While the government is spending lakhs of rupees on controlling alcohol and drug abuse, it has relaxed all norms to facilitate consumption of liquor.

Chandigarh, April 8
Chandigarh, a city of 144 sq km area has 192 liquor vends, approximately 100 ahatas, at least 90 bars besides the drinking facilities at five clubs. The city has shown a 500 per cent increase in beer consumption in 2006 compared to 2005 and consumption of Indian made foreign liquor has gone up by 300 per cent.

In the city of gardens and parks, liquor is now “literally” available at every half-a-kilometre.

Thanks to the UT’s new excise policy for 2007-2008, at least 23 liquor vends have come up in Sectors 17 and 22, commercial hubs of the city. With the excise department removing the cap on the location and the grant of new licences in the commercial areas of sectors, industrial areas and rehabilitation colonies only, the number of vends has already touched 192. The last year there were 178 liquor vends.

Now, liquor is available along all busy roads of the city. At least 10 liquor vends have come up along the Madhya Marg and up to the Panchkula border. Along the Dakshin Marg, around eight liquor vends have been set up.

It appears that the policy makers have not taken in to account the social issue of an increase in the number of road accidents on the city roads due to drunken driving. From the Tribune chowk to Sector 48 and till the Sector 39 grain market, at least 13 vends have come up.

Meanwhile, there is no practice in place at city hospitals to keep the record of accident victims found under the influence of liquor at the time of admission.

Yes. More than 70 per cent patients reaching here could be alcoholic, said a doctor.

However, the efforts of city police to keep a check on the tipsy drivers seem to bear fruits. Just two persons involved in the motor accidents were found to be under the influence of liquor during the first quarter of the year. Thirteen cases were registered during the last year for the same offence. Similarly, 17 persons were challanned during the same period against 251 last year.

The alcoholic drivers were always prone to more accidents than others, asserted Parmvir Singh, a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.

PANCHKULA: With liquor priced cheaper in neighbouring Chandigarh, the vends here are awaiting the shine of the summer sun to impact sales favourably. In a district, which has 134 vends, there are 50-odd vends spread across the town. While most of these are concentrated around the Zirakpur-Shimla highway, the easy accessibility of liquor can be gauged from the fact that nearly every sector now has a liquor vend.

With three vends located at the Majri Chowk in Sector 1 and a few others concentrated near the entry of the city from the Zirakpur side, there is no dearth of shops selling liquor. It’s been only one week since vends opened shop according to the new excise policy.

However, while uncertainty prevails around the quantum of sales under the scheme where each vend gets a limited quota, the liquor vend owners say they are doubly disadvantaged. “Against Rs 1.5 lakh for a showroom, we have had to pay Rs 2.5 lakh for the same location only because we are opening a vend,” a vend owner said.

This time location-specific licences were issued to ensure minimum public backlash. However, there have been complaints of resentment against vends from Kundi village near the Zirakpur border as also the vend coming up in a showroom near the residential area in Mansa Devi complex has earned the wrath of the residents. Another problem posed by the proximity to Chandigarh is that liquor smugglers have become active in making cheaper supplies available easily further contributing to free flow of liquor.

Chandigarh, April 8
Even though the senior police officers of the Chandigarh fight shy of admitting that the rise in the number of liquor vends in the city has a direct bearing on the crime graph, the reality seems to be otherwise. In a substantial number of cases of accidents, brawls, suicides and murder reported to the police, the people involved were found be under the influence of intoxicants.

A rise in the number of liquor vends in the city has no effect on the crime graph. At least this is the view point of the UT inspector-general of police (IGP) S.K. Jain. Admitting that liquor flares up emotions, he said the police had set up special nakas to discourage drunken driving and intensified the patrolling near vends.

A large number of persons were found to be under the influence of liquor in various cases, says police sources. They add the liquor figures high in these cases due to its easier availability in the city and adjoining areas. In the past, the Chandigarh police took up the issue of liquor vends and taverns near Kansal village. They have become a source of nuisance for the neighbouring sectors of the city. However, the problem still persists.

A police officer deployed on the police control room (PCR) vehicle, preferring anonymity, told Chandigarh Tribune that the problem had become grave due to an increase in the number of ahatas. The increase has adversely affected the police surveillance.

