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| Sunday,
October
12, 2003,
Chandigarh, India
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‘2’ too much for BSNL subscribers Chandigarh, October 11 Sources in the BSNL said the dual numbering system had been allowed to continue for a week or so to make people used to the change. They, however, added that a technical problem had held back the BSNL. Otherwise, a recorded message asking people to prefix ‘2’ to the old phone numbers could have been played. When Connect, a private service provider, could inform its subscribers about the change, why could the BSNL not do so?, they said. No such dual numbering arrangement was made when ‘2’ was pre-fixed to SAS Nagar phone numbers on October 2, they said. The BSNL had announced that all landline and WLL numbers in the city and Panchkula would change on October 11. This morning, when subscribers started using phones, they found that there was no need to prefix ‘2’ and the old numbers could be reached directly. Surprisingly, the numbers could also be dialled by prefixing ‘2’. Telephone sets having calling-line identification facility and cellphone handsets displayed the incoming numbers with digit ‘2’ added as a prefix, thus adding to the confusion. Some numbers could be dialled only after prefixing ‘2’, while others could be dialled by either using the prefix or even without it. Mr Mandeep Saini, a resident of Sector 46, was furious. He said he had informed his clients about the change, but this morning there was no change. “Why did the BSNL make such a noise about the change when it actually did not carry it out in totality?, he
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Phone connections to Mohali villages cut off SAS Nagar, October 11 The 400 telephone lines in Swara, Saidpur, Machali Kalan, Machali Khurd, Pabala, Jhanjari and some other adjoining villages are out of order due to the cable laying work undertaken by the railway authorities in the area near Thunder Zone at Sawra village. Another 200 telephone lines of Manuali village too have been out of order for over three weeks due to construction work undertaken by the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) and over 85 telephones in Bharatpur, Chandiala, Giddarpur, Patran villages and Soe Majra have been affected due to construction works by PUDA. According to sources in the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Chandigarh, while the initial damage caused is likely to cost over Rs 20 lakh, the cost of repairs is bound to increase with the construction and development agencies carrying out their work allegedly without bothering about the damage being caused to BSNL cables. Talking to the The Tribune Mr K.K. Sarangal, General Manager, Telephones, Mohali, said that the main reason for this state is the lack of coordination among these development agencies and BSNL. ‘‘BSNL is never informed by either PUDA or the Railway Board that they are going to take some new construction work or widen an old road. If we are informed, at least we can send one of our engineers to the spot so that he can assess the damage and can, in many cases, be instrumental in finding a via media so that the cables are not disturbed at all. But since all this is going on without any control, the damage we have to repair is generally extensive,’’said Mr Sarangal. Sources also pointed out that a large amount to damage to BSNL wires is caused due to the mindless laying of cables by other communication agencies. ‘‘BSNL has to undergo a tedious procedure to take permission for laying cables from the land developers and owners and the whole work is undertaken according to protocol. But many of the private agencies are not following the procedure laid down. In such cases no one even comes to know if any damage to our cables has occurred. Work is being carried out blindly,’’pointed an BSNL employee. BSNL claims that work of restoration of services to these villages is being carried out on a war-footing but ‘‘it might be still some days before the damage caused due to the construction work is completely repaired,’’warned Mr Sarangal. ‘‘Last year when the road from Kharar to Ludhiana and Patiala was widened, we had to spend a whopping Rs 1.50 crore just to repair the damage. Most of this damage could easily have been avoided had there been some coordination at the level of the various agencies.’’reiterated Mr Sarangal. |
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Second-hand booksellers back in business Chandigarh, October 11 The road to Sector 15 adjoining the university campus is scattered with priceless literary and routine academic pieces which force passers-by to stop there and pocket some of these. Books on almost all subjects are available here for the undergraduate and postgraduate classes. Also lurking somewhere in the piles are ‘priceless’ copies of the works of literary giants, including Shakespeare, Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens etc. Not just the intellectual stuff, the vehicles for dream voyages in adventures of Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and the Three Investigators are also back. Instead of “wasting astronomical amounts” on romantic stuff in Mills and