A day of protests in city
Traders’ bandh against building bylaws
Sikh bodies agitate over helmet order
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 26 — It was a day of protests and demonstrations in the city today. While hundreds of members of various Sikh organisations moved through various parts of the city before converging on the Sector 17 Plaza to hold a demonstration there, the shopkeepers of the City Centre observed a complete bandh for the first half of the day in protest against building bylaws.

The focus shifted from the Matka Chowk to the Plaza where all agitators, including shopkeepers and those demonstrating against the helmet order, assembled though at different times.

With the exception of some booths in the Bridge Market and footpath vendors, the business activity had virtually come to a standstill in the sector. Some government offices, banks and other public sector undertakings besides private offices located in the upper storeys of the sector, however, functioned normally

Members of the Traders Association had assembled in the morning. They held a rally where various issues agitating them were highlighted. Later the agitating traders, led by Mr Kamaljit Singh Panchi and Mr S. Kataria, moved in a procession towards the Sector 9 UT Secretariat building.It was stopped by the police. A 15-member deputation of the association, including Mr Jagdish Kalra, Mr Arun Talwar, Mr L.C. Arora, Mr Subash Sethi, Mr R.K. Minocha and others, met the Adviser to the Administrator, Mrs Vineeta Rai, and the Finance Secretary, Mr Rakesh Singh, and submitted to them copies of their memorandum.

The association demanded that building bylaws should be reviewed and amended in accordance with the present day requirements. Under the bylaws, the Administration only recognises the owner with no provision to protect the tenants.

By early afternoon, members of various Sikh organisations also reached the Sector 17 Plaza. They were joined by a large number of members of various women employees organisations.

A protest rally-cum-procession organised by the local unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) started from the Sector 29 Gurdwara. It moved through sectors 28,27,26,28,17,23,24 before finally terminating at the Sector 38 Gurdwara. The processionists raised slogans against the Chandigarh Administration and demanded immediate withdrawal of the helmet order.

Mr Satya Pal Jain, Member of the dissolved Lok Sabha, in a statement has also urged the Chandigarh Administration to exempt women from wearing helmets and notify it in the rules. He said women in Punjab and Delhi have already been exempted from wearing helmets.

Mr Jain said the only way out of the present crisis was amendment to Section 193 of the Motor Vehicles Rules. Sentiments of the people in general and women in particular must be respected. It was not an issue concerning any particular state but of national importance where people sentiments must be respected before a final decision is taken.

In case no decision is taken in this regard within the next few days, Mr Jain said he would be forced to take up the matter with the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani.

Meanwhile, a former Member of Parliament, Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal, in a statement, has urged the Chandigarh Administration to immediately withdraw the order requiring women to wear helmets for driving or pillion riders of two-wheelers.

“Besides offending the sentiments of those belonging to the Sikh faith (wearing of ‘caps’ of any form is referred to in ‘Vachitra Natak’) such requirement causes untold inconvenience to women in general, particularly those carrying children in their laps.

“Road safety, undoubtedly, is an important need, but if other requirements are followed and adhered to, the necessity of wearing a helmet will be obviated, particularly on the city roads as distinguished from highways.

“The last few days’ events have shown that there is an all-prevalent resentment against the order. It is expected that the Administration will respond to the people’s feelings and withdraw the order immediately,” Mr Bansal said.

Meanwhile, the Mahila Wing of the local unit of the BJP has also demanded immediate withdrawal of the orders of the Administration for challaning women not wearing helmets while moving on two-wheelers in the city. In a statement, Ms Neena Tiwari, President of the wing, said since women had been exempted from wearing helmets in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, the city women should not be forced to wear the helmets.

DSP Sagar reinstated
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 26 — The Chandigarh Administration today reinstated Mr Subash Chander Sagar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, who had been suspended in the missing files case on May 6.

The officers suspended in this case included DSP Devinder Thakur, Inspector P.K. Dhawan and Sub-Inspector Balhar Singh, besides Mr Sagar. The issue had snowballed into a major controversy with the then IGP, Dr Kiran Bedi, digging in her heels in the matter of the suspensions. She was later transferred out of Chandigarh.

Senior officials had ordered the registration of a case of forgery under Sections 467 and 468, IPC, against Mr Thakur, Mr Sagar and Mr Dhawan.

