Seven booked for seeking dowry
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 6 — The police has registered a case against seven persons for demanding dowry on the complaint of Ms Indu Arora, a resident of Sector 27, here.

According to the police, a case has been registered against Shiv Dayal, Gopal Krishan, Tilak Arora, Sanju Arora, Janak Arora, Anju Arora and Rajni, all residents of Jaipuria Hill, Ghantaghar, Delhi.

Four injured: Two persons were injured in separate road accidents.

A cyclist and a resident of Maloya Colony, Mr Chandan Singh, and his son Dinesh Singh were injured when they were hit by a three-wheeler (CH-01-C-8682).

They have been admitted to General Hospital, Sector 16. A case has been registered.

In another accident, a scooter driver, Mr Ashwinder Singh, was injured when he was hit by a Tata Sumo( HR-49-2051). A cyclist, Mr Sanjeev Kumar, was also injured in the accident.

Both have been admitted to Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32.

A case has been registered.

Beggars held: The police has arrested Kewal Nath and Rambi Nath on the charge of begging in the Industrial Area.

A case has been registered against them.

Theft prevented: Rakesh, a resident of Janata Colony in Naya Gaon, who entered a house on the Panjab University campus allegedly with a view to committing a theft has been arrested by the police.

A case has been registered on the complaint of Mr Dharam Chand.

Potato, beans, peas prices up
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 6 — Most vegetables have witnessed a fluctuation in their prices in the local market in the past one week.

After a survey of the market today, it was found that while the prices of a number of vegetables have decreased, potato, beans, peas and brinjal have become costlier in this period.

If a kg of potato was priced at between Rs 4 and Rs 5, last week, it was available today at Rs 7 in city markets. Its wholesale price has increased from Rs 20 to Rs 28 per five kg. According to traders, the hike is an outcome of less arrivals in the local market as unlike in the past, the vegetable is entering markets these days from cold storages only.

If one could purchase a kg of beans at Rs 16, last week, currently these were available at Rs 24. Its wholesale price has jumped from Rs 60 to Rs 100 per five kg. Traders attributed the hike to shrinking supplies of the vegetable in the local market, as the quality of arrivals from Himachal Pradesh was low these days. Moreover, the vegetable was not coming from Saharanpur and other areas of Uttar Pradesh.

Peas too have become costlier in this period. A kg of the vegetable, priced at Rs 40, last week, could be purchased at Rs 60 in different parts of the city today. The wholesale price of the vegetable has increased from Rs 175 to Rs 250 per five kg in this period.

The price of the vegetable has gone up due to erratic supplies from Himachal Pradesh, particularly in the past three days.

The hike in case of brinjal was also considerable. If a kg of it was available at Rs 10, last week, it was available today at Rs 16. The price of a kg of squashgourd has also gone up from Rs 12 to Rs 16 in this period.

On the other hand, prices of some vegetables witnessed a downward trend in this period. A kg of capsicum was priced at Rs 32, last week. It was available today for Rs 24. Its wholesale price has come down from Rs 120 to Rs 90 per five kg. Also, a kg of lemon, priced at Rs 32 three days back, was available today at Rs 28. The price of bittergrourd, too, has decreased from Rs 24 to Rs 16 per kg in this period. Its wholesale price has decreased from Rs 100 to Rs 60 per five kg in this period.

There was no fluctuation in the prices of tomato, ginger, onion and garlic. A kg of tomato and ginger were still available at the old prices of Rs 10 and Rs 60, respectively. Similarly, the price of garlic remained unchanged at Rs 30. A kg of good quality Nasik variety of onion was available at Rs 10.

Walkers to enjoy bird songs

THERE is a good news for nature-lovers and especially children. At the World Environment Day function last Saturday to release 30 Indian geese into the Sukhna waterbody organised by the Children's Alliance for Protection of the Environment (CAPE), Mr Satish Chander, Managing Director, Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation (CITCO) said that the forest area on the Sukhna's northern shore will be fenced on the other side. Several species of birds and animals would be introduced in this nature reserve. He said that the Government of India had sanctioned funds for this purpose. The morning and evening walkers on the promenade of the lake will enjoy mother nature and bird songs. This project when completed would promote eco-tourism as well in the city.

