Wednesday,
October
8, 2003,
Chandigarh, India
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Verma announces series of projects Chandigarh, October 7 Speaking at a photo exhibition of 50 years of Chandigarh organised by the UT Administration to mark the golden jubilee function of Chandigarh, Justice Verma said that a city was a living organism which grew and changed with time, as did its needs and aspirations. He said the Chandigarh Administration was aware of the changing requirements and needs of the city and was committed to improving the city’s infrastructure and quality of life. Justice Verma said that the Administration had taken up an ambitious programme to provide affordable housing to the poorest persons of the city. At the same time the Administration has launched projects to address the problems of water supply, water treatment, recycling of water, improving the green areas, improving road infrastructure and providing a proper environment to create more investment, employment and economic growth in the city. The Administrator said that the Chandigarh Administration was committed to making this city a hub of investment and economic growth in the region. Chandigarh was all set to grow into a knowledge city with large and varied skill base. Chandigarh was already ranked No. 1 in the human development index in India. Announcing the various projects which may change the face of Chandigarh in the next 3-5 years, Justice Verma said that Chandigarh Technology Park was coming up at Mani Majra/Kishangarh which would house leading companies providing information services. Zones for institutions of excellence at Sarangpur west of Sector-38 was being created where leading institutions providing higher education, research and development, health services etc would be housed. Improved professional education would be assured to the citizens of Chandigarh by providing infrastructure for the Punjab Engineering College that would be upgraded to a deemed university, the new Chandigarh College of Engineering & Technology, and the Government Medical College and Hospital where Block-C and Block-D would be completed soon. Setting up a bio-tech Incubation Centre at the Government Medical College & Hospital would facilitate research and development in technology. In addition, the Chandigarh Administration has decided to construct the museum of knowledge in the Capitol Complex in keeping with the original concepts of this building. The Governor said that a new industrial & logistics zone is being developed at Mauli Jagran village and Raipur Kalan, An ambitious plan for housing the economically weaker sections has been launched. The construction of about 3,600 houses shall begin soon in Sector- 38 West, Sector-49 and Mauli Jagran. This was in addition to the 1600 houses already under construction by the Chandigarh Housing Board. In all, about 6,300 dwelling units for economically weaker sections shall be built in two years. To address the problems of water supply, water treatment and recycling of water, the Chandigarh Administration was supporting the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, to complete the water supply scheme (Phase-IV) which would bring an additional 20 million gallons of water every day to Chandigarh at a cost of about Rs 55 crore. This work was in full swing and the pipeline was being laid from the Bhakra main line canal at Kajauli to Chandigarh. The Administration said that the Administration had introduced the model school pattern in practically government schools of Chandigarh w.e.f. the current academic session. In addition all government schools shall have proper furniture for all students by the end of next year. Sports facilities were being upgraded in schools and also for the city. A new all weather swimming pool would be provided by upgrading the swimming pool in Sector-23. New basket-ball courts, tennis courts, handball courts, kho kho courts etc shall be provided in the Sector-7 and Sector-42 sports complex. The work to create first model village of City in Kaimbwala was already in progress and another village Sarangpur has been selected as second model village. |
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“Kambakth” man leaves a trail of
melodies
Chandigarh, October 7 Sukhwinder Singh’s musical evening was organised by the UT Administration to mark 50 years of the birth of Chandigarh. Interestingly, this is for the first time that Sukhwinder Singh, who is a Punjabi by lineage performed in Chandigarh. He had earlier visited Chandigarh along with Sanjay Dutt, for the latter’s friend’s wedding. Whereas everything went well with the show, expect for minor altercations which the security men on duty had with those itching to gatecrash, the only sore point of the show was that it started off very late. Although some sort of music kept playing on the well decked-up stage of the beautiful Leisure Valley, the star singer himself arrived on the scene very late during the day. So the show, that was supposed to take off at about 7 pm, actually started at about 8.15 pm, the time when Sukhwinder Singh appeared on the stage. Interestingly, there were breaks during the show and the singer managed to change dresses twice. With bundles of energy to back him, the singer doled out a beautiful medley of his own songs, many of which he has himself written. Starting off from the famous song ‘Lagan lagi”....Sukhwinder moved on to present various hit numbers, the most rhythmic ones being ‘Kambakth ishq hai jo” from “Pyar tune kya kiya;” teri meri youn tut gayi from “Chalte Chalte;” Lucky Kabutar from Daag the Fire; “Sari madhushala pee aaya” from “Taal” and many more. The many fillers that marked the evening were not so well received by the crowd that wanted more of the Sukhwinder magic. After very long, Chandigarh saw a real live performance, with generating tremendous energy to give out his best to the gathering, which danced away to his numbers. |
