& V I C I N I T Y
Wednesday, March 10, 1999
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C H A N D I G A R H & V I C I N I T Y |
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Wednesday, March 10, 1999 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Suspended CE Jerath sacked PU
revises hostel fee structure PGI
fails to fill posts of doctor
Chicken
pox cases on the rise
City
‘ill-prepared’ for population explosion Spring
Fest venue gets facelift Conductors
hold protest rally Black
box yet to reach Chandigarh Complex
cries for facilities A
nuisance for road users Cremation
ground lies unused Naris
and niketan in pitiable condition Mechanics
back at vacated sites |
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| Musical function at school |  |
Accountancy Asiad award for city boy |
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Suspended CE
Jerath sacked CHANDIGARH, March 9 — The Chandigarh Administration has ordered the dismissal from service of suspended Chief Engineer K.K. Jerath. An order to this effect was issued last evening and served upon the deposed Chief Engineer at Burail jail where he has been lodged in connection with three different cases registered against him. The dismissal of K.K. Jerath has been ordered under rule 8 of the Punjab Civil Service Rules as applicable to employees of the Chandigarh Administration. The order also disqualifies Jerath for any future employment in any government organisation. The orders, according to sources, were issued after Mr Satish Chandra, Managing Director, Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation (CITCO), in his report on “wilful absence of K.K. Jerath from Chandigarh during his suspension period” held him guilty. Earlier, K.K. Jerath was declared a proclaimed offender under first information report number 1 registered against him for allegedly accepting illegal gratification of Rs 72 lakh in purchases made for the Engineering Department between 1995 and 1997. In spite of having been given notices, he could not present himself before the Enquiry Officer. Ultimately he surrendered in the court and was taken in custody. Since then he has been either in police custody or judicial custody facing various charges in three different FIRs. An official announcement by the Administration said : The Administrator, UT Chandigarh, has dismissed Mr K.K. Jerath (under suspension) from government service disqualifying him from future employment in government after charge of his committing gross misconduct by wilfully absenting himself from headquarters (Chandigarh) during suspension was proved against him in an inquiry conducted by Mr Satish Chandra,Managing Director, CITCO. “The inquiry proved that Mr Jerath wilfully absented himself from headquarters and resorted to various unbecoming means to do so, including (by his own admission) giving false addresses, shifting his addresses, etc., etc.” It is for the first time that an officer of the rank of secretary to the Administration has been dismissed in Chandigarh Administration. After placing K K Jerath under suspension following raids by Investigation Cell of the Income Tax Department in 1997, the Administration decided to bifurcate the post of Chief Engineer-cum-Secretary, Engineering Department. The powers of Secretary, Engineering, were subsequently given to the Finance Secretary. KK Jerath remained absent
from headquarters for several months even after prize for
information about his whereabouts was raised from Rs
25,000 to Rs 50,000 after proclamation proceedings. |
PU revises
hostel fee structure CHANDIGARH, March 9 — Close on the heels of the hike in the tuition fee, a high-level committee has recommended a hike on several other accounts, including hostel funds, of Panjab University, reliable sources said here today. The admission fee has been proposed at Rs 100 for all classes. The existing charges are Rs 25. Late fee of Rs 75 with permission of chairperson or principal has been increased to Rs 100. Late fee with permission of the Vice-Chancellor has been increased from Rs 400 to Rs 500. The enrolment fee has been proposed to be increased from Rs 15 to Rs 50. The university registration fee for students from other boards and universities has been increased from Rs 20 to Rs 100. The continuation fee has been hiked from Rs 10 to Rs 50. The amalgamated fund has been doubled from the existing Rs 200 annually. The proposed development fund is Rs 120. The dilapidation fee has been increased from Rs 5 to Rs 20. The foreign students welfare fund has been increased from Rs 100 to Rs 200 and the house examination fee from Rs 35 to Rs 100. Changes have been made in various hostel funds. The security has been hiked to Rs 200 and the mess security from Rs 375 to Rs 500. The canteen security, currently Rs 375, has been increased to Rs 500. The admission fee for hostels has been increased from Rs 10 to Rs 50; the annual function charges will be Rs 75 and the development fund charges Rs 50. The security deposit in the Department of Laws has been increased from Rs 80 to Rs 200; the library and reading room fee from Rs 15 to Rs 30; the identity card fee from Rs 10 to Rs 20; and the PU law review fee from Rs 40 per annum to Rs 60 per annum. Other changes made in the
