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‘Dam on Ghaggar only solution’
All prominent candidates in fray for the local parliamentary seat are unanimous in their opinion that only a dam on the Ghaggar can solve the problem, particularly during summers. All accept the fact that water crisis is a major problem for the city at least during the summers. Mr Satya Pal Jain (BJP) Trouble has already started even before the summers in the real sense have arrived. During my election campaign I found that residents on the second and third floors in a number of sectors are already complaining of water shortage. The problem is being felt not merely in the colonies but also in a section of posh areas. The ambitious Kajauli waterworks has improved the water supply, however, it is not enough. Only a dam on the Ghaggar will be the long-term solution. I had taken up the matter when I was the MP. I know the extent of the problem and will take up the matter on a priority basis if voted to power. Mr Harmohan Dhawan(INLD) When I was the MP the third phase of Kajauli water works had started. No serious effort has been made to improve the facility when Mr Bansal and Mr Jain were the MPs. The water problem has assumed alarming proportions over the past several years. There is no solution without the commissioning of the fourth phase of the works. The two leaders of the BJP and the Congress should tell the people the reason for their non-performance on this front. If I am elected I will take up the matter of Ghaggar dam with Mr Om Prakash Chautala. He has given the me the party ticket for the local seat so I will be more comfortable in working out a solution. Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal (Cong) There can be no debate on the issue that water problem is a major issue for the residents of the city at least in the current situation. The fourth phase of the Kajauli waterworks has started and would be completed soon. There is a water problem at the moment and it is definitely a matter of concern at least in the short run. A dam on the Ghaggar is the best alternative that can solve the problem. There are certain technical problems related to the issue. However, once a decision is taken the related aspects could be worked out. Besides, work on treatment plants is also continuing. The wings concerned of the Administration and the Municipal Corporation need to sit together and work out solutions.
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Exit polls have exposed BJP, says Bansal Chandigarh, April 27 He said although the Congress does not approve of the exit polls, nevertheless, these polls have exposed the BJP’s misleading “orchestrated propaganda”. He said the BJP-led NDA government misused its powers and spent Rs 250 crore of public money just to present distorted facts to woo the voters through advertisements. Mr Bansal warned that the political landscape would get murkier in days to come since the BJP was going to unleash its trademarks politics to woo various parties along with their MPs. Mr Bansal along with Mr Ram Pal Sharma, vice-president, and Mr Surinder Singh, councillor of the Municipal Corporation, addressed a meeting of local residents at Mani Majra. Mr Bansal assured them that Mani Majra would be developed on the lines of Chandigarh and the requisite funds would be made available. He also addressed a gathering of traders of the Sector 18 market. Mr Bansal stated that all commercial markets in Chandigarh would be allowed to utilise available space in an optimal manner without compromising the architectural finesse. He also stressed upon the need to have a garbage treatment plant. Around 500 students from Panjab University led by Mr Gaurav Berri of the Evening College Students Association took out a procession through different parts of the city. It ended at the residence of Mr Bansal. It was held to express support for the latter.
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Jain promises dental college
for city Chandigarh, April 27 He said the quota of seats would be doubled in Government Medical College and Hospital. He alleged that although the Central Government had laid the foundation stone of the Medical College in 1991, but Mr Pawan Bansal of the Congress did not take any steps in this direction. He said when he was elected Member of Parliament for the first time in 1996, he got Rs 225 crore sanctioned from the Union Health Ministry for the completion of the Medical College and got recognition from the Medical Council of India. He said if voted to power, he would get the number of seats doubled in the Medical College. Mr Jain undertook ‘pad yatras’ in Sectors 27, 40, 26 (Sabzi Mandi) and 8. He also addressed public meetings in Sector 21, Ram Darbar, Sector 24 (rehri market), Sector 42 (Nehru Colony) and Sector 20.