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Rahman to Speilberg — that’s Sukhwinder Chandigarh, October 7 Emerging from nowhere, he made a stylish entry into Bollywood by richly rendering “chhaiya chhaiya” in the A.R. Rahman musical film, “Dil Se.” But he had not known his melodic union with Rahman would take him places. Defined as a singer with “classic control over musical elements”, and as a singer commanding the greatest price, Sukhwinder is now busy with international projects. He is singing in a Steven Spleiberg film, “The Dutch”, a Chinese-English film, “The Heaven”, and the second part of the A.R. Rahman musical, “Bombay Dreams”. Visiting Chandigarh after years for a live concert today, Sukhwinder recalled his days at Amritsar when he wanted to be a runner. “I had the best timing at 800 metre. Gradually Lata Mangeshkar’s music infected me. I began memorising her songs, recording them in my heart. I would recite them endlessly till I could sing well. I never went to gurus. I learnt by listening.” Years after self-learning, Sukhwinder found himself struggling for attention as a singer. He was, however, writing songs for films. “Govind Nihalani once introduced me to Rahman who wanted a lyricist for “Dil Se”. That was when I shared with Rahman the musical history of Baba Bulle Shah, humming to him the Sufi couplet “Tere ishq nachaya karke ta thaiya thaiya”. Rahman was inspired too deeply to resist the temptation of using these verses in his film. That’s how “chhaiya chhaiya” happened. Rahman wanted someone to render it soulfully. I took the leap, thanks to Baba Bulle Shah.” Then came a string of hits by Rahman and Sukhwinder — “Taal”, “Takshak”, “1947 Earth”, “Daag”, “Pyar tune...”, and the international musical hit, “Bombay Dreams.” Ask Sukhwinder how he sources his melodies and energy and he replies, “I love poetry, especially the kind of poetry rendered by Salamat Ali Khan and Tufail Niyazi. Mozart’s classical purity inspires me deeply. Because of these influences my sound is full of pain and rhythm. I draw my energy from solitude. If I get 20 minutes with myself before I have to perform live, my show is sure to be a hit. These moments in isolation are energy.” Never at loss for confidence, Sukhwinder’s concentration failed him once when he was supposed to sing the same song which Lataji sung in “Kachhe Dhaage”. Having done the best, including making a musical presentation for “Bombay Dreams”, with the British royal family in the audience, Sukhwinder will shortly sing with Lata Mangeshkar in Feroze Khan’s “Shaadi.com”. He is also filling his days with melody, besides guarding against solitude, which comes as the interest on fame. |
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An occasion to reflect and cherish
Chandigarh, October 7 Inaugurated by Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Justice O.P. Verma (retd), the show treated the viewer to nostalgia right at the entrance, where images of Le Corbusier, Jeanneret and others hung from the very walls they created.
Frames featuring Pt Nehru and his timeless quotes on Chandigarh provided company to others that showed the best of brains engaged in the creative pursuit of Chandigarh. Titled “Nostalgia”, this section virtually brought alive memories of the bygone era, that was full of modern thinkers and administrators alike. Some outstanding images from the archives include “Nehru with Corbusier, the office of Corbusier, Pt Nehru laying the foundation stone of the city in Lily Garden, U.E. Choudhry explaining the Governor Palace Project to Nehru. Moving further, the show opens to other significant section called “Living” which draws from the beautiful frames capturing architectural finesse of buildings like the Secretariat, the Assembly along with its ceremonial gate and various house types in the city. Featuring architectural progress made by the city in 1972, this section shows how the city began making rapid strides towards modernism. Interesting and informative pictures made up the “Civic” section which included the initial sketches of the ISBT, Sector 17, the PWD bungalow. Then came “Education” which featured beautiful frames of Administration blocks of PEC, PU, besides GCG in Sector 42, Gandhi Bhavan, Senior Citizens Home, and other buildings. Among other sections, which evoked the interest of Justice Verma and MP Mr Pawan Bansal, who earlier released a brochure on Chandigarh, were Health, Commerce, Culture and Celebrities of Chandigarh. The exhibition will be open till October 20. Coming together on a common platform today were people from all walks of life — architects as celebrated as M.N. Sharma (first Chief Architect of UT), S.D. Sharma, who worked with Corbusier on the Government Museum plan and R.S. Lal, who was also a part of the team that gave shape to Chandigarh after the team of foreign experts left. Sharing their nostalgia, Mr Sharma and Mr Lal said, “It is a moment of pride for us that we have grown along with the city which continues to be an eternal point of reference in the history of modern urban planning.” Meanwhile, the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi started a caricature workshop in Governmemt Museum and Art Gallery to celebrate city’s 50th year. Participating in the workshop, Sandeep Joshi, Satwant Singh, Raman Bhardwaj, Gurjind Sandhu, Prince, Gunvidhi Sharma and R.P. Verma will recreate the charm of the city in another medium. They will make caricatures on theme peculiar to the city, like Rose Garden, Rock Garden, Geri Route and the open hand. |