existing structure for other classes include the hike in
identity card fee from Rs 10 to Rs 20; the library
security from Rs 60 to Rs 300; the migration fee from Rs
50 to Rs 100; the university sports development fee from
Rs 10 per year to Rs 30 per year. Students will have to
pay Rs 200 for library development and Rs 10 for library
card. |
Varsity finalises
exam dates CHANDIGARH, March 9 — Panjab University has decided to conduct examinations of various undergraduate classes from April 1. The first examination scheduled for BA, BSC I on April 1 is English. The date-sheet which has been finalised and sent for printing is likely to be released later this week, reliable sources in the examination branch said here today. The examination of BA/B.Sc II will also commence on April 1. The examination scheduled for the first day are in the subjects of physics, botany and Punjabi. Examination in BA/B.SC III will begin from April 3 with examinations in English, physics and botany on the first day. The first examination of BA/B.Sc I will be followed by papers in chemistry, geography, sociology and music on April 3. The last examination of BA/B.Sc I is scheduled for May 7 on which day papers in economics, defence studies, education and history are scheduled. The examination of BA/B.Sc I will conclude on May 12 when papers in defence studies, political science, economics and philosophy are scheduled. Examination for the BA/B.Sc I and BA/B.Sc III will be conducted in the morning session while those for the BA/B.Sc II classes will be conducted in the afternoon session. Students will not be allowed to carry cellular phones or pagers inside the examination hall. However, students in science subjects can use coloured pencils for diagrams. As expected, there will be no examination between April 8 and 15 to coincide with the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa in Punjab. Examination of Bachelor of Commerce (Part III) will begin on April 1. The papers scheduled for the first day include business laws and business economics (quantitative methods). The examinations are likely to conclude on April 24. Examination in B Com II will begin on April 3 with the first paper in English. The last examination for this class is scheduled for April 26. Examination in the first year of commerce will be held on April 5.The first paper will be conducted for the English paper. The examination in Bachelor of Business Administration examination are likely to begin on April 19 and conclude on May 7. Examination for first year in post graduate classes will commence after the Khalsa tercentenary celebrations. The first papers scheduled for April 19 include English, Punjabi, German, Gandhian studies, geography and mathematics. The last set of papers will be conducted on May 7. Examination for the second
year in post graduate classes will also begin on April 19
with papers in public administration and Hindi scheduled
for the first day. |
PGI fails to
fill posts of doctor CHANDIGARH, March 9 — Even though four months have elapsed since the PGI advertised to fill vacant posts of doctor at the institute, there seems to be a slim chance of the vacancies being filled soon. More than one third of senior posts at the PGI are lying vacant. Going by the present pace of work in this direction, it may take another four months before any selection is made, sources pointed out. The all-important selection committee that will met and select the doctors has not yet been formed. The institute body that met on February 2 had authorised the Union Health Minister, Mr Dalit Ehzilmalai, to nominate the members of the selection committee and purchase committee but so far there has been no indication on any of the committees, sources said. Due to want of the purchase committee, several projects and equipment that would have added to the facilities, have been held up, according to sources. Some amount of purchase can be ordered locally by the Director and the Medical Superintendent. However, bigger and sophisticated equipment and materials have to be ordered after clearance by the purchase committee. The no-formation of the selection committee has provoked the PGI Faculty Association to write a strongly-worded letter to the Minister, who is also the President of the PGI governing body. The association has pointed out that the institute body of the PGI has not been formed since January, 1998. In February this year, the first-ever meeting of the governing body was convened. The letter points out how the promotion assessment had not been done, thus delaying all routine promotions of doctors. The assessment has to be done by the selection committee that then promotes doctors. This is a healthy promotion channel that was stopped 14 months ago, according to sources. The paucity of doctors at the PGI is being felt as no appointments have been made during the past four years. The PGI appointed some doctors on ad-hoc basis that raised a controversy. The Health Ministry, had raised objections about the mode of ad-hoc appointments. Several doctors had
applied in response to advertisements in newspapers.