An inquiry had been ordered by the UT Administrator, Lieut-Gen B.K.N. Chhibber (retd), after The Tribune highlighted the story in its columns on February 5 when a report on how the murder of a political activist in 1984 was hushed up.

All records pertaining to the murder of Hindu Suraksha Samiti chief Inder Pal Gupta were found missing from the malkhana of the Sector 26 police station. Besides this, the FIR records and files of two murder cases from the malkhana of the same police station also could not be traced.

The UT Legal Remembrancer, Mr Sanjay Kumar, was appointed the inquiry officer and had been asked to submit his report within two months. He had been asked to pinpoint the responsibility and find out the exact details by scrutinising all records. It was for the first time that the LR had been asked to investigate a police matter, officials added.

Two arrests were made in 1984 when Mr Gupta was gunned down. However, the case was never sent for trail to court and nor was the case diary maintained. Besides, other than the original FIR, there is no evidence of the case in the police station. The second part of the story had appeared in The Tribune on February 15 when it was highlighted how the files of another murder case of 1983 were missing, besides several FIR books.

Ganpat Rai of Sector 32 was done to death and his body thrown in a pond in Sector 46. The police never put this case to court and nor is there any evidence of any noting made by senior police officials during their inspection visits. In some case the daily diary reports (DDRs) were also found to have been torn off from the files. Senior police officials were very perturbed at this finding.

Dr Bedi had taken up the case of the suspended officials when they had refused to accept the suspension orders issued by the administration.

Although the five suspended officials, to pre-empt the move of the administration, had proceeded on station leave the orders of their suspension were delivered at their homes by hand.

According to sources in the Administration, the officials, including the two DSPs, had also refused to sign on the receipt book. The person who delivered the orders had mentioned this on his receipt book.

The Home Department had refused to comment on whether it was an act of indiscipline on the part of the suspended cops.

The Administration had suspended the cops but kept the orders in abeyance after Dr Kiran Bedi had sought a meeting with the UT Administrator. The next day the officials concerned also manned their present posts and one of them was actually working till about 7 p.m. taking a meeting with rickshaw-pullers.

In later developments, the Administrator, after meeting Dr Bedi, had decided to issue suspension orders and registration of a criminal case against one of the DSPs and the Inspector, saying it was a serious lapse on the part of the five of them.

HC grills Administration on
red light issue
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 26 — The Chandigarh Administration was today caught on a weak wicket before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the question of challaning persons who used red light atop their vehicles.

Although the Administration had issued the necessary notification banning the use of red lights atop private vehicles on July 15, it had started challaning people much before that date.

Taking up the case about the enforcement of traffic rules, Mr Justice Swatantar Kumar directed the Administration to drop challans of “all people, VIPs or shop-keepers who have been challaned for red light on their vehicles before the issuance of the notification. It would be injustice to the public at large.”

As for zebra crossing, the Judge observed: “You (the Administration) have been painting water and not paint. It doubly hurts me that first you did not comply with the orders and now you are burning the income tax payers’ money. Has senior officer, including your Estate Officer, ever collected a sample of the paint? If you put a contractor behind bar for cheating the public, no one will repeat it again. I have myself inspected the paint. One minute after it was painted, half the road was visible under it.”

On being quizzed, the Haryana Government told the court that the orders issued by the court were being complied with. Counsel for the state government said heads of department of educational institutions had been instructed and vehicles causing pollution were being challaned.

In reply to a question from the Bench, counsel for the Punjab Government said efforts were being made to enforce the directions of the court. A number of hoardings had been removed. He said a constant vigil was being kept so that the directions of the High Court were not flouted. As for the red lights and black films, there were executive instructions so far. The ADGP, in compliance with the directions, had been authorised to give certificates considering the security aspect.

Counsel for Mr Namit Kumar, who had filed the public interest litigation, told the court that 70 per cent of the orders had not been complied with. The status reports filed by the Punjab and Haryana government and the Chandigarh Administration merely said that they would do everything to enforce the directions. He told the Bench that there were no sign boards in Sector 22 and Sector 23 about declaring them” No overtaking zones”.

Mr Justice Swatantar Kumar would take up the case about the exemption on the use of helmets by Sikh women tomorrow. The Chief Secretaries of Punjab and Haryana and the Adviser to the Chandigarh Administrator, the DGPs of the two states and the UT’s IG had appeared in the chamber of the court.