It may be mentioned that ESI President S.K. Sharma had mooted the idea of setting up a song birds sanctuary on the Sukhna's northern shore by planting fruit bearing trees, shrubs and grasses — so as to attract the birds — at a national wetland seminar held from April 7 to 9, 1989, at Chandigarh. Mr Ashok Pradhan and Mr Baleshwar Rai, then Adviser to the Administrator, appreciated the idea. Since then, children under the banner of CAPE carry placards with slogans "we want song birds" "Nature reserve on Sukhna's shores can attract song birds" at Sukhna Lake every year to welcome the migratory birds.

CAPE has expressed its gratefulness to CITCO and the Government of India for launching this project.

Honour

Dr Raj Bahadur, Head of the Department of Orthopaedics, at the Sector 32 Government Medical College Hospital, has yet another feather in his cap. A specialist surgeon in spinal injuries trained at University of Belfast, Prof Raj Bahadur has now been awarded a prestigious international fellowship to work at St James University Hospital, Leeds, in UK for three months until September this year. He will be involved in advanced training in spinal injuries, acetabular fractures and fracture pelvis and similar other surgical disorders.

During fellowship, he will work under the guidance of internationally known Prof Bob Dickson and Mr R.M. Smith. Prof Raj Bahadur is expected to transfer technology from the UK which he has been doing even in the past by bringing to Chandigarh this State of the Art Institution from his previous experiences at the University of Belfast, the National University of Singapore, the University of Natal (South Africa) and the University Hospital of Munster (Germany).

Dhobis' strike

Dhobis (washermen) of the city have now threatened to strike work. Mr Sham Lal, President of the Dhobi Welfare Society, in a letter to Sentinel, says that all members of the society who have been working on roadsides, ironing clothes, will go on strike on June 10 and take out a procession from the Sector 20 Labour Chowk to the Sectors 9,10,16,17 Chandigarh Housing Board (Matka) intersection. The provocation for the strike, he says, is denial of photo identity cards to roadside workers by the Chandigarh Administration.

The Administrator's Advisory Council at its meeting held in January this year had agreed to provide photo identity cards to all those roadside workers who are engaged in informal vocations, including shoe repair, tandoor, paan bidi, bicycle repair, ironing, etc. These cards are to be issued on the basis of a survey already conducted by the Administration last year. Even after four months of the meeting, nothing has been done, he added.

Killer chowk

The Sector 36-37 intersection has become one of the most accident prone traffic intersections in the city, says Mr Tulsi Ram Dogra, a freelance journalist and a resident of Sector 37-B. In a letter to Sentinel, Mr Dogra says that there is hardly any day when no accident takes place at this incomplete traffic rotary. "There would be no exaggeration to call this abandoned traffic rotary as death well", he adds. The reasons for high accident rate, he says, are many, including inadequacy of traffic control measures at the intersection, inadequate illumination, and narrow rotary.

The protests and representations by the residents over the apathy of the authorities have been in vain. Neither the police nor the administration has taken even a single preventive or corrective step to improve the intersection.

Mr Dogra says that the road dividing Sectors 36 and 37 is a National Highway. It is because of this that the volume of traffic on the road is very heavy. He says that figures from the Traffic Control Cell will prove that this intersection has been witnessing maximum number of fatal and serious accidents.

Pensioners

It is rare for pensioners to get satisfactory service. In fact, they always face a plethora of problems as and when they visit treasury offices or pension branches of various nationalised banks to draw their monthly sustenance allowance. The Punjab and Haryana Retired Accounts and Audit Officers Association, led by its convener, Mr N.K. Pajni, has, however, a word of praise for Mr P.L. Bhatti, District Treasury Officer of Punjab posted at Chandigarh. "Whenever we visit the District Treasury Office, we are received with a smile and all our problems are properly attended,including those pertaining to drawal of pension from various banks," says Mr Pajni.

MCC image

In a bid to refurbish its sagging image, the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) has, at last, appointed an Assistant Public Relations Officer (APRO), Mr Janardan Singh, a former Executive Editor of the Samachar Bureau Group.

It is not for the first time that the MCC, from which getting even the basic information has been quite a job for the scribes covering the civic body, has appointed the APRO. Last year the appointment of the APRO was cancelled after heated discussions at a meeting of the corporation where certain councillors alleged that proper procedure was not followed.

It may be recalled that the councillors, particularly those belonging to the ruling group, had been alleging that good work done by the civic body was not being projected in the media. It remains to be seen how the new APRO projects the image of the MCC, whose record in providing the civic amenities has been lacklustre to say the least.

No parking

Can a shopkeeper declare the parking space outside his shop as no parking zone? The answer seems to be no but a shopkeeper in the Notified Area Committee (NAC), Mani Majra, seems to disagree. This particular shopkeeper has put up a no parking board (see photograph) on the parking lot meant for the public, contrary to norms.

