Chandigarh/Mohali September 30
With major milk retailers like Mother Dairy, Amul and Reliance giving stiff competition in milk procurement in Punjab to state-owned milk cooperative monopoly, Verka, consumers in the tricity are being forced to face shortages of the latter’s products this week.

In the changed scenario, the lower procurement by Verka in the state has affected milk supply to the tricity, resulting in shortage of its branded milk. “Though packaged milk of other brands are available in the market, the consumer is finding it hard to shift from Verka to other brands”, said Sham Lal Goel, a shopkeeper in Sector 29D.

Verka general manager Balbir Singh said Verka, which had an over 80 per cent share in the branded milk market in Chandigarh and Mohali, had now reduced its supply to 325,000 litres a day because of reduced procurement. “Earlier Verka was supplying about 340,000 litres of milk in the tri-city. The increased demand during the ‘Navratras’ has further complicated the situation”, he added.

The shortage of supply has put Verka dealers in a quandary over fulfilling demand of their regular customers.

“I sell 200 crates of Verka milk on my shop every day. However, for the past four days I’ve been receiving only 165 crates and many of my customers are returning disappointed every day”, said Goel.

The supply in other areas of the city is no better. “Against a demand of 95 crates of milk packets every day only 75 crates were supplied to me by Verka”, said Sandip Gupta of Sarvottam Store in Sector 38.

The shortage has put consumers, especially those fasting during ‘Navratras’, at the receiving end. “I buy at least 3 litres of milk every day. But now that my parents are observing fasts, the requirement has increased to 4 litres. But shopkeepers have expressed their inability to increase the supply”, said Rajiv Sharma, a resident of Sector 38.

Chandigarh, September 30
Rising costs threaten to disrupt Ramlila festivities this year with Ramlila committees across the tricity finding it an uphill task to manage higher rents for tents, sound and lighting systems, makeup expenses, decoration and other things required for staging the shows. According to the committees the expenses involved are expected to be between Rs 3.5 to Rs 4 lakh for every Ramlila staged compared to about Rs 2.5 lakh last year. Except for the artistes who perform free, everything else comes at a cost.

Ramlila committees have taken the novel step of generating revenue from advertisers who have even “sponsored” crucial scenes in the plays. This is in addition to the conventional fund raising methods of door-to-door collections and donations from “chief guests” and the public.

A visibly worried Pawan Sharma, director of Adarsh Ramlila Dramatic Club in Panchkula, said this time the outdoor decoration of the Ramlila stage alone would cost the club around Rs 2 lakh. “In addition the cost of renting costumes, which have had to be bought from New Delhi, has risen substantially. To manage the ever-rising expenses, our committee has decided every member would collect Rs 11,000”, he added.

“We’ve to pay for almost everything ranging from rent for tents, costumes, sound systems, lights or other stage arrangements”, says Kendriya Ramlila Mahasabha general secretary Bhagwati Prasad Gaur.

“Another reason why we are finding it difficult to manage Ramlila expenses is because a majority of our committee members belong to the salaried class. These are the last days of the month and salaried people have less money to spare,” he said.

Mukesh Sharma, director of Garhwal Ramlila Mandal Bijli Board, Sector-28, said a “mukut” (crown) which cost Rs 1,500 to 2,000 last year, was costing more than Rs 3,000 this year. 

Zirakpur, September 30
To make the Chandigarh-Ambala Highway accident-free zone, the GMR Expressways, the company undertaking the maintenance work of the highway had removed more than 50 hoardings in three-day anti-encroachment drive.

GMR official Vaibhav Sharma stated that they had removed banners and hoardings, along the Zirakpur-Ambala Highway.

He said the National Highway Authority of India(NHAI) had not given any permission to any person to display hoardings along the highway.

The hoardings were not only causing traffic congestions, but also posing dangers to commuters by diverting their attentions. He claimed that they had removed the hoardings that were on the NHAI land. The drive to remove the hoardings will continue in he coming days too, he added.

Zirakpur, September 30
An altercation between members of two auto-rickshaw unions took a violent turn after one of them smashed windshields of autos belonging to the other union this afternoon.

The members entered into a scuffle after the local administration removed shanties and shops from the triangle opposite the Paras Down Town Square for constructing a bus terminal.

The police said members of a Zirakpur-based union stated that they had been picking up passengers from Kalka chowk for the past many years, but auto drivers of a Rajpura-based union restrained them from doing so. Following which, members of the Zirakpur auto union smashed windshields of a few autos belonging to the Rajpura union.

Meanwhile, members of the Rajpura union alleged that as members of the local union would no longer be able to park their vehicles at the old parking lot near the mall, they vented their ire by damaging autos. They alleged that the local union drivers had been trying to occupy space at their auto stand and stopped them from picking up passengers. The police said both the parties reached a compromise. 