PU eligibility criterion
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 26 — A committee consituted by the Panjab University Syndicate at its meeting on March 17 to discuss revised regulations of the University Grants Commission has recommended that the minimum number of lectures, tutorials, seminars and practicals which a student shall be required to attend for eligibility to appear in examination for the first degree of formal education will not be less than 75 per cent.

Earlier, the eligibility condition was 66 per cent. The committee has also recommended that not more than 15 students will be taught in a class for practicals at one time. This has been made on account of teachers taking practicals of 20 to 25 students.

While 180 teaching days were recommended for an academic session, the period allotted for admission and examination, including practicals, was 11 weeks and 12 weeks, respectively. The UGC had recommended 10 weeks for the purpose.

The proposed public holidays were reduced from over 20 days to two weeks. The vacations for summer, September and December should not exceed eight weeks in case of the university and ten weeks in case of colleges.

The workload as per UGC regulations, which was mandatory, was fixed at 16 hours of teaching per week for lecturers, senior lecturers and selection scale lecturers. For readers and professors, 14 hours per week was recommended. A relaxation of two hours per week could be given to professors involved in research, extension and administration.

The committee and the UGC regulations fixed at least five hours daily for teachers in university and colleges. It was recommended that necessary space and infrastructure be provided for the same.

The idea of implementing the grade system, which could be converted to marks, was referred to the Examination Reform Committee of the university. Also referred to it was the recommendation that the question papers be so framed that no part of the syllabus was left out. Members suggested that some question papers should be analytical, inviting original thinking or application of theory on the basis of regulations received.

The Reform committee was advised to work out its own system of transparency, which might include giving a photostat copy of evaluated answer sheets to students. This had been adopted by some universities.

Tribune lensman ‘detained’
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 26 — A Tribune photographer was confined in the premises by the authorities of the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, for more than half an hour here this evening.

According to the lensman, he was stopped by the security personnel of the hospital near the emergency and asked not to take photographs of the two members of the Punjab Auxiliary Nurses and Midwives Farag (dismissed) Employees Union. They had been forcibly discharged from the hospital.

He said he was held inside the ward which was locked from all sides and was also not allowed to make a phone call. Dr D P Mehta, Medical Superintendent, said no photographs could be taken since it would disturb the privacy of patients. When it was brought to his notice that the photographs were being taken from outside the building, he did not relent. The photographer of a vernacular daily was also reportedly manhandled by the security staff.

The two agitating members lay in front of the door of the hospital and refused to be shifted as they were still in a bad shape. The union members had been on an indefinite fast in support of their demands for the past one month in front of the Directorate of Health in Sector 34. Their main demand was issuance of a ordinance for their reinstatement.

Later tonight the GMCH authorities said it was a policy not to allow photography inside the hospital to protect the identity of those admitted. The Medical Superintendent said, he was doing his duty in implementing the policy and asked for the identity of the photographers, who had taken the snaps in the hospital premises.

Initially the cameramen had not shown any identity card, he added. It was within their rights to stop the photographers from taking photograph within the hospital as it disturbed the patients, he claimed.

Seats in vocational courses filled
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 26 — The students wanting to opt for vocational subjects in various colleges during admission to the first year of graduation are likely to be disappointed since seats in most of these are filled.

All 30 seats in each of the three courses of MCM DAV College, Sector 36, have been filled. The college runs courses in functional English, computer applications and office management. Ms Sneh Mahajan, Principal, says, “These courses are lucrative and students can take up jobs right after they complete their graduation. Thirty seats are nothing if the number of forms that come in are considered. Computers is available only to science students and Chandigarh being a city of public schools has proficient speakers of English.”

In Government College For Girls, Sector 11, admission to the 30 seats of functional English is also over, along with hostel seats for the students of first year. Ms Vijay Laxhmi, Principal, says students with 60 per cent marks have been interviewed, though the expected cut-off percentage is likely to be around 63 per cent, keeping in mind the 150 seats available.

In SD College, Sector 32, where courses in computers, biotechnology, advertising, management and sales promotion, and functional English are available, seats have been filled and there are many others who have opted for these subjects, a scrutiny of the forms reveals.

In Dev Samaj College for Women, Sector 45, seats are available in office management and secretarial practice. The Principal, Ms Vimal Bhargava, contends, “Most of the students who opted for this course last year have secured jobs for themselves.”