Senior PGI authorities opine that if the process is not
speeded, then the applicants who may get job offers from
other places would not prefer to wait for the PGI job. |
Phone rental
to be Rs 500 in city CHANDIGARH, March 9 — Following the directions of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), there will be a steep hike in the bi-monthly rentals in Chandigarh, SAS Nagar and Panchkula. Under the revised slab, the rent will go up from the present Rs 360 to Rs 500 in Chandigarh. The rent in the two neighbouring townships will also go up from the present Rs 275 to Rs 360. The directions will come in force from April 1. Besides, the telephone user in the city will be paying more by way of local calls. According to estimates provided by a senior engineer of the department, at present a subscriber who makes 800 calls in two months pays approximately Rs 987 — inclusive of bi-monthly rent and 5 per cent service tax. Under the new call charging system and enhanced rental, the subscriber making the same number of calls will pay approximately Rs 1302, thus paying Rs 315 extra — about 32 per cent more. On the other hand, the
rebate on bills on higher number of calls will benefit
the high-end user. For example, a subscriber who makes
8000 calls on present rates, pays Rs 11,277 inclusive of
the bi-monthly rent and 5 per cent surcharge. Following
the rebate the same subscriber will pay Rs 10,374, that
is Rs 903 less — or 8 per cent less. |
Private
school education costlier now CHANDIGARH, March 9 — While commencement of a new academic session next month will bring cheer to students, parents desirous of educating their children in private schools have nothing much to cheer about. They will only be shelling out more to pay the tuition fees, this session. With most of the prominent city schools having already decided to affect a 10-25 per cent increase in the fees, the harried parents have little choice but to pay the additional amount from their salaries. The hike, though nominal, assumes significance because only last year, a large number of schools had hiked their fees by 20 to 30 per cent. This was done after the Government’s directive to enhance teachers grade in accordance with the Fifth Pay Commission’s recommendations. The President of Independent Schools Association, Mr D.S. Bedi, said that in a meeting held recently, schools’ heads have been directed not effect more than a 40 per cent hike in the total fees. The hike should preferably be on the tuition fees and not the annual charges. Schools which had already hiked their fees substantially last year, will not do it this year. These include schools like St John’s High School, St Stephen’s School, St Kabir Public School, to name a few. Even parents whose children will be joining nursery or kindergarten classes will feel the pinch. Strawberry Fields Kindergarten of Sector 24 has decided to increase its tuition fee by 15 per cent. With this, the monthly tuition fee will go up by Rs 100. Parents, who have sought admission of their wards in this school will now have to pay Rs 700 every month for the tuition fee instead of Rs 600 per month last year. The monthly fees had been increased by Rs 100 last year also. Mr Atul Khanna, the schools Director, justifies the hike in terms decreased strength in each class and the emphasis on quality infrastructure and the upkeep. The missionary schools in the city have also planned a fee-hike of about 25 per cent in the new session. The fresh admissions to the KG class in Sacred Heart School had to pay Rs 370 per month as the tuition fee against Rs 300 last year. A similar hike is on the cards for primary and secondary classes. The annual charges have also been increased from Rs 600 to Rs 800, but to make it easy. St Anne’s Convent has also gone in for a 20 per cent hike this year with a view to giving the latest pay scales to the teachers. According to Sister Josy, the Principal, the hike last year was not sufficient to meet the additional expenditure on salaries. As per the revised fees structure, the monthly fees of primary classes (KG to III) will go up from Rs 290 to Rs 350 of classes IV to X will be Rs 375 instead of Rs 300. While the annual charges have been increased to Rs 400, the admission fees paid for freshers has also gone up to Rs 1,500 from Rs 500. There has been a nominal hike of Rs 20 in the computer fees which will be Rs 50 per month now. Brother C.D. Abreu’s does not plan to hike the fees this year as it is already higher. The monthly tuition fee for classed KG to VII is Rs 425, while it is Rs 450 for classes VIII to X. Even St Stephen’s School, Sector 45 will not increase its fees this year and parents will continue to pay a tuition fees of Rs 400 per month. There will be no increase in other expenses also. The Convener of the ICSE schools in the city, Mr Andrew Cosain (who is also the Principal of St Xavier’s High School, Sector 44) justified the hike by saying that it was needed to meet their commitment of raising teachers salaries to close to the Government grades. “We are just going in for a 15 per cent hike this year, as we hiked the fees by 25 per cent last year and as per the SC guidelines we are to limit the hike within 40 per cent, said Mr Gosain. In fact, we ran into losses after raising the salaries of teachers last year, since the fees hike was not substantial. The students of classes nursery to V will now pay Rs 430 per month instead of Rs 375 and those studying in classes VI to X will now pay Rs 470 per month instead of Rs 410. However, there will be no increase in the annual charges and admission fees. Shivalik Public School, Sector 41 is going in for a nominal 10 per cent hike. With this, the tuition fee for classes LKG to V