Anybody who tries to park his vehicle on this particular spot comes in for rude behaviour. Other shopkeepers and visitors complain of similar behaviour when they try to reason with the shopkeeper.

Is it right on the part of the shopkeeper to deny the parking facility to the public with whose money the parking lot has been constructed? Well, we leave this for the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) and the Traffic Police to answer.

Interestingly, similar notices have also been put up in front of various SCOs in Chandigarh, which house offices of certain VIPs.

Dress sense

If you are dressed in a kurta-pyjama you shall not be allowed to enter the Chandigarh Club.

Kurta-pyjama is not allowed but with a jacket over it, one can enter the club.

A regular member of the club, Mr Gurdarshan Singh, was refused entry when he went there with his guests from abroad and journalists recently. He says that the club rule is not according to the traditions of the region. The jacket is part of the bhangra dress, and to club it with the club dress is only ignorance.

Greetings

As usual reader Yasmin Datta has sent us an aesthetically designed model of a tree on World Environment Day with the following slogan:

If you want the Union Territory to be pollution-free

And wish to make every corner look beautiful

Hurry! Everybody clear the mess; just plant a tree

'Coz seeds of thoughtfulness are always truly fruitful

Tanveer, Saroj win carrom titles
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, June 6 — Mohammad Tanveer of SD Public School, Sector 32, and Saroj Chandel of the Reserve Bank of India bagged the men's and women's singles titles, respectively, in the second St Stephen's Carrom Ranking Tournament which concluded here today at St Stephen's School.

Tanveer achieved an upset victory over the top seed Tejinder Harry in two straight games, 25-6, 25-21. In women's section, Saroj defeated Anjali Negi of Government College for Girls, Sector 11, in three exciting games, 25-18, 15-25, 25-7;

The final results are as follows: Men's singles — Mohammad Tanveer b Tejinder Harry, 25-6, 25-21; women's singles — Saroj Chandel b Anjali Negi, 25-18, 15-25, 25-7; junior boys singles — Gagandeep b Jagdev Mann, 23-25, 25-12, 25-15; junior girls singles — Nabhi Sahni b Puneet Lamba, 25-0, 25-14; sub-junior boys' singles — Ramanpreet b Aita Ram, 25-0, 25-0; sub-junior girls' singles — Eveleen Sidhu b Pallavi Piplani, 22-18, 14-11.

Tennis tourney: As many as 200 entries have been received in different age groups for the Total Tennis Tournament which will begin tomorrow at the Lake Club, Sector 6. The seven-day meet is being organised by the Total Tennis Academy. Players from northern region will take part in the tournament.

Mr Satish Chandra, MD of CITCO, will inaugurate the tournament at 9 a.m. tomorrow, according to Mr Arvind D. Neol, Secretary-General of the YWCA, Sector 11, and organiser of the tournament.

League cricket: A sparkling performance by Ubaid Kamal with both bat and ball (55 runs and 2 wickets for 14 runs) enabled the Godrej Cricket Club to defeat the Chetna Cricket Club by seven wickets in the Chandigarh League-cum-knockout Cricket Tournament here at the Sector 16 cricket stadium today. The GCC has entered into the final of the tournament where it will play against the Piccadily Cricket Club on June 27.

Chetna club players batted first and made 124 runs in 29.5 overs. Satnam Singh, Dharamvir and Ranjit Singh scored 34, 20 and 17 runs, respectively, for the CCC. Most of the players succumbed to the fine bowling of Ubaid Kamal, Girish and Vijay Pal, who claimed two wickets each and gave away 14, 17 and 21 runs, respectively.

In another match, the Piccadily Cricket Club defeated the Tari XI by 124 runs to set up a clash with the GCC in the final.

The PCC scored 239 runs for the loss of five wickets in 30 overs with Ajay scoring 88 runs followed by Yograj Singh who scored 65 runs. In reply, the Tari XI were all out for 115 runs in 26 overs. Daljeet made 25 runs, while Jaswant, R.P. Singh and Yuvraj Singh claimed two wickets each by giving away 20, 14 and 24 runs, respectively.

Final match: In the final match of the first Street Players Cricket Tournament organised by the Yuvsatta in association with the Master's Sports Welfare Society at Government Senior Seconday School, Sector 23, Sahil Chandan's team (Sector 22) defeated Umesh XI (Sector 22) by five wickets.