In Government College, Sector 46, there are 30 seats in secretarial practice and office management of the college. All seats have been filled. The Principal, Maj DP Singh, attributes the growing trend towards vocational courses to the increased interest of students in management courses.

There are 30 seats each in electrical equipment maintenance, functional English and computer science in SGGS, Sector 26. There are 30 seats in the adjoining college for girls in computer science.

Illegal structures under scrutiny
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, July 26 — Unauthorised structures in villages falling in the Haryana area covered under the periphery control area, which are being used for commercial, industrial or other type of activities not in consonance with the needs of the villagers, have now come under the scrutiny of the Department of Town and Country Planning.

This follows a recent policy framed by the Haryana Government to regularise illegal constructions — subject to certain restrictions — which have come up in contravention of the periphery control Act over the years. As per the policy certain structures falling within a village abadi, other than residential, could be compounded after charging some fee.

Modalities to set parameters to distinguish between the structures, which actually cater to the needs of the villagers and those which do not, were being worked out. The Town and Country Planning Department is reported to have written to the government seeking certain queries regarding the illegal activities in villages.

Sources say the department has, in fact, issued show-cause notices under Section 2 of the Section 12 of the Punjab New Capital Periphery Control Act, 1952, to violators for running commercial activities from illegal structures in villages after a survey conducted by the government.

There were at least 1,200 structures, which include commercial, religious, industrial and institutional buildings in 154 villages, falling under the periphery control Area. Of these the maximum violations were in Fatehpur, Maheshpur, Abheypur, Rally, Haripur, Majri, Devinagar, Kundi and Bhainsa Tibba villages falling in and around the Panchkula urban estate.

Moreover, certain unauthorised constructions like around the Terminal Ballistic Research Laboratory (TBRL), Ramgarh, and around some other defence establishments have been objected to by the defence authorities.

Sources say that the state Legal Remembrance cell in reply to a query by the Town and Country Planning Department had written back that a building for residential purpose or purpose subservient to agricultural purpose in the abadi area of a village whether multi-storeyed or not did not come under the ambit of the periphery Act. If the department intended to bring the multi-storeyed constructions for residential and commercial activity under its ambit, it would have to make amendment to the Act.

The recent policy framed by the government to regularise structures in the periphery, including those falling in village abadis, subject to certain restrictions, is expected to cover this lacunae.

Demand to stop bus to Lahore
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 26 — Mr Manish Tewari, President, All-India Youth Congress Committee (AIYC), today urged the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, to immediately discontinue the Delhi-Lahore bus service in the wake of the Kargil hostilities.

Talking to newsmen here this morning, Mr Tewari said that in case the Government did not stop this bus service by August 15,volunteers of the Youth Congress would be forced to hold demonstrations against it.

"Heavy infiltration in the Kargil sector within a short period of the introduction of the Delhi-Lahore bus service conveyed the shortsightedness of the Government," Mr Tewari said.

About the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, Mr Tewari said that the AIYC had urged the party high command to give tickets to at least 100 Youth Congress workers. The party President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, would interact with representatives of the Youth Congress at FICCI Auditorium in New Delhi on August 3.

Talking about his own chances of contesting the Lok Sabha elections, Mr Tewari said that as a disciplined party worker he would go by the directive of the high command. "If the high command wants me to contest from Chandigarh, I will not say no," he added, recalling how he had gone and filed his papers from the Kanpur Lok Sabha seat at the instance of the then party chief, Mr Rajiv Gandhi.

When asked about Mr Harmohan Dhawan joining the Congress, Mr Tewari said that he would welcome any person who believed in the policies and programmes of the Congress. Further, the decision lay with the party high command.

The Congress Working Committee, according to his information, had endorsed the Panch Marhi resolution which says that anyone who had lost the last two Lok Sabha elections consecutively should not be given the party ticket this time.

This, however, did not apply to certain States, including Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and a few more, he added.

EC plans training, awareness drive
By Poonam Batth
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 26 — The UT Election Commission (EC) has chalked out a major plan to train the personnel associated with poll duties at various levels, besides creating general awareness about the use of the Electronic Voting machines (EVMs) in the forthcoming parliamentary elections. A special cell has been set up to monitor these training programmes at three different levels.