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Traders demand apology from Satya Pal Jain Chandigarh, April 27 Mr Jain was reportedly not received warmly at the venue. He had called the Traders as “Congress goondas”, a press note signed by Mr Subhash Kataria, a trader, said. The traders said they were protesting against his negative and indifferent role concerning the Rent Act Notification. “We demand that Mr Jain should publicly apologise for “this,” the note added.
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Sarpanch, 3 panches join INLD Chandigarh, April 27 Mr Dhawan said both the Congress and the BJP candidates were indulging in mud-slinging. “They were doing this to mislead the people into not questioning them on their failures to address their problems during their tenure in the Parliament for the past 13 years”, he said. Mr Dhawan said he had been instrumental in getting the B2 status for the city during his tenure in Parliament. He said it was shocking that the residents of housing societies were not getting facilities for the upkeep of water facilities, electricity and roads at par with the normal citizens despite paying equal tax. The matter would be taken up at the highest level if he was voted to power, he added.
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SAD unit undecided over nominee Chandigarh, April 27 A seven-member committee would also be constituted, if needed, to see the suitability of a candidate whose name would be recommended to the party high command. Mr D.S. Cheema, secretary of the SAD, said the party had not yet taken any decision over alliance for the Chandigarh seat. The matter was still under deliberation.
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EC asked to supply 500 more EVMs Chandigarh, April 27
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First vote India is one of the few countries to have a democratic process for selection of governments and, now, I, too, am a part of this great game. It gives me the choice of deciding who I want as my leader. For once, I will be kingmaker even if it is for a day. I am eagerly looking forward to the day when I can go to the polling booth to cast my vote in favour of progress and development. Though the state of political parties, rampant with infighting and agendas which lack issues having a direct bearing on the public, does nothing to enthuse us new voters, there is a silver lining to these dark clouds. It comes from the young faces every party is projecting in these elections. They are the hope of Indian democracy. I feel that the BJP is unnecessarily raking up Ms Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin as an issue. It cannot be denied that Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee is a more experienced and mature leader in comparison to Ms Sonia Gandhi. At the local level, I will vote for the candidate who promises a brighter future for my city and its people, giving us something to look forward to in the next five years.
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No mobiles, pagers in jails: HC Chandigarh, April 27 In his petition, Mr Shandilya has alleged that the investigations being conducted by the UT Police into the case were nothing but an eye-wash. He has also alleged that high profile inmates such as the alleged killers of the then Chief Minister of Punjab, Beant Singh, could not have escaped from prison without the active connivance of the prison staff. He has also raised a number of related issues such as the jail manual, preventive measures needed to check such incidents from taking place again etc. The decision to provide televisions to three of the four persons who escaped from Burail Jail some time back, the Bench was told, was taken on the orders passed by the Judge presiding over the trial proceedings. The trial Judge passed the order as the system is prevalent in Tihar Jail. The Bench wanted to know under what rules is Tihar Jail providing this facility to the inmates. In the last hearing, the Bench had asked the governments of Punjab and Haryana and the UT Administration to file status reports, informing therein what facilities are being provided to prisoners and under what law. The case was later adjourned to May 4.
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Poultry farmers all smiles as electioneering picks up Chandigarh, April 27 Dressed chicken, which was selling at Rs 60 a kg today against Rs 75 last week, may start looking up because of truckloads going ton East and South. The eggs were quoted at Rs 75 to Rs 80 for a pack of 100, while in the retail, they were available between Rs 12 and Rs 15 a dozen. While the broilers market has, after a recession, started looking up, egg producers are glum for want of demand. Bird flu had hit the industry hard in past three months. During the past few weeks, the chicken market witnessed unprecedented price variation, says Mr Surjit Singh Sagri, president of the North Zone Broilers Breeders Association.