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City vignettes Wide roads, spacious parks, widely spaced houses, low boundary walls, large windows — how did Chandigarh’s planners incorporate these very un-Indian features? With the region having witnessed so much violence in the past, how could security not be a consideration? The features of the City Beautiful have few parallels in our own country. But in stark contrast, in Europe, every other town has the same ambience as that of Chandigarh. Even their railway stations and airports are small and sleepy like those in the city. Some may argue that the difference may be in the laid-back approach, but then, even that too appears to be the same. Europeans have a strong preference for quiet neighbourhoods. They have rejected high-rise apartments and show aversion to large cities. Le Corbusier’s choice of building material makes an interesting story. The French, being highly artistically inclined, would certainly select a sculptural material like exposed concrete. It is not uncommon for a French architect to “freak out” on concrete. This facet strikes the visitor the moment he arrives in Paris. The new airport in Paris has been splashed in exposed concrete. Its simplicity is almost monastery-like. The concrete for building Chandigarh, unlike the design concept, was not imported. The Ghaggar was a rich source of quality sand, its colour and grading probably the best in the country. The clay fields around Chandigarh yield probably the best bricks and coupled with the presence of skilled Ramgarhia masons, exposed concrete and exposed brickwork became the natural choice for Chandigarh. Many argue that in spite of the sculptural quality of the buildings here, they still look bare. This owes a lot to the French mindset. Their designers, especially fashion designers, believe in little clothing and a lot of exposure. |
Councillors air views on city’s master
plan Chandigarh, October 7 A host of suggestions were put forward by the councillors during the meeting at which the Member of Parliament, Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal, was a special invitee. In his speech, Mr Bansal, said democracy demanded equal participation of the residents in keeping the city clean. He suggested that the corporation should organise a “cleanliness festival” to make the city more beautiful. He said the city required a convention centre and recreational facilities on the pattern of New Delhi. Calling upon the councillors to give a better environment to the future generations, he said residents should be involved in beautifying the city. He suggested that the city should be called a ‘city of gardens’. A councillor from Mani Majra, Mr Surinder Singh, said while the golden jubilee of the city was being celebrated, no one was concerned about the welfare of villagers who were displaced when the city was planned. He demanded houses for the displaced villagers. Mr Gian Chand Gupta, another councillor, said the corporation should give a new project to the residents. He demanded that citizens’ charter should be published for the convenience of the residents. Opening of complaint centres in every ward and an amusement park in the city were also required, he added. Mr Didar Khan, a nominated councillor, lamented that the participation of the common man in the celebrations was missing. Mr Sohan Lal Vaid demanded recarpeting of the city roads. A former Mayor, Ms Lalit Joshi, said the population growth in the city should be checked. She said a mass transport system should be planned for the city on the pattern of Metro Rail in Delhi. Mr Chander Mukhi Sharma said the corporation should be known by the quality of works. He demanded that information about the corporation should be made available on the Internet. Dr K.S. Raju, a nominated councillor, said the government should take a clear-cut decision on the future of Chandigarh. It would enable the planners to plan the facilities accordingly. Another former Mayor, Ms Kamla Sharma, spoke on tapping human resources for making the city a dream city. Ms Harjinder Kaur demanded that the Chandigarh carnival should be made an annual feature. Maj-Gen A.S. Kahlon demanded that a paper on ‘vision-2010’ should be prepared. |
Indian murdered in USA Parents go through ordeal at airport Following the news of his death, the parents of Sukhbir Singh were in for an ordeal at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, when his body landed there. The family members, including an uncle of Sukhbir, went through a tough time at the airport between 12.30 a.m. to
5 a.m on Monday. The trouble started with the demand for the passport of the dead, which the family was not possessing. The affair ended without any formality being actually carried out. This was in contrast to the treatment the body received at the airport in the USA, where they were decently assisted in boarding the flight. Lalru, October 7 Son of a farmer of Ramgarhrurki village, 5 km from Lalru, Sukhbir was stabbed to death by Brush Phillip Reed. Employed as a clerk with a Convenience Store — M/S J.P. Food Mart in Marl Avenue locality — in Phoenix city of Arizona district, Sukhbir was murdered while he was alone in the store on September 3 evening. After getting the news of Sukhbir’s murder, Mr Harjit Singh, owner of the store, informed the Phoenix city police and subsequently Mr Swaran Singh, an uncle of the deceased, with whom Sukhbir was staying. Talking to The Tribune, Mr Swaran Singh said that the Phoenix city police reached the store and the necessary proceedings were carried out. The police succeeded in nabbing Brush Phillip Reed in less than 24 hours. He was later put behind bars on murder charge. He added that there were stab injuries in the wind pipe of Sukhbir’s throat and chest. Mr Swaran Singh, who is also running a convenience store in Phoenix city, told this correspondent that Reed regularly visited Sukhbir. ‘‘Reed was jealous of Sukhbir as he was earning a handsome salary. Jealousy against Indians is common and is proving dangerous for them, claimed Mr Swaran Singh. He said that Sukhbir was employed as a clerk by Mr Harjit Singh, the store-owner belonging to Ludhiana. In less than five years, Sukhbir had made good relations with his customers and other Non -Resident Indians (NRIs). He was known as Sonny to his friends, customers and other Indians there. As a token of love, Sukhbir’s US and Indian friends presented a wooden memento to the family in the memory of Sukhbir Singh. With a photo of the deceased, the memento was wrapped in a small US flag and was signed by wellwishers of the departed soul. The shattered parents of the deceased said that they were
