The Tribune...Chandigarh

C H A N D I G A R H

Monday, July 6, 1998

weather n spotlight
today's calendar

Shatabdi losing its glitter
CHANDIGARH, July 5 — Inordinate delay, poor maintenance and insufficient coaches are the bane of Shatabdi Express — the prestigious inter-city superfast airconditioned train...

Another wheat crisis in offing?
CHANDIGARH, July 5 — The country is heading for another wheat crisis, the dimensions of which may be of the order of the one that hit India two years ago, leading to a multi-crore wheat scandal...

Guided tour at City Museum
CHANDIGARH, July 5 — Several little-known facts regarding City Beautiful were unveiled by Prof Aditya Parkash, a member of a team of architects who built the city, during an inaugural guided tour organised at City Museum in Sector 10 here today...

'Accepting LoC will solve problem'
CHANDIGARH, July 5 — Jan Shakti, a social organisation, organised an open discussion on the Kashmir issue...

BJP Govt ignoring
SC, ST: Bansal
CHANDIGARH, July 5 — While accusing the BJP Government of ignoring the interests of the downtrodden communities, Mr Pawan Bansal, President, Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee, and a former MP, alleged..

Admn move draws flak
CHANDIGARH, July 5 — The local unit of the Samata Party today assailed the Chandigarh Administration for introducing a costly application form for those seeking learner's driving licence.

Call to improve educational scenario
CHANDIGARH, July 5 — A workshop on effective management for heads of local schools concluded at the State Institute of education, a press note said today.

CHANDIGARH CALLING
Campus Beat
Crime File

Shatabdi losing its glitter
By Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service
CHANDIGARH, July 5 — Inordinate delay, poor maintenance and insufficient coaches are the bane of Shatabdi Express — the prestigious inter-city superfast airconditioned train.
Although the fare for travel from Chandigarh to New Delhi in airconditioned chair car comfort in this train has witnessed a whopping 135 per cent increase ever since the introduction of Shatabdi Express, the services have been gradually deteriorating.
This morning the train arrived 95 minutes behind schedule from Delhi. The delay was apparently because of engine failure near Nilokheri where the train came to a sudden halt following a snap in the pneumatic system.
The snag, a minor pipe burst, could not be rectified as the crew had no spares and sufficient tools. The train resumed its journey only after another diesel engine arrived from Kurukshetra. In between the passengers, especially children, had a tough time in killing time — over an hour. Fortunately, airconditioning continued to work.

Yesterday, many passengers complained against insufficient cooling as the airconditioning units in three of the nine coaches were not functioning properly. When certain passengers persisted in registering their complaint in the complaint book, they were "moved to cooler coaches" while others continued to swelter.
Crew members explained that hardly any attention was being paid towards maintenance of the train. For example, one of them explained that after running from Chandigarh to New Delhi in the afternoon, the same train would go to Amritsar with less than an hour of halt. The gap is too small even to clean the train properly. "That is why the afternoon Shatabdi to Amritsar is invariably delayed," he said.
At the time of its introduction the train was considered "special for the elite, especially the top executives and bureaucrats" because it was considered a "quite and peaceful train free from the nuisance of hawkers and gate crashers and provided a proper environment to work on train.
But things have changed dramatically since then. This morning, a number of passengers had to complain to the train supervisor against "noise" made by two different groups of passengers, who were "gambling". In the process, they were blocking aisles, making it difficult for other passengers to move up and down.
The train supervisor expressed his "helplessness" and asked one of the passengers to address a complaint to the Government Railway Police for initiating action against the defaulting passengers for "gambling inside the train". Passengers, however, maintained that it was the duty of the train supervisory staff to make sure that no passenger was disturbed as a large number of toddlers were disturbed by the noise and could not sleep. Even certain sick passengers and those who did not want to be disturbed were an agitated lot.

The presence of GRP men in the train was of no help to the agitated passengers.
When the train arrived in Chandigarh in the afternoon, only 15 minutes were left for its scheduled departure for the return journey. The train staff maintained that in no case all coaches could be cleaned in one hour.
The passengers were sore at the apathy of the Northern Railway authorities for not equipping the train staff with sufficient tools and spare parts.