Boon and quick ways of success through Shiv Khera’s “You can do it” and “You can win” types, youngsters are happy over the availability of book at affordable prizes. The UT Administration had removed these stalls on September 18. “We have been here for the past two decades and there had no prior notice or information to us about clearing the place. The administration should be decent enough to allot us an alternative place,” a bookseller said. Mr Javed Ali Khan, president of the Old Booksellers Welfare Society, said the book business could not be compared to routine trade. “We buy second-hand books at about 40 per cent of the listed price and sell it at 60 per cent,” he said. It is interesting to see bookdealers, who are not professional librarians, when they deal with customers. In the collection of hundreds of books in piles, they are able to tell the customer about the availability of a particular book on any subject. Mr Javed is a graduate from Panjab University, while Mr Jamshed Ali Khan, another bookseller, dropped after he had enrolled for a PhD. Mr Jamshed Ali said, “While students mostly concentrate on purchasing syllabus books, there is a sizeable market for action-thrillers as well. Since these books are generally one-time readings, they prefer to spend less for the same material.” An old bookseller said the place was originally run by scrap-dealers in the early 70s. Now, it had become a full-fledged market. “The place is so located that the Administration cannot plan any dream project here, so a book market is not a bad idea. The issue has been discussed with the Mayor and even with the Member of Parliament and they have assured all help to us.” |
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Final touches to electronic filing of IT returns, says Rai Chandigarh, October 11 She admitted that a delay in providing the hologram of the Income Tax Department for permanent account number (PAN) cards had led to slowing down the process. For the time being, the arrangement between the UTI and the Directorate (Systems) for issuing PAN cards would continue. Due to various measures, including computerisation, there was an increase of 72 per cent in the cases of refund cleared by the department as compared to the last year, she said. Mrs Rai was here to chair a meeting of the chief commissioners and administrative commissioners of the North-West region of the department. The Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes, (CBDT), Mr P.L. Singh, accompanied the Revenue Secretary. Talking about the nationwide jump in revenue collections, she said the department had crossed the target by 15.9 per cent during the current year. Mrs Rai said in the North-West region, Rohtak and Amritsar had topped in collections from direct taxes whereas there were certain pockets in the region which lagged behind. At the meeting, she was informed that the target for the current year was Rs 3,500 crore for the region. The Revenue Secretary said due to the initiatives of the Finance Minister, the department was encouraging tax-payers to voluntarily disclose income. Enforcement was the last resort. She informed that a simplified “saral form” had been introduced. The Chairman of the CBDT, Mr P.L. Singh, said administrative reforms were aimed at improving the functioning of the department. Various reforms were discussed at today’s meeting. Earlier, Mrs Rai was received by the Chief Commissioner of Central Excise and Customs, Mr S.S. Bedi the Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (North-West region), Mr Vijay Khanna, and other senior officers of the Income Tax and Central Excise and Customs Departments. |
Postal dept to deliver water, power bills in city Chandigarh, October 11 The Chief Post Master General, Punjab Circle, Mr L.K. Puri, said the service would begin from this month after an agreement between the postal department and the UT Administration authorities had been reached. The bills would be delivered through 46 centres of the department in the city. However, the arrangement of accepting payment of bills was yet to be worked Few years back, the postal department had started the service of collecting bills from the door steps of consumers at a cost of Rs 10 per subscriber. But the scheme did not attract much response. Mr Puri said the postal department was already accepting payment of bills of Connect phones, Punjab State Electricity Board and the BSNL. A commission of Rs 5 per bill was being charged from the subscribers. He said to expand its function five branch post offices were being opened. Meanwhile, to celebrate the National Postal Week, which began on October 9, a painting competition was organised to mark the day dedicated to philately. As many as 77 students participated in the painting competition. The theme of the contest was 'India Post 2010'. |