planning to get their son married in the days to come. Ms Swaran Kaur, his mother, was consoled by the relatives and family members. ‘‘We are only left with the wooden memento and a couple of photographs clicked during happy days to commemorate Sukhbir,’’ said Mr Gurnam Singh, father of the deceased. |
Indian-Americans affluent, says Malik Chandigarh, October 7 “About 75 per cent of the Indian-Americans are occupying managerial positions,” he said. “It is the most affluent minority community,” he added. He was here to attend Australia—India Security Round Table-2003 at the CRRID here. Mr Malik said that such communities could be more helpful than the official machinery in moulding a favourable policy towards their native country as they were not bound by any constraints and were free to initiate informal discussions. He said that the need to establish contacts with the diaspora was first felt by the Indian Government during the time of Operation Bluestar. “The government was forced to wake up, but it found that it had no data bank on Indians living abroad,” he said. Stating that there had been a vast change in the US perception of Indians, he said that the Indians had been successful as doctors, technicians, IT professionals, businessmen and engineers abroad and were among the
sought after workforce. This placed them in an advantageous position for economic diplomacy. |
Growth of radical Islam worries Australia Chandigarh, October 7 Stating this while speaking to The Tribune here today, Mr Hugh White, Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), said that the understanding in Australia was that there was a significant problem with Pakistan due to its support to separatist violence in Kashmir and that Pakistan must take steps to ease the situation. He was here to participate in a two-day Australia-India Security Round-Table-2003 being organised jointly by the Australia-India Council, the ASPI based at Barton and the locally based Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development. He said that while military-to-military interaction with India was increasing, Australia, to his knowledge, was not undertaking any defence cooperation with Pakistan or had any intentions for such activities in the near future. He said that there were several factors, including Pakistan’s political position, that Australia was keeping aloof of any military cooperation with Pakistan though there was a defence attache posted to the Australian Embassy in Islamabad. Mr White said that though there has been an increase in military cooperation between India and Australia, joint military exercises may not materialise as such ventures would be “expensive”. The recent incidents of terror in South-East Asia, particularly Bali, were very significant from the Australian viewpoint and were worrisome, the ASPI Director felt. Stating that the ongoing strife in West Asia, the Iraq war and developments in Afghanistan have strong implications for the stability in the region, he said that developments in Afghanistan have helped to suppress the Al-Qaida and the Taliban. He said that Iraq had to be stabilised. Australia was working very closely with other countries to combat terrorism and to ensure stability in the region, he said, adding that India and China had a major role to play in this region. “In Australia there is a growing recognition about India’s emerging role in the Asia-Pacific region,” Mr White said. There was a big rift in relations between the two countries after the 1998 nuclear tests, but when the two countries started rebuilding relations in 2000, both sides discovered that they had a great deal in common, he said. “Since then, we have moved much closer to each other and an intense dialogue is under way,” he remarked. Terming the strides in Indo-Israeli as well as Indo-Chinese relations as a positive development, he said that Australia had good relations with both countries. The ASPI Director revealed that Australia had recently signed a huge contract with China for gas export. Past differences with China concerning Taiwan had been overcome and the relations between China and Australia on the political front were closer. He, however, ruled out that China’s growing prowess would be a threat to Australia’s interests in the region in the future. Emphasising that the security of the Indian Ocean region was a very big and complex issue, he said that both, India and Australia, had very strong interests in this arena. Defending the presence of the USA in the Indian Ocean, saying that was necessary for stability in the region, he said that as India and China grew in strength they would be playing a more active and beneficial role in the security architecture of the Asia-Pacific region. “We should work out an equation where every power can play a meaningful and positive role,” he said. Mr White said that India can also play a useful role in the ASEAN forum and Australia and India need to work closely on this front. |
Australian envoy positive about