Chandigarh happens to be among those few parliamentary constituencies where these machines will be used for the first time. The training process assumes significance in the light of the fact that the entire process of electioneering — conducting polls, display of total votes polled, sealing at the end of the poll and the final declaration of results — will be through these machines.

Giving details, the Chief Electoral Officer, Mr Rakesh Singh, said training schedule drawn out by the department includes training of the polling personnel, confidence building exercise for various political parties and a general awareness among voters about EVMs.

For imparting training to the polling staff, a team of five members is being shortlisted as master trainers, who will be sent to Delhi to acquire an indepth training about the use of these machines from the Election Commission or the staff of the Delhi Election Commission who had earlier used them in the assembly elections.

The persons selected as master trainers are to have a science background and should be well versed in the use of electronic gadgets for a better understanding. The members who will be shortlisted in a day or two will be lecturers from Punjab Engineering College and science lecturers from government colleges and schools. They will train a group of 50 persons, mostly presiding officers who will be handling the control unit of the machine.

It has also been decided to set up two training laboratories at PEC, where nearly 4,000 polling staff, including the AEROs, police officials upto SHO level and sector officers, will be trained by rotation. “We propose to complete this exercise by August 20 so that we are left with sufficient time to plan further course of action,’’ said Mr Singh. It is essential to train the entire staff, so as to cover the risk of any presiding officer falling sick at the last minute or the inability of few others to turn up, he added. While a total of 643 polling stations including auxilliary booths will be set up, there will be provision for 25 per cent extra machines to avoid any untoward situation following the failure of these machines.

A series of awareness programmes along with the demonstration of EVMs will be organised for the representatives of various political parties. As part of confidence building, they will be shown how the use of the machines will not only reduce the number of invalid votes but will also leave no scope for tampering votes. The department will also seek the help of some opinion builders like municipal councillors and media personalities to further impress upon these parties the advantages of these machines over the ballot boxes.

The third part of the exercise pertains to training the voters about the operation of the machine and creating general awareness. The department proposes to put up hoardings all over the city, distribute pamphlets and ensure proper media coverage, highlighting various aspects of the use of these machines. In addition to this, they will also show short documentary films depicting what is an EVM and how it can be used on the local cable networks.

An awareness centre will also be set up in Sector 17, which will provide the general public with all the required information about these machines from 9 am to 5 pm. They will also be allowed to use these machines to get the know how. Mr Singh said that if the centre receives a good response, 4 to 5 such centres might be set up in the city.

To cater to the requirement of illiterate persons residing in villages and colonies, the department proposes to send mobile teams who will go to these areas and make the people to use the machines so that they do not hesitate to use them at the time of polling. They will also be told that they just have to press one button against the name of the candidate whom they wish to vote for.

Cashing on the illiteracy of this segment, one of the representatives of a political party in Delhi had launched a disinformation campaign last year. He reportedly told the people that they had to press X button first (where his name was listed) and then press another button. As per the mechanism, the voter has to press the button once, which will be followed by a beep, indicating that the vote has been cast.

Keeping this in view, the department has decided to put posters in all the three languages at the polling booths asking them to press the button only once. The staff on duty will also direct them before they cast the vote.

New wing in school inaugurated
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 26 — A new wing comprising five classrooms, an auditorium and a science laboratory, was inaugurated at Sri Aurobindo School, Sector 27, by the General Secretary of the Aurobindo Society, Mr Pradeep Narang, here today.

Speaking at the function, Mr Narang drew attention of the audience to the challenges of the 21st century. He said the advent of new millennium would bring promises of a golden era for mankind.``The present period is a transitional period and changes for the better will come about gradually,’’ he said.

The Principal, Mrs Indu Maitra, said there was a greater need for producing better human beings than great scholars. The new wing would add a new chapter in the endeavour of the school to transfer morals and traditions through the medium of education. ``The aim of education must be to nurture students in a way that they are able to face life with its challenges,’’ she added.

Earlier, Mr B.K. Mehan, Chairman of the local unit of the society, in his welcome address said the new wing would go a long way in expanding the activities of the school .

The function began with a meditation. The programme culminated with another meditation session which was attended by the faculty and members of the management. There is a plan to add one class to the school every year. Presently, the school is running classes till the sixth which was added this year.

Puppetry show concludes
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 26 —An interactive puppetry session between “contemporary’” puppets and the people of Chandigarh took place at the Sector 17 Plaza today. This was the concluding programme of the week-long workshop on puppetry, organised by the Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi, which was conducted by Delhi-based puppeteer Varun Narayan.