The figures available with the accident cell of the Chandigarh traffic police reveal that more than 50 per cent people injured in motor accidents were found to be under influence of liquor. 

Panchkula, April 8
An Army man was found murdered in Morni, near here, today. The body of Havaldar Gurjinder Singh of 2 Sikh, who was posted at Chandi Mandir, bore deep stab wounds in the chest and abdomen. It was spotted by a farmer, Dwarka, in the bushes this morning.

Police sources said the body was lying face down and his turban was found at some distance. There were fresh blood marks around the body.

The victim’s hands bore injury marks, indicative of a struggle against the assailants. It had injury marks on the head as well. The sources said Gurjinder was murdered elsewhere and later his body was dumped in a clearing surrounded by bushes. A piece of cloth, bearing an Army tag was found at the spot.

Maneesh Chaudhary, ASP, along with DSP Om Prakash, who were among the first to reach the spot, said there were tyre marks some distance away from the body. Empty beer bottles and chicken pieces were also found at the spot.

“We are trying to ascertain whether the two are related or not since people do come to picnic at Morni,” he added.

Meanwhile, Army personnel from Chandi Mandir arrived on the spot and identified the deceased. They said Gurjinder had bought a new motor cycle, Bajaj Discover, yesterday and could have ventured towards Morni for a drive.

The motor cycle was missing.

Police sources said though the body of the Havaldar had been sent to the General Hospital, Sector 6, for a post-mortem examination, they were still to investigate the cause that led to his death. “We will visit his wife, who lives at Chandi Mandir, soon,” the official said.

Chandigarh, April 8
Amandeep Malhi had never dreamt he could ever be the flag bearer of roller skating for India. Until a while ago he was just another spectator of the game, his first love being cricket.

Amandeep’s romance with skates started only when a few years ago he watched a national roller hockey tournament at his school. He decided to put on skates.

The big day came in 2005, when Amandeep, a student of KB DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 7, finished third world best scorer in the 10th Asian Roller Skating Championship in Japan. He remained the highest scorer in his team.

Last year, he again made the country proud by becoming the fourth highest scorer during the World Roller Hockey Championship held at Uruguay. He was again the highest scorer for the Indian team. Amandeep scored 12 goals.

In both Asian and World championships, Amandeep was the youngest among all skaters.

For his exceptional achievements, the city lad was presented with 24 carat gold medal. Besides, minister of human resource and development Arjun Singh awarded him with a merit certificate on Mahatama Hansraj Day (March 31) in New Delhi.

During his conversation with the Chandigarh Tribune, this energetic young lad sounded both happiness and disappointment. “I am on the cloud nine for making my country proud with my achievements. Owing to my hard work, support from my parents, coach Harpreet Singh as well as the school, I was able to touch the heights in the sport at this age”, said the 18-year-old Amandeep.

“But at the same time it makes me disappointed as there is no future for skaters here. It is a game of financially sound people and the poor skaters get hardly any help from anywhere. Despite my achievements at the international level, I have never got any cash award till date. During the foreign tours, we have to dish out money from our own pocket.”

The other jolt for the city skaters is that unlike Punjab and Haryana, the Chandigarh Administration does not recognise the sport.

Zirakpur, April 8
Zirakpur may be facing an acute shortage of water but leakage of water continues unabated in certain parts of the township owing to the alleged indifferent attitude of the Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat.

A case in point is the leakage of precious drinking water in the Balaji Enclave for the past about three weeks. Even as the nagar panchayat looks the other way despite repeated requests to plug the leakage, the water is going down the drain.

Rajinder Singh, a resident, alleged that potable water had been leaking from the supply lines at several places but the civic body had expressed its inability to plug the leakage on account of staff shortage.

In fact, a part of the colony had virtually been inundated by the leaking water. With roads virtually non-existent over a major portion of the colony, passing through the area had become difficult.

The bad condition of the roads tests the skills of the motorists. The functioning of the streetlights also leaves much to be desired making the area an accident-prone zone, another resident alleged.

Stray cattle roam freely in the colony posing a serious threats to residents, particularly children. The power supply was also erratic.

Meanwhile, official sources said the civic body faced an acute shortage of staff which adversely affected its routine functioning. Since the township had grown by leaps and bounds, the provision of civic amenities in every colony was a difficult task.