ties Chandigarh, October 7 She was addressing delegates at the opening session of the two-day Australia-India Security Round Table-2003 being organised jointly by the Australia-India Council, ASPI, based at Barton, and the locally-based Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development. Besides members of the Australian High Commission, a number of former civil servants, retired military officers, academicians and experts in foreign affairs participated in the seminar. The High Commissioner said that a draft paper on defence between the two countries was forwarded by Australia to the Indian Government last month and the modalities were being considered. Besides, the Foreign Ministers of both countries had recently signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation to combat terrorism. “We are moving forward in a serious way to engage each other in strategic matters,” Ms Wensley said. “A more dynamic relationship is in the interest of both countries,” she added. Limited resources, different priorities and lack of interest in each other’s communities were the major stumbling blocks in the Indo-Australian relations, she said. She said that though there was tremendous scope in maritime cooperation between the two countries and there had been a lot of talk on the subject, it continued to remain a concept. Stating that the Indo-Australian relations were very important for the security of the region, Joint Secretary with the Ministry of External Affairs, Mr J.S. Sapra, said that mutual cooperation was important because the Asia-Pacific region was throwing formidable challenges like narco-terrorism, piracy, smuggling and drug trade. Stating that India had a vital role to play in the region as it was directly affected by the events in and around the Indian Ocean, he said that the challenge was to put more ballast into the Indo-Australian relations to make them more meaningful and to achieve the desired goal. The opening session was followed by two closed-door sessions. In the session on post-Iraq global power relations, the implications of US action and the continuing US presence in Iraq on global security, the role of other states in world security and the respective roles of Australia and India in the world order were deliberated upon. The other session on extremist movements and their impact on state and global security saw discussions on the danger of Islamic extremism and scope for Australia-India cooperation to address terrorism and potential extremist actions. |
Teacher’s wrath forces boy to run to
Sukhna SAS Nagar, October 7 Taking suo motu notice of the incident, the Superintendent of Police, SAS Nagar, Mr Harcharan Singh Bhullar, has marked an inquiry to the Phase I SHO and also wrote to the A DGP Punjab State Human Rights Commission and the Child Protection Unit, Mohali, to inquire into the matter and take necessary action. The school principal, however, denied beating of the child by the class teacher, stating that he left home due to a domestic problem. Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, the child, Manish Babbar (Ashoo), today said that he along with his classfellows were beaten up daily by his classteacher on small pretexts. “She uses a cane to beat us and even those students who are good in studies have to bear the brunt,” he said. Manish, who topped in Class III and IV, is considered to be one of the good students of his class. “But I am weak in mathematics and as I was unable to complete my homework, I was scared that the teacher would beat me a lot if she finds that I had come without the homework. So I simply left home in the morning and went to the lake to wait till my mother comes back from office. I don’t want to go to the school again,” he added. Manish was six-month-old when he was shifted by his parents in Saketri to his maternal grandparents’ house in Phase I, Mohali. “They have brought him up for the past 10 years and done a good job of it. Ashoo is good in studies and is hardworking, but then the schoolteacher seems to be dealing with him an unfair manner,” said Manish’s father, Ramesh, who works in Industrial Area, Chandigarh. Manish left home yesterday morning and leaving his school bag near the Phase I barrier, he cycled down to Chandigarh and went to the lake. His school bag was recovered by some onlookers, who informed his grandparents, who then contacted the police and his parents. “We were infor-med about the incident at about 1 p.m. and immediately police parties were sent to all the places the family frequented. At 4 p.m. the child was found at the lake,” said Mr Bhullar. “The incident shows the growing intolerance in society, especially among teachers, who should, in fact, show love and affection towards schoolchildren,” pointed out Mr Bhullar. According to the police, the grandparents along with Manish’s mother had also given him a major shouting day earlier when they realised that he had not completed his homework. “We did tell him sternly to be careful and complete his work,” said Mr Om Prakash, Manish’s grandfather. The school principal, Mr B.S. Shergill, said that the child was never beaten up at school. “We do not allow corporal punishment. There are no canes or wooden sticks with the class teacher as is being told by Manish. The teacher, did tell him to be regular with his homework but that any teacher will do in order to discipline a student. The fact is that Manish does not want to stay with his grandparents in Mohali but live with his parents in Saketri.” “This is not true. Manish has no problem living here but now I guess we are too old to take complete care of manish. We will let him go to his parents after he finishes his Class V here,” said Mr Om Prakash. Mr Ramesh also alleged that the schoolteacher has been forcing the students of her class to come home and take tuitions from her. “Manish is taking these tuitions after school each day for two hours on the school premises but when the teacher started saying that she will be taking tuitions at her residence in Phase VI, we had to refuse,” said Mr Om Prakash. The school principal, however, denied any such move. |
Unsatisfactory sanitation