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Risky roads to SAS Nagar Chandigarh, October 11 Some of the roads are so dark that one just cannot spot a cyclist or a pedestrian. The road dividing Sectors 41 and 42 which leads to Phase II, phase III-B- 1 and Phase IV and phase III -B-2 is in a bad shape. This road is used by government employees who have their homes in neighbouring Mohali. Several young professionals who work in Chandigarh also go back on the same route. This is the same road which runs alongside the Beant Singh memorial site in Sector 42. Mr Harbant Singh, who lives in Phase III of Mohali, says a major crime is waiting to happen on this road. It is so dark that anybody can just force a scooterist to stop. Women are at even more risk. He narrates an incident when his own scooter got punctured. First of all there was at risk of being hit by other vehicles as the place is pitch dark. There was not even the basic light to change the tyre. Another resident of phase II, Ms Neeru Syal, said the condition of the road in front of the furniture market is so bad it is difficult to drive. Nobody is bothered and repeated pleas have gone unheard. Also there is a liquor vend on the road which makes it even more risky for women to drive. The place seems as it is not in Chandigarh, Ms Syal added. |
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Treasuring the Mauritius link Chandigarh, October 11 The trip organised by the Respect Age International, an Agra-based organisation, was aimed at making a comparative study of the life style of senior citizens in Mauritius in the socio- economical context. “During the seven-day stay in Mauritius we had an opportunity to study the life style of the elderly, said: over there both through field visits and seminars,” said Mr J. K. Kapoor, a member of the Chandigarh Senior Citizen’s Association who was also a part of the delegation. Pointing out the contrasting difference between the two countries when it comes to the care of elderly people, Mr J. K. Sama, another team member said, while in Mauritius it is the young people who are involved in taking care of the senior citizens, in our city senior citizens have to take care of their fellow citizens, pointing out that except for one or two prominent organisations like the Chandigarh Senior Citizen’s Association, not too many voluntary organisations in the city are involved in the job. “Whereas in Mauritius, the old people are the responsibility of the government while here Old Age Homes are run by private bodies the lower middle class cannot afford such facility,” said Mr Kapoor. He said in Mauritius there was a separate ministry called the Ministry of Social Security, the National Solidarity and Senior Citizens Welfare and reform institutions which worked in close association with the Ministry of Youth and Sports. “Another important trend we noticed was there is an conscious effort to bridge the gap between the young and the elderly such a relationship could not only help senior citizens lead a dignified life but also help curb social menace like drug addiction among the younger generation,” said Mr Kapoor. Members of delegation included Mr J. K. Kapoor, Col Jasbir Singh, Ms J. K. Sharma, Ms Sharda Kaura, Mr V. D. Aggarwal, Ms Pushpa Aggarwal, Mr Girish C. Gupta, Mr H. L. Dhammi, Ms Balwinder Kaur, Mr M. M. S. Walia, Ms Santosh Walia, Mr J. S. Sama , Ms Sneh Lata Sama, Mr Chain Singh Mehta, Dr Chitralekha Singh, Mr P. K. Mittal, Mr Krishna Mohan Aggrawal, Mr Satish Arora and Ms Poonam Arora. The team was led by Mr H. L. Dhammi, President, Senior Citizens Federation (North Zone) and members of Council for Old people, Government of India. |
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Readers Write Apropos of Manoj Kumar’s write-up in Business Tribune under the headline “Patients paying more for common drugs”, the writer has presented a true and factual picture of how manufacturers, chemists and doctors fleece poor patients. It is really shameful that doctors have forgotten their ethics. There was a time when the doctors were considered Gods. It is most surprising that though time and again voice against such an illegal trade has been raised in the media and Parliament, the Union Government has not bothered about taking any remedial action so far. No doubt state governments are equally responsible, as they have badly failed to implement the Drug Control Act in their respective states in letter and spirit. Giving licence to fake companies for the manufacture of drugs is an open act of playing with the lives of millions of innocent people. Once the license is granted there is no check on the quality control of the medicines produced by these companies. It is ample clear that the motive of these companies is to earn profits by hook or by crook. In fact these companies in connivance with corrupt officers have spoiled the noble profession of doctors. Greedy doctors, both in government service and private profession, indulge in the sale of substandard and spurious medicines, which are not only very costly as compared to the medicines produced by companies of repute but also very harmful for human health. In many cases, doctors prescribe medicines for 10 to 15 days at a stretch without looking into their side effects. I would also like to mention here that Ms Neelam Sood, chairperson of Save Palampur in Himachal Pradesh, also brought such a scam to light through a news item that appeared in these columns on August 10, 2003 under the headline “Doctors’ collusion in sale of spurious medicines”. The story was also carried by many other newspapers. But it is a matter of great concern that no action has yet been taken by the Himachal Government against the erring doctors who are minting money by unfair means. The Ministry of Health should come up with a legislation in this regard and frame a policy for the fixation of prices of medicines. It has become a burning national issue and directly related with the lives of millions of people of this country. Ms Sushma Swaraj, Union Health Minister, should personally look into this matter and clarify the position of the Union Government. Disha Sood Commercialising