However, efforts were being made to provide basic amenities within the available resources and manpower, the sources added. 

Chandigarh, April 8
Former MP and BJP leader Satya Pal Jain today denied allegations that he had offered a party ticket to the UT Administrator and Punjab Governor.

Reacting to statements made by MP Pawan Bansal, he alleged that Bansal was holding an office of profit himself.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP office in Sector 33 A, he alleged that under clauses 102 and 109 of the Constitution, MPs were liable to be declared disqualified from being members of either of the two houses.

He also alleged that besides Bansal, other MPs too were holding offices of profit. Clarifying BJP’s stand on the issue of “no confidence motion” against the mayor, Jain said it did not come under the purview of the municipal corporation.

Talking to the TNS, Bansal said only MPs could be appointed members and chairman of the FCI committee.

“The post is in the capacity of an adviser. Thus, the issue of office of profit does not exist.” — TNS

Chandigarh, April 8
Over 100 Romani gypsies from across the region got together to celebrate the Roma Nation Day at Government Museum auditorium in Sector 10 today.

Local MP Pawan Kumar Bansal was the chief guest, who inaugurated the show with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp.

He shared the nostalgia of the gypsies, who were forced to migrate from India way back in the eleventh century when Muslims invaded India. A memento was presented to the chief guest.

The day was all about warm recollections of history and tradition that the Romas shared with India.

In 1978, Roma delegates had assembled at the second Romani congress held at Geneva and passed a resolution declaring themselves to be of India origin. Since then, they have been eagerly building up ties with India - a cause that late Dr W.R. Rishi, an Indian Roma scholar of international eminence, espoused and promoted through his research.

Dr Rishi had founded the Indian Institute of Romani Studies and put together a body of research work that established the Romas’ link to India.

Today’s gathering honoured the memory of Dr Rishi without whom the Roma movement of searching for their lost roots would have remained incomplete.

In presence was Veerendra Rishi, Dr Rishi’s son, who now handles the affairs of the institute under the aegis of which the assembled Romas and their friends celebrated the Roma Nation Day.

Besides reiterating their urge to enrich cultural and social ties with India, the revellers celebrated the day by listening to Roma music, the CDs, audio and video cassettes of which had been donated to the institute by Dr Rishi, who died in 2002.

He also had a collection of Romani music slides, tarot cards, photo albums and official records of the fourth world Romani congress.

Veerendra Rishi talked about his father’s mastery over the Russian language.

Dr Rishi had donated 400 Russian books to Panjab University, Chandigarh.

But he was best known for his work at the institute of Romani studies, under which he organised many conferences to facilitate Indo-Roma bonding. The institute continues to strive for its old objectives.

Dr Vijay Rattan, professor of public administration, Panjab University, delivered the keynote address.

The show ended with Rajasthani and Haryanavi dance performances by students of Navodaya Vidyalaya.

Bhangra was performed by Gurjit Singh and his troupe.

Panchkula, April 8
Tension prevailed at the Sector 20 police station here this afternoon when protesters led by Sanjeev Walia and Rajinder Gulati gathered at the police station to protest against the registration of a false case against them.

The duo alleged that they bought a plot in Industrial Area for Rs 71 lakh from its seller Geeta Arora and her husband Naresh Arora. They had taken Rs 11 lakh as earnest money in September 2005 and agreed to hand over the plot in March 2006.

On visiting the tehsildar, Walia found that the Aroras had sold the plot to Vijay Arora and received Rs 1 lakh for the same as token money. Later, he found that the plot had already been resumed by HUDA. Walia registered an FIR against the couple which is still pending.

He said that in response to his FIR, the Aroras registered a counter FIR and alleged that they had been threatened by Walia along with a property dealer, Surinder Bansal. He said that it was only pressure tactics by the Aroras who wanted to save their skin after they had been caught cheating.

Following the protest today, DSP Om Prakash formed a four-member committee to work out a compromise between the two parties. Sources said that the two parties had reached an agreement which would be finalised tomorrow.