Elections, introduction of Bromark and stiff competition, he says, were the factors which led to unprecedented variations in the broiler prices. During April, broilers were sold both at Rs 80 and Rs 60 a kg. A cut-throat competition was the reason for this variation in prices. In between, there was a drop in the demand also. While Punjab produces between three lakh and 3.5 lakh birds, it consumes 4.5 lakh birds a day. Haryana, which is also a major producer, caters to the Punjab market. Chandigarh consumes about 18,000 birds a day. "There was some drop in the demand during the early part of electioneering as many candidates, going by the religious advice, do not consider it auspicious to serve their supporters and voters any meat products in general and chicken in particular. "But now when withdrawals are over and battlelines have been drawn, it is feast time everywhere. Liquor and chicken are the main attractions at any election meeting," says Mr Sagri, revealing that during the Chandigarh Club elections last month, the consumption of broilers had shot up. The city consumed nearly 50,000 birds extra when the campaigning for the Chandigarh Club poll was at its peak, revealed a source holding that it was chicken which was the main dish at the parties organised to woo voters. The Lok Sabha elections are a much bigger game. "It is not only elections but also the marriage season which is making the broiler breeders cheerful. In summer, production comes down and demand shoots up this time mainly because of elections. Luckily for us, both East and South are deficit in production and looking up to us for meeting the gap between demand and supply. Punjab, though deficit, also caters to Jammu and Kashmir market where it supplies 75,000 to one lakh birds a day," adds Mr Sagri.
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End to drinking water misuse
in sight Chandigarh, April 27 Though both institutions do not have a pipeline within their campuses to carry the treated water, they will make temporary arrangements to tap the main supply line carrying treated water. Both institutions require about 1 million gallons a day (MGD) for the open spaces. The city has a total supply of about 65 MGD. At a meeting last week, the PU and the PGI had reportedly agreed to make temporary arrangements till a proper pipeline was laid within the campuses. An official said tankers could be used to carry the water or a hosepipe could be used. Both institutions had been told that they would face a huge penalty from May 1 if they used drinking water for watering lawns. The Chandigarh Administration had calculated the residential and professional requirements of both institutions. The PU has 120 acres of open space while the PGI has 60 acres. In the past six months, the Chandigarh Administration had been telling these institutions, as well as other big institutions, that they should use treated or recycled water for watering plants. Supply lines of treated water exist in the northern sectors. The PGI and the PU had so far failed to lay down their internal systems and connect these to the main supply lines laid down by the Administration. Educational institutions, including Government School, Sector 23, Government Girls School, Sector 23, Punjab Engineering College, Government Polytechnic for Women, Sector 10, College of Arts, Sector 10, Children Traffic Park, College of Architecture and Government Museum, have been linked to the tertiary water network.
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Girdawari of disputed Dhakauli land corrected Zirakpur, April 27 He has also asked the Subdivisional Officer of the department concerned to look after the land for avoiding any type of encroachment upon it. Mr Sanjeev Garg, CRO-cum-Tehsildar, Dera Bassi, said the girdawari of the land was illegally transferred in the name of Mr Gurcharan Singh on March 30, 1993. Mr Garg said the land was acquired by the provincial government for the Drainage Department till 1993. The case of illegal change in girdawari came to light when certain henchmen of the mafia reached the spot and directed some vendors and tenants to pack their belongings. They also claimed that the land belonged to them. Meanwhile, Mr Pritpal Singh Virk, SP (Operations), Patiala, investigating officer in the assault case, today visited the site of the disputed land and asked Mr Kamaldeep Singh, who claimed that the land was his, to appear in his office tomorrow with revenue records. He admitted that the police had not been able to locate the blue Lancer car (DL-ICF-7849) used by a member of the mafia during the assault.
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Zoo authorities see staffers’ mischief in Chhat Bir, April 27 Earlier, Mr Neeraj Gupta, Zoo Wildlife Warden, had sought the police presence during the post-mortem of the animal. An application moved by the warden stated that a panel of veterinary doctors would take samples from different organs of the animal and send these to a forensic science laboratory to know the exact cause of its death. The animal was one of the two swamp deer that was brought to the Chhat Bir Zoo from the Kanpur Zoo on February 5. It was found dead in its enclosure on Friday morning. Suspecting mischief by certain zoo staffers, the authorities had decided to conduct a post-mortem examination on the animal carcass and sent samples to a forensic science laboratory. The carcass of the animal was cremated after a post-mortem examination on Friday evening.