Campus Beat: PU proposal on Pak developments
Tribune News Service
CHANDIGARH, July 5 — Panjab University has sent a proposal to the Union Government for setting up a centre to exclusively study the developments in Pakistan. The university is understood to have demanded Rs 30 lakh per year for the next five years to get the project started.
Giving details about the proposal, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof M.M. Puri, said after the nuclear tests by both nations the study had become more pertinent. He emphasised the need for area studies, particularly of the country's immediate neighbours — Pakistan, Afghanistan and China.
The centre is intended to be part of the Centre for Geopolitics of which Professor Puri is the coordinator. There is a proposal for one reader, two lecturers and five research associates.
The centre intends to work in close association with the departments of Urdu, Persian and Central Asian Studies to review the economy and society of Pakistan, he said.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Geopolitics has been granted a special assistance of Rs 35 lakh. The centre will have its own building to be raised at a cost of Rs 25 lakh, the Vice-Chancellor said.

Another wheat crisis in offing?
By Yoginder Gupta
Tribune News Service
CHANDIGARH, July 5 — The country is heading for another wheat crisis, the dimensions of which may be of the order of the one that hit India two years ago, leading to a multi-crore rupee wheat scandal.
The prices of wheat have already spurted up though the months of scarcity will start from October. The prices of atta are ruling between Rs 8 a kg (loose) to Rs 10 a kg (packed). If the government fails to intervene in the market immediately despite a comfortable stock position with the Food Corporation of India (FCI), the atta prices may touch Rs 15 a kg in coming months.
Like in 1996, the wheat production this year is less as compared to last year. The country produced 69.3 million tonnes of wheat in 1996-97 whereas this year's production has dropped to 66.4 million tonnes — a shortfall of about three million tonnes.

The market availability of wheat has further gone down because farmers and traders did not store wheat this year because they had suffered losses last year by storing wheat. This has resulted in an increase of 3.3 million tonnes in wheat procurement this year. Thus, total shortfall in the availability of wheat in the open market is to tune of over six million tonnes.
According to informed sources, the government has about 18 million tonnes of wheat in its godowns. While it had about 5 million tonnes of wheat as the opening stock on April 1, 1998, it procured 12.5 million tonnes this year. Another over one million tonne of wheat has been imported from Australia, from where half a million tonnes of wheat more are expected soon.

Crime File: Villager knocked down
by car, dies
Tribune News Service
CHANDIGARH, July 5 —Mr Deva Nand, a resident of New Colony, Khudda Lahora, was knocked down by a car in Sector 24 here today.
Mr Deva Nand, who was moving on his moped, was knocked down by a car around 1.15 p.m. He was rushed to General Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.The driver fled the scene. The police has registered a case.

Girl missing: A six-year-old girl of Janata Colony, Sector 25, has been missing since July 3. According to a complaint lodged by the girl's father, his daughter had missed from near the roundabout dividing Sector 25, 24, 37 and 38. She had gone there to look for her mother.
Body found: The body of an old man has been found by the police from Sector 52. A case has been registered.

'Accepting LoC will solve problem'
Tribune News Service
CHANDIGARH, July 5 — Jan Shakti, a social organisation, organised an open discussion on the Kashmir issue at Lajpat Rai Bhavan, in Sector 15 here today.
Presiding over the discussion, the president of the Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee, Mr Pawan Bansal, said that the real solution would be in our own strength and creating a mindset in the people of the two countries for peace by developing a movement for it. He also underlined the need for accepting the Line of Actual Control for the solution of the problem.
Group Capt Soni (retd) wanted the government to adopt the pro-active policy to fight proxy war. He was of the opinion that Article 370 had created the impression of alienation among the Kashmiri people.

Col P.K. Vasudeva (retd) wanted the UN observers stationed in the valley to leave the country. The Army should be given more liberty to fight terrorism, he added.
While blaming the government for not having any realistic policy, the general secretary of the Kashmiri Sahayak Sabha, contested the theory that Kashmiri Pandits exploited the Kashmiri Muslims at any point of time in history.
Dr P.P. Arya, convener of Jan Shakti, wanted India to create world opinion in its favour regarding the Kashmir issue.
Mr Hoshiar Singh, secretary, International Democratic Party, who favoured a peaceful solution of the tangle, said that more autonomy should be granted to Jammu and Ladakh regions of the valley.