work in Mohali SAS Nagar, October 7 The contractor has failed to work in accordance with the conditions of the agreement as far as the work of cleaning the area and lifting of garbage was concerned. Neither was he trying to make any improvement in his service despite several letters written by the civic body in this regard. It is alleged that the contractor was not employing as many number of persons for the work as mentioned in the agreement and neither was he getting the garbage lifted from collection points on a regular basis. Municipal councillors from different areas had been making complaints as the sanitation work was unsatisfactory. It is learnt that as the contractor had failed to employ the specified number of workers, the civic body had deducted Rs 57,040 when the sanitation contractor presented a bill of Rs 3,49,113 for the month of July. A sum of Rs 1,96,448 had been deducted by the council from the bill for the month of August which amounted to Rs 8,32,500.The work of sanitation was given on July 19 to one party on an experiment basis for a period of three months which expires on October 18. The contract was to be extended only if the work was found satisfactory. My Kulwant Singh, president of the council, said today that the council had cleared the payments of the contractor only after making deductions as he was not using the services of as many number of employees as mentioned in the agreement. He said that the aim of the civic body was to provide proper sanitation and not to focus on deductions. He said there was a major improvement in the sanitation aspect as compared to the services provided by earlier contractors. He said the matter would be discussed in the House and any further decision on the contract would be taken in accordance with that. |
Committee formed to tackle cattle
menace Panchkula, October 7 While presiding over a meeting of government officials and Municipal Council, Deputy Commissioner Satwanti Alhawat directed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (North) and officials of the Municipal Council (MC) to acquire land on the outskirts of the town so that cattle pounds and diaries could be shifted from the township. She also directed the officials to hold meetings with the panches and member panchayats of villages on the periphery of Panchkula to hire land on lease-hold basis or purchase 50 acres of land for the purpose. She also directed to involve patwaris of the area concerned in the project. While tightening its grip on the owners of stray cattle, the DC directed the MC officials to slap a penalty of Rs 1,500 per cattle on the owners who approached them for the release of their impounded cattle. The fine would be increased if the MC impounded a cattle twice. It may be recalled that a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the Haryana state, the Chief Administrator of HUDA and the DC, Panchkula, to take up the issue with officials of the UT Administration, Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, the state of Punjab and PUDA to frame a comprehensive plant for checking the stray cattle menace in Chandigarh. |
Media told to report items on children responsibly Chandigarh, October 7 A child right activist, Mr Joseph Gatia, said it was obligatory on part of the media to change its role in view of the information revolution. Following globalisation and liberalisation, the governments were unable to made adequate provision in its budgets for the children, whose awareness about their rights was on an increase. It was for the media to properly highlight the aspirations of the children, who were increasingly feeling neglected. Mr Shivaji Sarkar of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication said the media should make a meaningful effort to improve the lot of the children, who were the future of the country. The Editor of Uttam Hindu, Mr Irving Khanna, said the children should have the right to freedom of expression. While their rights should be protected, their feelings should be respected. Prof M.N. Wig, former Professor of Psychiatry in the PGI, Chandigarh, said it was the duty of the government to provide health-care to the children. A senior journalist, Mr Radhey Shyam Sharma, who presided over the workshop, urged the journalists to give prominence to news relating to the welfare of the children. |
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Special prayer sessions from Oct
20 Chandigarh, October 7 Celebrations would begin at Shantidan with a prayer followed by a community kitchen where people of all faiths are invited to partake of the feast. The Sister Superior at the Home, Sister Suniti, says: “Most of the nine sisters working here have, at one time or another, worked with Mother Teresa. We have fond memories of her. Her beautification has brought the greatest joy to us. Though we have already begun in-house prayers, we will go public with our happiness only when the beautification ceremony is through.” “Uniforms and bags are being distributed in the name of the Mother at a slum school after her name. Our celebrations would be complete only when we make the poor happy, satisfy the needy and bring a smile to the faces of the saddened,” she explains. Though the home would like to install a statue of the Mother on the premises, Sister Suniti says the money for such extravagance is not there. “We would love a statue though we cannot have it made with finances available with us. If somebody is willing to get it made for us, we will be only too happy,” she adds. At the church too, a plan to celebrate the beatification, a prelude to conferring sainthood, has been chalked out. Speaking of the plans, Father Thomas, Vicar General of the Diocese of Shimla-Chandigarh, informed that the first celebration would be held at Shantidan on October 20, the place where Mother Teresa laid the foundation stone for establishing her home for the destitute, the poor, sick and abandoned. On October 26, a mass would be offered by Bishop and priest at the church. This would be followed by an inter-religious prayer service at the church and a talk by Mr M.G. Devasahayam. Mother Teresa first came to the city in December, 1975 to explore the possibility of a home in the city and the first band of Sisters arrived in May, 1976 to begin work from a temporary accommodation. A place for the home was allocated to the Missionaries of Charity in Sector 23 a year later by the Chandigarh Administration. |