varsities A recent agitation by students of Punjabi University and the latter’s decision to roll back hike in fee has brought to fore the question of whether universities should go commercial or not. Punjabi University had to raise the fee because the government grants were insufficient and it was facing financial crisis. The university decided to commercialise itself but the move backfired. It shall be better if universities start earmarking half of the seats in all faculties for those to be filled as per UGC norms and the other half for commercial purpose. The first 50 per cent seats should be filled on merit basis and the remaining should be open to those who can bid for these. If need be the number of seats can be increased to accommodate more students. This way the universities shall have more funds and the students shall have better facilities. It is observed that educational institutions cannot run with government funds. The government cannot fulfil all its promises and that is the reason why most commercial institutions are better off than government institutes. Rich people have already started establishing educational institutions for their wards so that they can get better education. Let all government institutions have a commercial touch. Dalip Singh Wasan Treatment for retirees at PGI A Punjab Government employee is entitled to free medical treatment at the PGI. However, on retirement this facility is withdrawn from him although, as per rules, he is supposed to have the same facilities after his retirement. For reimbursement of the amount spent by him, he has to run about the department. PGI authorities say that they are not in a position to provide free treatment to both the employees and retirees of Punjab in view of the meagre amount of funds provided by the Punjab Government. So the Punjab Government should raise the amount of grant to the PGI or else ask the PGI to provide free treatment to its pensioners and make ‘paid’ treatment of its employees who will get the amount spent on their treatment reimbursed from the department. G.R.Kalra No need for Assembly polls Apropos the editorial, “Wasted Exercise” in The Tribune dated September 28, MLAs have to meet once in six months for fulfilling the Constitutional obligation. Punjab Assembly session lasted for two and a half hours and the Haryana Assembly session lasted for five hours. Same is the position in UP, Bihar, Delhi, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh and other states. The pertinent question is what do the MLAs do for the entire five-year term? They just misuse their official positions and interfere in government work. If the loan limit of Haryana MLAs has increased in the monsoon session, Punjab has increased the salary of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Leader of the Opposition to bring the same at par with the ruling Ministers. On April 2, 2003, Punjab Vidhan Sabha unanimously passed all six bills on enhancing their salaries, allowances and perquisites that will cost the state exchequer Rs 8.50 crore annually. A few weeks earlier, each MLA was given a Qualis vehicle. To meet increasing expenditure of his MLAs, the Chief Minister has tried either to impose heavy dose of fresh taxes or increase the quantum of taxes already imposed. In my opinion, there is no need of having state Assembly elections. Only Parliament elections should be held. The Supreme Court of India and constitutional experts of the country should sit together to bring reforms in the election system. K.K.Bhardwaj |
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Yearning for a new lease of life Chandigarh, October 11 His problem can be cured, the doctors are convinced about that. But money stands between him and a “mitral valve replacement”. And with both the parents working as domestic help, he hardly has any money for the operation. His only hope is support from some voluntary organisation or generous residents. Sitting in a room in the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Narayan asserts: “I need at least Rs 1 lakh for the operation. In addition to this, I will be needing money for the medicines and post-operative care. I do not know how I will be able to make it.” Pausing to recover his breath, Narayan adds: “In fact, the doctors told me to go in for an operation almost 10 years ago, but I could not do so just because of financial crunch.” He says: “Things are bad otherwise also. Even though the PGI is conducting the tests free of cost, every month I have to spend at least Rs 600 from my pocket on medicines. Believe me, things are not at all easy.” Going into the background, Narayan reflects: “Initially, I was short of breath, but I did not realise how bad my physical