Guided tour at City Museum
Tribune News Service
CHANDIGARH, July 5 — Several little-known facts regarding City Beautiful were unveiled by Prof Aditya Parkash, a member of a team of architects who built the city, during an inaugural guided tour organised at City Museum in Sector 10 here today.
During a question-answer session he explained the contrasts in the concepts of Le Corbusier and Albert Mayor. Answering a question as to why uncontrolled growth was taking place around the city, he said only proper coordination among neighbouring states and the UT could solve the problem.
The in charge of the museum, Ms Poonam Khanna, said the next guided tour would be organised on July 19.

BJP Govt ignoring SC, ST: Bansal
Tribune News Service
CHANDIGARH, July 5 — While accusing the BJP Government of ignoring the interests of the downtrodden communities, Mr Pawan Bansal, President, Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee, and a former MP, alleged that even the leaders who fought untouchability had been insulted during the rule of the present government.
Mr Bansal, who was addressing a rally organised by the SC/ST cell of the CTCC at Daddu Majra, said nothing was being done by the government for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. Rather, the statues of leaders such as Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi, who waged war against caste war, were desecrated by RSS workers. He alleged that the BJP Government was playing into the hands of the corrupt people, embroiled in various scams and scandals.
Mr Balraj Singh, chairman of the cell, levelled serious allegations against local MP, Mr Satya Pal Jain. He alleged that though various schemes for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, including Ambedkar Awas Yojna, had been launched by the Congress, Mr Jain was instrumental in stopping all such schemes. He also changed the Administration with not issuing caste certificates to members of the SC and ST communities residing in UT.

Admn move draws flak
Tribune News Service
CHANDIGARH, July 5 — The local unit of the Samata Party today assailed the Chandigarh Administration for introducing a costly application form for those seeking learner's driving licence.
The president of the party units, Mr Ranjit Singh Dhaliwal, in a statement here said that as against the old form of Re 1, the new form was being sold at Rs 30. The previous form required non-judicial stamps for Rs 15.
He demanded that new form should be withdrawn and the old forms should be continued to save the public from this extra burden.

Call to improve educational scenario
Tribune News Service
CHANDIGARH, July 5 — A workshop on effective management for heads of local schools concluded at the State Institute of education, a press note said today.
Mrs Anuradha Gupta, Home Secretary, addressing the participants stressed the need for such courses to improve the educational scenario which was changing continually with new ideas and experimentation.
Others who took part in the session were Mr D.S. Mangat, DPI, Mrs Joginder Moti, DEO; and Dr H.C. Sharma, director of the SIE.
A week-long workshop organised by the City Beautiful Arts School in collaboration with a commercial company making colours concluded here.
The workshop was attended by a large number of school children and housewives, a press note said.
The workshop was inaugurated by Mr P.S. Verma, principal of the arts school.

CHANDIGARH CALLING
THE demand for "statehood" for Chandigarh, which until a couple of months ago was ridiculed by almost all local units of various political parties except the Bharatiya Janata Party, is gradually gaining ground.
Initially when the local MP, Mr Satya Pal Jain, demanded a legislature and status of a state for Chandigarh, a majority of political parties ridiculed him saying that there was no justification for making the demand.
But now after the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre has announced formation of three new states, there is sudden change in the tone of all these parties demanding "statehood" for Chandigarh. The local unit of the Samajwadi Janata Party was the first to raise this demand followed by one of the frontal organisations of the Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee.
And interestingly, Mr Satya Pal Jain, who had started with it, is keeping quiet now. Perhaps he is busy elsewhere.

Upkeep
Upkeep and maintenance of civic amenities in Chandigarh are gradually inching towards an all-time low. Uncontrolled growth of Congress grass, choked storm water gulleys, ineffective water drainage system, poor maintenance of street lights and ill-illuminated traffic diversions reveal a sorry state of affairs.
A number of new roundabouts proposed in Southern sectors, too, are hanging fire for a long time.
The Sector 17 shopping centre, the heart of the city, presents a picture of neglect with water features out of operations and heaps of garbage everywhere. The problem of encroachments is multiplying.
Unauthorised construction has witnessed an unprecedented growth during the past couple of years.
Besides, the work on the new bridge on the Chandigarh-Panchkula road has been progressing at a snail's pace.
Tree plantation