Old structure demolished SAS Nagar, October 7 Mr J.S. Tiwana, SDO, Buildings, said some development works like laying of an 80-foot-wide road and a storm sewer were lying pending as the building came in the way of the activity. He said the owners had been asked to remove the structure, but as they did not do so, PUDA had to take action. Officials of the enforcement wing were accompanied by a Duty Magistrate and about 30 police personnel. Though there was some resentment, the operation went off peacefully. CHANDIGARH: Meanwhile, the enforcement wing of the Estate Office of the Chandigarh Administration today demolished at least eight unauthorised structures on the outskirts of Maloya village. Two JCB’s were used in carrying out the demolition drive. |
Old tusker dies at Chhat Bir Chhat Bir (Patiala), October 7 Brought to the Zoo after Kamla Circus wound up in 1978, Kaweri was a prime attraction for visitors thronging the zoo. Sources in the zoo said the health of the old tusker deteriorated a fortnight ago and she started loosing weight. Kaweri had also stopped having fodder for the past two days. This morning she collapsed and breathed her last at about 3 pm, an employee of the zoo revealed. During her 25 years in the zoo, Kaweri failed to deliver any baby and was leading a herd of six elephants in the park. With the death of Kaweri, the elephant population has come down to five. A team of three veterinary doctors comprising Dr Nirmaljit Singh, Dr Jaipal Singh and Dr Raj Kumar, will conduct a postmortem on the animal tomorrow morning, zoo sources revealed. Mr Kuldeep Kumar, Zoo Director , was not available for comments. |
Scrap dealer in blast case
surrenders Panchkula, October 7 In his statement to the police, he disclosed that two turbaned Army men visited his shop with a mortar wrapped in a paper sheet. They were told to remove the brass sheet from the live mortar before finalising any sale deal. He also stated that the Army men were given a hammer on their demand to extricate the brass from the shell. The bomb exploded while they were trying to remove the brass from it, he claimed. |
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Villagers asked to return
explosives Panchkula, October 7 Acting on a report in The Tribune on its October 6 issue, the police under the DSP (Headquarters), Mr Desh Bandhu, made public announcements in two villages. The Tribune had highlighted how the residents of the area were ekeing out a living by selling the explosive mortars, shells , misfired bullets and their scrap. The police says that they would later conduct search and seizure operations in case the residents did not wilfully return the explosives or scrap. |
Serial on Samrat
Shankar Chandigarh, October 7 The episodes will run till October 15 from 6 pm to 6.30 pm. This is for the first time that a complete serial has been made on a magician including his life and times, his struggle and his memorable moments. Twenty minutes of the half-hour episode will showcase the performances of the world’s greatest magician and the rest 10 minutes will be devoted to a tete a tete with the magician. In all 10 episodes, a journalist from DD Bharati will chat with Samrat Shankar and bring out the interesting moments of his life. |
Readers Write In a news item published in Chandigarh Tribune on August 31, “Nine city students clear talent search exam”, it was mentioned that all nine students were from public or English-medium schools. Not even a single student was from any government school. Is it not a matter of shame for our Education Department as well as qualified teachers of these schools? The question arises: why do government schools often fail to produce such talented students? At the time of tests and interviews for the recruitment of teachers, there is a rush of candidates and everyone tries his best to get a job in a government school. Even palms are greased to get such jobs. This is for the simple reason that government school jobs are very cushy. A government schoolteacher neither take classes seriously nor guides the students properly. This is probably the main reason why none of the students from government schools has cleared the talent search examination. In private or English-medium schools, teachers are equally qualified but they get almost half the salary than their counterparts in government schools, barring some reputed schools which pay good salaries. These teachers pay more attention to their students and produce good results as desired by the management or the Principal. There is an urgent need for a rethink of our education system. We need dedicated teachers for the coming generations. Every year, teachers are given President’s awards, but their contribution is hardly highlighted in the media. Their contribution must be highlighted in the electronic as well as print media. Those who taught the students who cleared the talent search examination should be given recognition in the form of awards or rewards so as to inspire others. Moreover, the news item should be an eye-opener for our government schoolteachers and all concerned with the teaching profession. Ujagar Singh,
Chandigarh Housing societies