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Motor cycle sent by train missing Chandigarh, April 27 The railway staff at the Chandigarh railway station have washed their hands off the incident, stating that the parcel had been despatched. Since February, Mr Prasad has been enquiring from various railway stations about his motor cycle with the hope that it may have been unloaded my mistake. From Delhi railway station, the parcel was supposed to be loaded on to another train for Betiya. “But it never reached the Delhi railway station. The in charge of the parcel section at the Delhi railway station has given in writing that he did not receive any such parcel”, said an anguished Mr Parsad. He said the purpose of his sending the second-hand motor cycle, purchased for Rs 15,000, for her sister’s wedding was defeated when it did not reach his home town. “I had to purchase a new motor cycle for my sister’s wedding”, he added. Barring parcel number A 623292, all other items in the wagon had reached the Delhi railway station. “Is it possible that one specific item goes missing from a wagon and the railway officials concerned are not aware”, he said. A claim filed on April 6 for the loss of his motor cycle at the office of the Chief Claims Officer, Northern Railway, New Delhi, has not been replied to so far.
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PSEB officials escape unhurt in mishap Lalru, April 27 According to eyewitnesses, Mr Bhalla, along with his colleagues, was on his way to Chandigarh from Delhi when they met with the accident. Their car was reportedly over taking another vehicle when it collided with a truck (HR-37A-2776) coming from the opposite direction. The car then rammed into a tree along the road.
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Chandigarh, April 27
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Train
runs over man Chandigarh, April 27
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Three arrested in dowry case Mohali, April 27 Ms Chanchal had got married to Harsh Prabhakar, a resident of Jalandhar who had a shop dealing in electrical goods, last year. In the complaint Ms Chanchal alleged that soon after her marriage, her in-laws asked her parents to get them a licence for doing electrical work on contract. The in-laws were obliged in this regard. She further alleged that then her in-laws demanded Rs 3 lakh from her parents. However, Rs 1 lakh was given to them. As the in-laws were allegedly not satisfied with that amount, she was often beaten up. They asked her to get the remaining amount from her parents. The complainant alleged that her brother-in-law took away her jewellery and told her to get Rs 5 lakh from her parents for him as he wanted to go abroad. When her parents refused to meet this demand, she was allegedly thrown out of the house. The arrested persons are Harsh Prabhakar, husband, Shiv Prakash, father-in-law, and Hitesh Prabhakar, brother-in-law. A case had been registered against eight persons under Sections 498-A and 406 of the IPC. The other persons mentioned in the case are Uma, mother-in-law, Adarsh Bhardwaj and Alka Sharma, sisters-in-law, Ramneek and Sukhdev, brothers-in-law. The case had been registered after an inquiry had been done in the matter by Mr Harpreet Singh, DSP. The arrests were made by a team of officials headed by Mr Jagjeet Singh, SHO of the Phase I police station.
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Doctor held for
stealing cars Chandigarh, April 27 A resident of Janata Nagar, Kharar, Mehtab came out on bail on April 8 and the very next day stole a car from Mohali. He parked it in the PGI parking and stole the Maruti car of Dr K. L. Gupta. The vehicle lifted from Mohali was seized from him by the Ludhiana police. He had been remanded in the police custody by tomorrow from a local court. Mehtab Singh has done MBBS from Faridkot medical college.
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1 booked for
defrauding company Panchkula, April 27 Remanded: A local court today remanded Madan Pal, an accused in a highway robbery case near Raipur Rani last year in police custody. Passengers of two tourist buses were looted at gunpoint in the incident. Madan was brought here on a production remand from Yamunanagar. He was arrested by the CIA staff, Yamunanagar police.
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Chandigarh, April 27 
