred to the nearest upgraded hospital, many children end up suffering from various physical and mental disorders resulting out of birth asphyxia.

Dr Pandit said a UNICEF-funded rehabilitation programme launched by the Central Government in 100 districts of the country in the 1980s proved to be a miserable failure due to various factors like lack of motivation and trained personnel. “I am confident that the Reproductive and Child Health Programme, launched by the Department of Social Welfare recently, will bring good results in the coming years as health care professionals will be trained to handle complicated cases,” he remarked.

“Cerebral palsy is where a normal mind is trapped in an abnormal body so with the right kind of training, and treatment almost 80 per cent of such children can be rehabilitated and made functional members of society, while 15 per cent need to be given special education to be able to look after themselves, while nothing can be done to help the remaining 5 per cent as they will remain dependent” he said.

Dr Pandit informed that out of every 1,000 newborn babies, 40 die during the first month of their life, while two end up with cerebral palsy. In very severe cases, where the extent of damage is high, the problem is detected early, but in children with mild problem, it is only at the age of about one year that we give the final verdict, where we can pinpoint whether the child has visual hearing, movement or posture problem, he explained.

“Unfortunately, the rehabilitation programmes for these children are confined to only a few medical centres, as it involves a whole team comprising of a doctor, speech therapist, physiotherapist, educationist and a psychologist, so there are very few affected children who are able to avail of these facilities,” he regretted.

He said even though the government had reserved jobs and extended other facilities to these children, but unfortunately the benefits were not percolating down.

Earlier, the PGI Director, Prof S.K. Sharma, inaugurated the two-day workshop being attended by doctors from all over the country.
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PANCHKULA DIARY
Residents panel constituted
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, September 20
The Councillor from Ward No 10, Mrs Jalmegha Dahiya, has constituted a 46-member Resident Welfare Advisory Committee for her ward (Sector 10). Mrs Dahiya will be the chairperson of the committee, while Ms Manju Dhand will be the secretary.

Mrs Dahiya said the committee had been constituted to assist and advise her in the matter of development works undertaken by the municipal council/HUDA in the ward, especially in respect of maintenance and development of roads, parks, electricity, water supply, sewerage and other civic amenities.

Traffic awareness cause

The Additional Superintendent of Police, Ms Bharti Arora, today called a meeting of school principals of all government and private schools in the township. The principals were asked to introduce a course in traffic awareness for students of classes V to X.

The subject matter for this course will be prepared by the schools, but the examinations will be conducted by the police and certificates will also be issued for passing the course. The principals were also asked to look into any complaints of sexual harassment of girl students and immediately approach the woman cell in case of such complaints.

Painting contest

A painting competition was organised at Amravati Public School by HDFC Standard Life Insurance. The participants were students from Nursery to Class III, who displayed on organised presentation of their creative ideas. Class II and III students were asked to write down about their aim in life.

Ultrasound machine presented

The State Bank of India presented an ultrasound machine to the charitable diagnostic laboratory run by the Panchkula Welfare Trust, Mani Majra. This has been done under the community services banking scheme with a donation of Rs 5 lakh.
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Kirandeep best speaker
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 20
Ms Jas Kirandeep Kaur, a trainee constable at the Sector 26 Recruits Training Centre, was adjudged the best speaker in a debate on “The image of the police depends upon police-public relations” organised by Chandigarh Police yesterday.

In all 20 trainee constables participated in the debate. Subash Sharma and Vijay Singh got the second and third prize, respectively.

At present, 52 recruits, including eight postgraduates and 38 graduates, are undergoing training at the centre before their formal induction in Chandigarh Police in April next year. According to Mr Sandal Singh, Chief Law Instructor of the course, the recruits are being imparted training in public and media relations, Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, Evidence Act, human rights, public speaking and gender sensitisation besides other areas.

Two of the members of the faculty of the training centre — Inspector Anokh Singh and Inspector Parvesh Kumari — have just completed MA (Police Administration-First year) from Guru Nanak Dev University.
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Students escape unhurt
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, September 20
Forty students of M.N. Engineering College, Maulana, escaped unhurt after their bus was hit by a canter between Ramgarh and Kotbilla today.

The canter was coming from the opposite direction from Ambala when it collided with the bus carrying the college students.
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Meet-the-Press

Chandigarh, September 20
Mr Pramod Mahajan, General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party, will address a meet-the-Press programme at Chandigarh Press Club tomorrow at 1.30 p.m. TNS

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CRIME
 

Case registered against Mohali resident
Our Correspondent

SAS Nagar, September 20
The police has registered a case against a resident of Phase IV for assaulting and preventing a public servant from discharging his duty.

In a press note issued here today, Mr Harcharan Singh Bhullar, SP, said Mr Sunil Kumar, a resident of Phase IV, had got an Indica car financed from Standard Chartered Bank, Chandigarh. But since he was not paying the instalments from May, he had been declared a defaulter by the bank. The bank had directed its recovery agent to take the possession of the car.