sans amenities PUDA has given plots to housing societies without any planning for infrastructure and basic amenities like water and electricity. The people of PUNCHAM society in Sector 68 have not been provided with supply of electricity for the past several months. People have taken loan for housing but are unable to shift to their houses because of non-availability of power. Some people shifted to the flats without electricity because they were finding it difficult to pay loan instalments as well as rent for accommodation. The administrator of PUDA should see that people should get basic amenities in these societies. G.S. Saini,
SAS Nagar Cinemagoers’ woes Cinema halls in the city are not providing basic facilities to viewers. Air-conditioners are switched off as soon as the show begins while the fans are nosiy and creaky. The seats are in bad shape and it is difficult to find one worth sitting. For instance, in Piccadily cinema, there is hardly any seat in the balcony where one can be comfortable. The rates of soft drinks are raised without any notice. It is up to the authorities to ensure that the paying public feels comfortable while watching movies in cinemas. Gurmeet Anand, Chandigarh Pollution check centres The centres authorised to issue pollution control certificates are doing their job negligently. Most of the centres issue the certificates without checking the pollution level of the vehicle. Some don’t even bother to see the registration certificate. I request the authorities to take strict action against the defaulters. Dr Sachin Kaushal,
Patiala Debate on CAS
meaningless The conditional access system (CAS) is at the centre of a major debate. Whatever may be its outcome, one thing is sure — it will put a huge burden on the viewer’s pocket. It is understandable that manufacturers and sellers of consumer products spend a lot of money for making and airing advertisements to popularise their products. But why should a viewer pay to see these advertisements? Had all programmes been aired without the intrusion of irritating commercials, a cess would have been justifiable. The need of the hour is not to participate in this meaningless debate, but to organise and mobilise mohalla consumer protection committees in protest against this unwarranted loot by channels that earn billions through advertisements, but still want to make more money. Once people collectively stop seeing these channels, which of course is not a basic necessity, and are satisfied with Doordarshan alone, neither CAS nor our neighbourhood cable operator would dare to dictate terms to the viewers. Balvinder,
Chandigarh |
Proclaimed offender arrested Chandigarh, October 7 The director of the company, alleged to have cheated a Sector 44 resident, Rajesh Walia, and four others, was nabbed from Panchkula. His brother and another director of the company, Sukhwinder Singh Parmar, is still at large. The two had been declared proclaimed offenders after a case under Sections 420, 406 and 506 was registered against them on February 21. The manager of the company, Dhan Chettri, had already been arrested by the police. Chettri used to manage the operations of the Panchkula-based company in Chandigarh. |
Man commits suicide Chandigarh, October 7 He has not left any suicide note behind, the police said. Bhupinder Singh was living with his parents as he had an estranged relationship with his wife. He had two children. His body has sent for autopsy in the Sector 16 General Hospital. |
Balwant Singh CITU president
again Chandigarh, October 7 The elections were held on the concluding day of the 11th delegate session of the Punjab unit in which 256 delegates and eight observers participated. Earlier, addressing a press conference here today, Dr M.K. Pandhe, All-India general secretary, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), said the industrial growth had slowed down, thousands of factories had closed down, workers were being retrenched and unemployment was mounting at an alarming race, since liberalisation and privatisation were initiated by the Narasimha Rao government in the early 90s. He alleged that the BJP-led NDA government had “widened the scope, deepened the impact and accelerated the pace” of liberalisation and privatisation to benefit the Indian monopoly houses. Rejecting the liberalisation policy, Dr Pandhe claimed that educated youth were frustrated as they were not getting jobs, farmers were under heavy debts and were being forced to commit suicide in the face of acute misery and distress. He said instead of reviewing these anti-people and anti-national policies, the NDA government at the Centre and most of the state governments, including those led by the Congress, were pursuing these “disastrous” policies with greater speed and were endangering the economic sovereignty of the country. He said the CITU was determined to oppose and resist these policies and was also trying to form a united front of all trade unions and other organisations for launching a joint movement against these “anti-people” policies. He claimed that a national platform of mass organisations had been formed and a successful one-day strike, in which five crore workers participated, was observed on May 21 last. Interacting with the journalists here, the general secretary said the CITU was also opposing the “anti-labour” amendments sought to be made in labour laws to “curtail” the trade union rights of the workers. He said the CITU had taken a serious view of some of the recent pronouncements of the judiciary ordering ban on strikes, bandhs and even demonstrations and dharnas. The recently held joint convention of trade unions in New Delhi had already decided to launch a countrywide campaign against these decisions and to observe one-day strike against the Supreme Court’s order banning strikes. Mr Pandhe said the CITU would continue its campaign and struggle against the communal forces. He alleged that the RSS and its various outfits were unleashing a hate campaign against the minorities in the country. It was also announced that an all-India conference of the CITU would be held in Chennai from December 9 to 13. |
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