Monsoon season has set in. Like previous years the Environment Society of India (ESI) launched the tree plantation awareness-cum-action campaign last week. The aim is to inculcate love and care for trees amongst the people, especially the children.
It is important that planting holes for tree saplings of the size not less than 1 cubic metre should be dug. If the holes are too small, growth of the sapling would slow down. The healthy growth of the tree depends on the space allowed for the roots to grow and the right amount of manure and fertiliser applied.
About 9000 saplings will be distributed and planted at various functions in Chandigarh, HP, Punjab, and Haryana free of cost. In order to ensure high survival rate each person/institution will give an undertaking that they will nurse the plants till they become trees.
Individuals, non-government organisations (NGOs), schools and colleges can collect the saplings from the office of the ESI at Karuna Sadan, Sector 11-B, Chandigarh. (Ph: 546832).

Eye on headlines
Certain officials of the UT Administration seem to be of the view that journalists act like catalysts in places where politicians interact with bureaucrats. The meeting of the Administrator's advisory council recently affirmed the fact.
Journalists of various publications received messages on their pagers requesting coverage of the meeting. When a colleague reached the venue and seated himself in the hall, a senior official of the administration told him that reporters were not allowed.
Outside the hall, he said: "These politicians start jumping when they see journalists. They will make a fish market of the meeting."
A politician however, had something else to say. "The inefficiency of the administration has crossed all limits in all fields and they would like the public to know as little as possible on how many questions they could not answer", he said.

Take heart!
Concerned with the increasing number of people in the region with problems like hypertension, which could lead to coronary heart disease, certain persons have come together to form the Society for Awareness and Prevention of Heart Disease.
The society has started programmes to bring awareness about the risk factors, educate patients with heart disease to live life through modified routines and to provide basic information about heart-related problems to people in general, emphasising the risk factors.
The rehabilitation of patients who have undergone byepass surgery would also be taken up. At present the exercise to enroll members is underway as it was felt at the founding members that very few non-government organisations had taken an initiative so far.
The spirit behind the cause is Mr N.K. Monga, a managerial level employee with the Punjab Tractors. He felt the need to do something as he saw a friend trying to cope with post-operation problems and lack of adequate support systems and someone to guide people through a full life even after surgery. Persons willing to contribute to the venture can contact Mr Monga at 2489, SAS Nagar. (Phone 678881).

But for astroturf
Even as the men's and women's hockey teams performed dismally by securing the ninth and 12th positions, respectively, two bank employees from the city have brought laurels to the country by being part of the veteran's team which won the bronze medal in the Mater's World Cup Hockey at Utrecht, Holland, recently.
The duo — Sanjiv Sharma and Narinder Singh Sodhi — posted at the Panjab University branch of the State Bank of India, feel that had they had some experience of playing on the astroturf, the team would have performed even better. The astroturf was too fast for us, they added.
They pointed out that Holland, which is about the same size as Punjab, had over 600 astroturfs. India had only about 10 only half of which were functional.
Will the authorities concerned listen to the veterans' demand for more astroturfs so that our performance in the national game was of international standards?

Food for thought
Mr Sadhu Singh, an Akali MLA from Payal, the constituency once represented by the late Chief Minister, Mr Beant Singh, had not only long resisted the urban attractions, he had even vowed not to touch the food from the cities. At get-togethers, this hardy peasant from Payal in Ludhiana would not even touch a soft drink, what to say of hard ones. He would always deny himself the food lavishly laid down by the hosts. "No Sir, I have my own food in the hostel room", he would say and then explain that he brings cooked food and pranthas in desi ghee from his village and could live on these for at least three to four days. What he required here was only some milk, this too was imported "from my own native" land, as Alexnder Pope would have called it.
But lo! this Akali MLA too has now fallen to the city temptations. The other day when he was savouring good food at the Punjab Sabha during a lunch hosted by the Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, a Minister from his district Ludhiana quipped: "Jathedar ji tusi ta kadi khana khande nahi see (You never had this food)". Pat came the reply: "those pranthas were upsetting my stomach and this is not bad food either. I thought I should enjoy like you."

Tailpiece
After the appropriation bill was passed and MLAs were congratulating the Finance Minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh at lunch, a colleague quipped. "The Assembly has passed the appropriation bill and now you guys are free to misappropriate it." But not to be left behind, the Minister said: "I would need your help in that".