Umesh XI scored 57 runs in 12 overs. Sahil Chandan's team made 58 runs for the loss of five wickets. Pankaj with 21 runs remained the top scorer for the winners.

Baseball team: The Baseball Associatio of Chandigarh has selected a 16-member sub-junior boys (under 15) team to participate in the ninth National Sub-junior Baseball Championship to be held at Cuttack in Orissa from June 9 to 13.

The team is as follows: Sanjay, Vaneet, Amit, Ranjit, Goldie, Mukesh, Prem, Narinder, Pankaj, Gaurav, Gurpreet Singh, Harsimran, Parminder, Lakhwinder, Sunny, Amit Sharma. Mr Trilok Singh and Mr Sanjeev Kumar will be the Coach and Manager of the team, respectively.

Protect and project honest, efficient officers

It is quite shocking that we could not tolerate honest and efficient officers who were incorruptible, dedicated and efficient. In these days when we have almost corrupt and indifferent bureaucracy, these two were a God-sent gift for the people of Chandigarh.

Mrs Anuradha Gupta as Home Secretary was already showing her worth by dealing firmly with corrupt technocrats. She got exposed various scams and scandals of departments which were engaged in development activities.

Similarly Kiran Bedi is well known for her firmness and dedication to her job. She always acted fearlessly within the framework of Constitution and never aspired to cultivate political or bureaucratic godfathers in Delhi.

With her firm working, she sends shivers to law-breakers and never fears unprincipled politicians. People had very high opinion and expectations from her as her presence in Chandigarh improved law and order situation, traffic and put a check on corrupt police officials.

The two upright women have been discouraged by shifting them from the posts which they deserved. Such action of the authorities has sent a clear signal to future incumbents to fit themselves in “chalta hai” work culture. Otherwise, they will also be thrown out like Anuradha Gupta and Kiran Bedi.

Media, on its part, should play a constructive role by highlighting good deeds and not non-issues like infighting.

M.L. Kashyap
Kalka

II

I was surprised to read the news item of transfer of Kiran Bedi from Chandigarh to Delhi. Looking at her shortest period of stay in Chandigarh, I cannot help state that there was all-round improvement in many spheres in the city. Vehicle owners and scooterists adhered to traffic norms and did not dare to park vehicles on roads and drive without pollution certificate. The Police Department as a whole took more interest in the maintenance of traffic rules. Parallel roads along Madhya Marg were repaired by the Municipal Corporation in the shortest time for the convenience of cyclists etc.

Though officers come and go, Kiran Bedi has left a great impact on the citizens of Chandigarh and they would continue to miss her in times to come.

V.P.Rattan
Chandigarh

HUDA should learn from PUDA

Some house-owners of Sector 21, Panchkula, troubled by problems created by slums in the vicinity, went to the office of HUDA to know the follow-up action being taken by it in implementing the order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court pertaining to jhuggi-dwellers announced on April 19, 1999.

To their dismay, they came to know that HUDA was planning to file a special leave petition (SLP) in the apex court against the order of the high court. “Ruling was that no jhuggi-dweller, who had completed five years’ of stay at present place, can be evicted till he is provided alternative site”. I think the Haryana Government will not allow HUDA to take such a step at this stage in view of the crucial elections ahead.

HUDA has been assuring the House Owners Welfare Association that slums will be removed as and when the issue is cleared by the high court. Now HUDA is planning to file a petition against the high court order. If it does, the turmoil and mental agony of the people residing close to the jhuggis will be aggravated to the extent of nervous break down.

After the high court order, jhuggi-dwellers think it is their legal right to stay put on prime land of HUDA without any fear and hesitation till an alternative site is provided. They are openly defecating on the berms of roads and in front and back of the houses spreading unbearable foul smell and polluting the environment. A majority of jhuggi-dwellers in Sector 21 are HUDA employees — a pampered lot. No one can dare to check their nuisance.

As reported in The Tribune earlier, the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) has taken the possession of 6.71 acres of prime land with the help of local administration by relocating 550 jhuggi-dwellers near Milk Plant, Amritsar road. HUDA should learn from PUDA to take similar action on a priority basis and save the house-owners. Late action will lead to more jhuggis, more voters and great difficulty for HUDA to solve the problem.

T.D. Kumar
Panchkula

Telephone problem

I would like to draw your attention towards the sorry state of affairs in the Chandigarh Telecom Department. My business has suffered a lot for the past few days because of non-working of my telephone No. 653028.

I am neither a VIP nor an influential person. Will the department come to my rescue?

Jolly Amit
CHANDIGARH