Mr Bhullar said when two persons from the bank tried to take the possession of the car on September 18, they were allegedly beaten up by Mr Sunil Kumar, his brother Suleel Aneja and father Krishan Lal. On hearing about the incident, two police personnel, patrolling the area, reached the spot. They tried to intervene, but Mr Krishan Lal allegedly attacked Mr Dharampal and injured him. A case was then registered against Mr Krishan Lal under Sections 353, 332 and 186 of the IPC, who was also arrested. The police had also registered cases under Sections 107 and 151 of the CrPC against both the parties.

Mr Sunil Aneja, along with his father and brother, however, alleged that they were beaten up by unknown persons on the evening of September 18, who forcibly tried to enter their house. They alleged that even the police patrol party, which reached there after some time, did nothing to stop the intruders from assaulting them. They said the persons, who had come on a scooter, also called their accomplices.

Mr Aneja said when he went to the police station, the staff on duty misbehaved with him. He said the police did not take any action regarding the incident, which was witnessed by a number of residents of the area.

He said that he would approach the Punjab State Human Rights Commission for getting justice.
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16-yr-old commits suicide
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, September 20
A 16-year-old boy, Ashwani, committed suicide by hanging himself from the grill of the ventilator in his one-room rented house in Sector 15 last night. The body of the victim, who was reportedly under depression, was found at about 9 am by his landlord’s granddaughter .

The police say Ashwani was the second eldest of four siblings. While his elder sister, Sonia, was married and settled in Chandigarh, his 13-year-old sister, Asha, and 10-year-old brother, Jitender, were staying with him. Their father had expired several years ago and the mother had deserted them.

It is learnt that while his younger siblings had gone to spend the night with some relatives yesterday, he was alone. “ He came to meet us there last night and was in high spirits. I could never expect that he would take such a drastic step- and for no apparent reason, “ said his younger sister, Asha.

The police say Ashwani, who was now working with a plastic industry here, had earlier been booked by the police in a case of cycle theft. He was later released on bail, but was reportedly under depression after this incident. His family members also say that he used to worry a lot about the marriage of his younger sister and his brother’s education.

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Man arrested for bigamy
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, September 20
The man who had got UT Sub-Inspector Janak Raj implicated in a corruption case by the CBI has been arrested in an alleged case of bigamy by the UT police. Owner of a Sector 22-based placement consultancy Rajinder Singh Bhasin was arrested, along with his 19-year old woman employee, following a complaint by his wife from Sector 42, last night.

He has been booked under Sections 494, 498 A and 506 of the IPC. Ms Avinder Kaur, wife of Bhasin alleged that her husband had also married the girl.

Bhasin, a history-sheeter in the records of the Chandigarh police, and the girl, a resident of Kharar, were allegedly found in a compromising position in a car near the Beant Singh memorial, last night. The two have been sent to judicial custody.

As per police sources, Bhasin is involved in a number of cheating, robbery and forgery cases.

Yesterday, around 7.30 pm, when Bhasin left his Sector 40 residence in his car, his son followed him. Bhasin picked the girl in the car and the two reached near the memorial.

In the meantime, Bhasin’s son also reached the spot and called his mother, Ms Arvinder Kaur, and other family members. Later, Bhasin’s wife lodged a complaint with the police and the two were arrested. A medical examination on the two was also performed.

It may be mentioned that earlier, on a complaint of Bhasin, the CBI had arrested the sub-inspector, while allegedly taking a bribe. A case was also registered against Bhasin by the UT Vigilance Department for allegedly for forging treasury vouchers.

As per the police, Basin and the girl were having an affair for the past three years and the girl also used to visit his house. Basin, 50, has been married to Ms Arvinder Kaur for the past 23 years and has a son and daughter.
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One killed in mishap
Our Correspondent

Lalru, September 20
A one person was killed while an Army personnel was injured in two separate accidents on the Kalka-Chandigarh highway here in last 24 hours.

The deceased has been identified as Sunil Kumar, a resident of Dhanas village in Chandigarh. Sunila Kumar was driving his way back from Ambala to Chandigarh when some unidentified vehicle hit his car (CH-03L-8072) in Sarseeni village, late last night.

After registering a case under Section 304-A of the IPC the police has sent the body to Civil Hospital in Rajpura for post-mortem examinations.

Mr Ishwar Singh, an Army personnel, sustained serious injuries after a truck rammed into his motor cycle on the highway right in front of the police post this afternoon.

A resident of panchkula, Mr Ishwar Singh was riding his Hero Honda motor cycle the when the truck (HR-03-7596) collided with it, leaving the rider injured. He was taken to Army Hospital in Chandi Mandir for medication.

The police has impounded the vehicles involved in the accident. The police has not registered a case in this regard till the filing of the report.
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Teenager held for stealing vehicles
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 20
The Crime Branch yesterday arrested a teenager, who was already under trial for the theft of seven other vehicles, from Khudda Lahora and recovered five two-wheelers from him.

Rajesh was arrested in the day when he was riding a Kinetic Honda.

He is already facing trial for stealing three Maruti cars, two scooters, a motor cycle and a car stereo. Rajesh used to steal the vehicles using duplicate keys and after changing their registration numbers.
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