condition was. Then I started feeling pain in my chest. Still I did not attribute much to it. But then it became almost impossible for me to pick up heavy load. That is when I realised something was wrong.” He adds: “We went in for the tests still hopeful that nothing would come out. But the reports left us shocked. My mother was inconsolable, while my father tried hard to put up a brave face. It took me and the doctors several days to convince them that things could actually improve.” In a voice chocked with emotion, he further adds: “The parents, still unable to recover from the shock, tried to save each and every rupee they could. But it was not enough. Rather, most of the money they managed to save was spent on my medicines. As a result, they used to find themselves back to square one by the end of every month.” Showing his medical reports, the youngster concludes: “I also tried to help my parents in their efforts to save my life, but found myself unable to do so because of my physical condition. I feel so helpless.” |
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Performance of IT officials assessed Chandigarh, October 11 The Chairman of the Central Board for Direct Taxes, Mr P.L. Singh, was also present at the meeting. Sources said the Union Revenue Secretary discussed the problems being faced by officers in the collection of tax. It may be mentioned that the CBDT had expressed its concern over the failure on part of certain officers in the Chandigarh and Ludhiana range to achieve the targets. |
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Body honours members SAS Nagar, October 11 At a function held here last evening, Mr Gurmeet Singh, president, MIA, said the association had been always alive to its social obligations and rendering assistance wherever needed. Mr Bir Devinder Singh, Deputy Speaker, Vidhan Sabha, and Kharar MLA, who was the chief guest at the function, said SAS Nagar would be developed as an industrial town and foreigners had shown interest to come and invest here. |
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A clarification Chandigarh, October 11 |
Two held for ‘stealing’ water tanks Chandigarh, October 11 The police arrested two residents of Burail who allegedly posed as employees of the maintenance wing of the UT Public Health Department and entered the house of Mr Rajinder Parshad in Sector 20 on the pretext of repairing water tanks yesterday. The two — Keshav Parshad and Gange — allegedly removed the water tank from the house of Mr Parshad and from that of his neighbour. However, later Mr Parshad came to know that the two were impostors. He reported the matter to the police. The two have been booked under Sections 170, 380, 411, 420 and 34 of the IPC. Ten water taps (of brass) were reportedly stolen from House Nos. 1109 and 1110 in Sector 46. A case has been registered on the complaint of Ms Mithlesh Singh. Mr Sat Pal of Sector 20 C reported that his Yamaha motor cycle (CH01Y 8396) was stolen from Sector 31 market yesterday. Mr Jatinder Singh of Sector 41 D also reported that his Hero Honda motor cycle (CH03A 6546) was stolen from his residence on the night of October 5. The Mani Majra police station also registered a case of theft of a Maruti car (CH03D 7050) belonging to Mr R.P Chabra, a resident of Modern Housing Complex, Mani Majra.
PANCHKULA Immoral trafficking The police arrested four persons, including a woman, on charges of immoral trafficking during a raid at a Sector 15 house here last night. It is learnt that the police had received a complaint that a partially built house in Sector 15 was being used for immoral trafficking. The police raided the place last night and arrested Kamal, Munish and Jyoti, along with the girl. A case under the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act has been registered.
Suicide A 16-year-old girl from Burj Kotian allegedly committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance on Saturday evening. The victim, Rani, was rushed to General Hospital, Panchkula, from where she was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh. However, she died on way to the hospital.
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Murder accused surrenders Chandigarh, October 11 Budhi Singh, a native of Landwara village, Kangra district (Himachal Pradesh), was found dead in the verandah of CITCO office in Sector 17 on the morning of August 7. He was employed as a helper in CITCO’s canteen. The post-mortem examination on the body revealed that Budhi Singh was strangled to death on the night of August 6. Despite ‘‘apparent marks’’ of strangulation and nails on the neck of the victim, the police had waited for the post-mortem report before registering a case of murder. On August 13, a warrant officer had got two persons released from an alleged illegal detention from the Sector 17 police station in a raid. Vinod and Dinesh, sons of Chandan Singh had alleged that they had been picked by the police and tortured to force their father join the investigation. The allegations were denied by the police. Acting on a habeas corpus petition, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had appointed the warrant officer. |
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