Chandigarh, April 8
S.B. Seth Sumanav’s canvases are soft, fluid and poetic. Free from frills and froth that define European art styles, his work is basic; closer to the roots. And it’s executed in a rare technique that originated in China 150 years ago and was imported to India, courtesy Rabindra Nath Tagore.

Classified as wash paintings, the form flourished at the Viswa Bharti, Santiniketan, especially under the guidance of principal Nand Lal Bose. But Sumanav picked it up at Lucknow University where Badri Nath Arya, the greatest living exponent of wash technique, came to teach and promote it. Those days, the course in wash technique, came as a whiff of fresh air for artists who had reservations with the European formats that overemphasised visual elements. Here was a technique that allowed them to dream, visualise and create. It was closer to the Indian painting styles, which are rooted in religion and philosophy.

No wonder Sumanav learnt the form almost with a sense of urgency. As a celebrated artist whose portraits adorn the Parliament House and the National Gallery of Portraits, he could well have taken the route that took the likes of Raja Ravi Verma to celebrity. But he paused to master the new, Indian, technique that involved thinking aloud instead of extreme visualisation and execution.

Later in this new technique Sumanav told stories from the “Meghdootam”, the “Kamayani”, the “Ramayana”, “Mahabharata” and even the “Geet Govindam”. His wash series on the poor women workforce of India earned him many accolades, so did his portrayal of the melancholic protagonist in Jaishankar Prasad’s legendary literary work “Akash Deep”.

Mastery over washes, however, doesn’t come easy. “The technique involves repeated dilution of the painting surface and the colours employed thereon. It is a purely Indian style, derived from China. Its charm lies in the fact that it produces incredibly-melodic effects by creating wonderful textures with colours.”

`Where a European artist would require a huge canvas to bring each colour alive, a wash painter could play with 20 colours on a small surface. But the process takes its toll. It is exhaustive and requires patience. Sometimes one has to dip the paper into water 40 times to achieve the desired effect,” says Sumanav, here to conduct a workshop on wash technique on the invitation of the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi.

The artist may have conducted many such workshops, but wash technique is yet to find earnest practitioners. “Students lack patience these days. They get drawn to easier forms that yield quick results.

But once a student of art tastes the fruits of washes, he would find it hard to resist the temptations of romancing it.

The mysticism of a wash painting is truly delicious,” the painter concludes.

Chandigarh, April 8
A day after local MP Pawan Kumar Bansal promised to facilitate vocational training to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs), the latter’s hopes are soaring high.

For them, the promise made at a small gathering attended by Bansal and 16 councillors yesterday spells a world of hope. After all, their outstanding problem of earning a livelihood has been addressed.

Most of the PLHAs have suffered on this count. They have for long faced job rejection on account of their HIV-positive status.

But today they were happy, as one of them said: “Bansal assured us of allocating land in Maloya and making provisions to house the infected and affected children as well as other PLHAs who are keen on taking vocational training. At last politicians have started talking about our problems.”

The group was equally encouraged by the fact that the politicians who attended the yesterday’s function, organised by the Chandigarh State AIDS Control Society (SACS), volunteered for HIV testing.

“This kind of gesture goes a long way in de-stigmatising the epidemic. We felt happy because the mayor kissed infected children. It would help change the mind set,” said a PLHA who attended the function, which was held to sensitise politicians on HIV/AIDS and challenges for Chandigarh.

Dr Sonia Trikha, project director, local SACS, said she had not expected such a heartwarming response from local councillors, deputy mayor, mayor and the MP.

“They not only sat through the presentation we made about Chandigarh’s HIV status but also promised to contribute Rs 2 lakh each from their funds for the cause of PLHAs.”

On her part, Pooja Thakur, who heads the local chapter of PLHAs, made a presentation on the need to support PLHAs in their fight for life and dignity.

She has led from the front by admitting her status and helping others like her come out, accept their reality and move on with dignity.

Complete chaos prevails over the use of road medians in Panchkula. Earlier, like Chandigarh, the central road of each Sector was approachable. But after the closure of passages on some roads, for example from Sector 12 to 11, people have opened at least five passages of their own free will to gain access to the central roads in complete disregard to the traffic rules.

The only viable solution to regulate free passage is the installation of traffic lights at specified passages on the lines of Chandigarh to ensure the safety of motorists.

— S.K. Mittal, Panchkula

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