With the participants in the workshop carrying puppets of various shapes and sizes, and moving around the Plaza to interact with people, it was interesting to watch reactions of people — who seemed to be over-awed and curious.

The puppets “moved” around the place and communicated through their facilitators about everything ranging from the films one liked, the profession one was in or even about the clothes that one was wearing.

One of the most interesting puppets, named Bandana, which was a life-sized body of a “voluptuous woman”, being carried by Varun himself, elicited hilarious responses from the public.

Most people on the whole were hesitant to the idea of talking to puppets, but some did manage to have proper conversation with the puppets. Young children seemed especially open to the idea of chatting with them and at times even went to the extent of kissing them.

“Puppets somehow are perceived to offer nothing serious or even intellectual, which sometimes makes it easy to communicate with them”, said Varun, who is a faculty member of the Mass Communication Research Centre of Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi and who also works with NGOs on the issues of sex education.

Earlier in the morning, the participants interacted with students of Guru Harkrishan Model School, Sector 38, where the workshop was held, on issues relating to population, education and gender-related social problems.

SNIPPETS

146 donate blood
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 26 — There was an enthusiastic response to a blood donaion camp organised by the Baba Sheikh Farid Blood Donors Council at the Sector 17 Plaza today.

As many as 146 persons donated blood. Mr Major Singh Grewal, Managing Director, Spinfed, inaugurated the camp. Mr A.P. Kackria, Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax, was the chief guest.

According to Ms Jaswant Kaur and Mr Gurmukh Singh Girn, President and General Secretary of the council, respectively, the camp was organised for the soldiers wounded in the Kargil operation.

Sarpanches threaten gherao
From Our Correspondent

KHARAR, July 26 — The sarpanches of nearby villages Badala, Rasanheri, Tirpari, Badali, Cholla Khurd and members of some youth clubs have threatened to gherao the SDO and Executive Officer of the PSEB Kharar if the supply of electricity in these villages was not improved.

In a press note issued here yesterday, they alleged that they were getting electricity for only six seven hours daily and that too with many trippings.

Resentment prevailed among the villagers about erratic electricity supply.

Sarpanches seek free bus facility
From Our Correspondent

KHARAR, July 26 — Mr Jogjiwal Lal, sarpanch of village Tira village and President of the Kandi Area Gram Panchayat Union, has demanded free bus travel facility and salary for the sarpanches in view of the nature of their work.

In a press note issued here today, he said to keep the working of the panchayat in order and to solve the various problems faced by villagers, the sarpanches had to visit various government offices occasionally. He said the sarpanches should be given free bus travel facility so that they could perform their duty efficiently.

More donations to Kargil fund
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 26 — More and more donations continue to pour in for the Army Central Welfare Fund.

A delegation of the Sector 21-C Prachin Shiv Mandir Society led by its President, Mr Bal Krishan Bhutani, presented a cheque for Rs 51,000 to the Administrator of Chandigarh, Lieut-Gen B.K.N. Chhibber (retd).

Members of the Ludhiana-based Shawls Club also called on General Chhibber and presented him a draft for Rs 49,400.

The Sector 40-C Residents Welfare Association has sent a draft for Rs 16,000 to the Army Central Welfare Fund.

The Sector 41-A Duplex Welfare Society has sent a demand draft for Rs 44,100 to the fund.

The Defence Service Civilian Pensioners Welfare Association has contributed Rs 51,000, out of their pensions, for the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers and welfare of the families of Army personnel who died while fighting in Kargil.

The SS Jain Mahasabha, Panchkula, collected Rs 15,200 from its members for contribution to the Army Central Welfare Fund.

Lecturers launch relay fast
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 26 — Three members of the Government School Lecturers Union of Punjab, Mr Kanwaljit Singh, Mr Sushil Kumar and Mr Deepinder Singh, today went on a 24-hour relay fast outside the office of the DPI (Schools) in Sector 17 here in support of their demands.

According to a press note here, the main demands of the union are the promotion of lecturers as principals (PES II) according to the ratio of their strength, relaxation of experience for the direct post of principal being recruited by the Punjab Public Service Commission and gazetted status for the school lecturers on the Himachal pattern.

The press note added the agitation would continue till the demands, which were agreed upon on April 24,1998, were met.