Chandigarh, September 30
Limited availability of night-time air traffic control facilities at the Chandigarh airport is one of the major reasons delaying the launch of the much-awaited international flights from the city. Since the airfield is primarily a defence establishment with a civilian “enclave” attached to it, the runway and associated facilities are owned and managed by Indian Air Force.

The functioning of the air traffic control (ATC) is configured according to the air force’s operational requirements and flight schedules. Moreover, the ATC functions only at night if the IAF is carrying out night sorties.

Sources close o the IAF said the ATC manpower at Chandigarh, including air traffic controllers and watch staff, is sanctioned by Air Headquarters in New Delhi in accordance with its operational requirements. ATC facilities, according to airport officials, can be availed of by civilian operators only between 8 am and 8 pm. Generally, most airlines operate international flights to and from India at night.

Chandigarh airport officials have now approached the defence ministry to extend the timings to accommodate civilian flights at night. However, according to the sources, it was not feasible to extend the ATC working hours with the current manpower strength.

“The number of ATC personnel can’t be increased at the local level and the staffing pattern can only be changed by Air Headquarters after the requisite nod from the defence ministry. Additional officers and airmen would have to be posted here as a permanent measure,” said a senior officer. “However, once the approval comes through, it shouldn’t be a problem,” he added.

It may be mention here that recently Sharjah-based airline Air Arabia had evinced keen interest on operating a flight to the city in view of the huge rush of passengers from northern India to the Gulf countries.

According to the sources Air Arabia officials have already requested the Director General of Civil Aviation to grant the airline time from the day slot so hat it could commence flights to and from the city soon.

Meanwhile, Chandigarh airport director HS Toor said airport officials had already approached the defence ministry to extend ATC timings up to 11 pm so that more flights could be operated from the city. Over the past few years there has also been a noticeable rise in the number of domestic flights from Chandigarh.

“We’ve earmarked the space for a customs and immigration desk at the airport building in consultation with customs and immigration department officials. Work on setting up the desk is proceeding at a fast pace and the infrastructure will be in place by October end. Airlines are expected to be able to operate international flights from the city by the first or second week of November”, Toor added.

Chandigarh, September 30
Going hi-tech, the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) is soon going to introduce Global Positioning System (GPS) in its fleet of buses with screens inside and outside the buses to inform about destinations on a particular route.

The information will also be displayed at all the bus stops on a screen. The facility has already been introduced in a few buses and bus stops.

The management information system (MIS) will also be introduced to help detect traffic violations and over speeding of buses. The GPS system will track the vehicle through the automated vehicle locator (AVL) system.

Officials said the passengers boarding the bus would get information of the destinations on the route on screens and through announcement. The screens would also be installed at the bus queue shelters across the city providing information about the buses on the route.

CTU officials said the MIS system once introduced would help in knowing the occupancy on a particular route, arrival and departure time at each bus stop and 
terminal, tickets sold and fare collected between each bus stop, traffic lights violations and over speeding.

CTU manager SP Parmar said a central control facility would act as a nerve centre of the entire system that would have the information of locations of all buses. The drivers and the control room staff can also communicate with each other one the system is introduced, said Parmar.

The project has been initiated by the CTU in assistance with the Society for Promotion of Information and Technology. CTU officials said the screens providing the information of CTU buses would also be installed at the Sector 43 ISBT and at the Sector 17 bus stand at all terminals. 

Chandigarh, September 30
To beat the anti-incumbency factor in the forthcoming MC polls and smarting under the crushing defeat of his close confidants in the market committee elections recently, local MP and Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources Pawan Bansal is finally reaching out to the traders and industrialists.

With an eye on the forthcoming poll, Bansal would woo the trading and industrial community at a function to be organised by the Chandigarh Business Council (CBC) on October 3. Bansal would try to regain the lost ground in the market committee polls which is Congress’ first major political test after the May 13, 2009, Lok Sahba elections.

The CBC, which is a representative organisation of the traders and industrialists, is already up in arms against the Chandigarh Administration for its harassment to the business class on the pretext of obsolete building byelaws, sealing the buildings and charging hefty amount of misuse charges. 

Chandigarh, September 30
The DAV management has served a fresh notice on BC Josan, who has been discharging his duties as a principal from the lobby outside the principal’s office, against the wishes of the college management.

The management through a letter has asked Josan to restrain himself from occupying the office claiming that the inquiry against him had been completed and the governing body would be soon taking a decision in a meeting to be held in the first week of October.

Sources said the letter was issued to Josan through newly appointed officiating principal Pawan Jain. Meanwhile, Josan for the fourth day in succession operated from the lobby outside the principal’s office.

DAV College that has been at the receiving end for the past many months following a controversy seems to have slowly come back on track, with the new officiating principal clearing all pending files and releasing pending bills.

Pawan Jain, officiating principal of the college, said all pending files were cleared and bills were also released today. “I have asked all departments to draft their requirements on the basis of which all purchases will be made by the college,” Jain said.

In the evening, Jain also visited hostels to meet students and listened to their problems. “I will keep operating from the staff room till the date the matter is resolved,” Jain added.