will go up to Rs 350 per month from Rs 340, for classes VI to VIII from Rs 370 per month to Rs 400 and for classes IX and X to Rs 450 per month from Rs 430. Besides this, an increase of Rs 50 in the examination fees from Rs 200 has been effected. No changes are being effected in the admission fees and caution money. DAV Centenary Public School has also decided to hike its fees by 7 per cent. The tuition fees will go up from Rs 365 per month to Rs 395. While there has been a 9 per cent hike in the admission charges from Rs 5,200 to Rs 5,650, the annual charges have also been increased about 7 per cent from Rs 1,850 to Rs 2,025. The Principal, Mrs Madhu Bahl said that this increase will barely meet the inflation. The other DAV institutions in the city have also gone in for similar hikes. However, there is no proposal for fees hike in the government schools in the city, perhaps because the salaries of teachers do not depend on the school fees. Vivek School, Sector 38,
has decided to raise the tuition fee by 12 to 13 per
cent, it is learnt. |
Chicken pox
cases on the rise CHANDIGARH, March 9 — There are increasing number of chicken pox and measles cases reported from various parts of the city and nearby areas. Though there are no official figures of chicken pox cases reported from different parts of the city, doctors, both in government -run hospitals and health centres and private clinics, admit diagnosing chicken pox cases during the past five to 10 days. A senior doctor at the Sector 16 General Hospital says that he received a chicken pox case yesterday. Dr Sarvinder Gandhok, a private physician and child specialist, says that he has been receiving three to four cases of chicken pox every day for the past three days. Most of the cases reported at the government hospitals and private clinics are of school children. Dr M.P. Manocha of the Department of Paediatrics says that incidence of chicken pox during February and March is normal due to seasonal variation. But since chicken pox is a highly contagious disease, it spreads quickly. Dr Manocha says that a new drug — acyclovir — has been available in the market for the past seven to eight years. The drug is useful if it is administered to chicken pox cases at the early stage of detection of the disease. In case detection is at a late stage, the drug is not that effective. Similarly, a vaccine of chicken pox is also available in the market. But a single dose costs about Rs 1500.The Union Government has still not included it in its vaccination programme because of its exorbitant cost. But those who are affluent and can afford it, must get their children immunised against chicken pox. Medically speaking, if one gets chicken pox at an early age (childhood) it is better than getting it at a later stage. In that case it can create problems, adds Dr Manocha. Dr Sarvinder Gandhok says that the spread of the disease can be checked if the infected children can be segregated from the rest of the children. In one case reported today from a public school, the student complained that one of his classfellows had rashes on his face but the teacher concerned did not take any cognizance. As a result, some others also got the infection. The symptoms of the disease include low grade fever, lethargy, rashes on the face which change to pleomorphic rash. It can lead to complications like pneumonia, encephalitis, arthritis, hepatitis and Reye’ syndrome, adds Dr Gandhok. Doctors also admit that there has been an increase in the cases of measles. The cases being reported these days are mainly from slums and those thickly populated areas where vaccine cover is not complete. The measles vaccine is available and the Administration is trying to cover the entire Union Territory, says Dr Manocha. But then there are chances that 8 per cent to 10 per cent of those vaccinated may still get measles. In the absence of any proper statistical cell, the comparative figures about the incidence of contagious diseases in the Union Territory are not available. In fact, there is no system of compiling figures as doctors in OPDs in General Hospitals, the PGI and health centres treat cases of various contagious diseases on individual basis. Further, there is no coordination between private physicians and government doctors as far as recording of statistics is concerned. Doctors feel that for
effective preventive measures against contagious
diseases, statistical support is essential. Further,
education of masses about preventive measures, symptoms
of various contagious diseases, about immunisation
programmes and availability of vaccines need to be taken
up more seriously for reduce the incidence of such
diseases in the Union Territory. |
City
‘ill-prepared’ for population explosion CHANDIGARH, March 9 — The population growth in Chandigarh, if not checked immediately, will cause the number of residents in the city to be around 18 lakh by 2020, posing a serious threat to the future of the City Beautiful. This view was expressed by planners, who said the services, as planned, would be just sufficient to cater to a population of 12 lakh in 21 years from now. The only way out of this serious problem of urban planning and development would be a harmonious development of the Chandigarh region with total cooperation and implementation of an integrated development plan by the state governments of Punjab and Haryana, besides the Chandigarh Administration. These were among several suggestions made yesterday and today by a private consultancy on urban planning during presentations to the Chandigarh Administration and Punjab and Haryana Governments on the future of the Chandigarh region. The Adviser to the Administrator of Chandigarh, Mr Jagdish Sagar, had invited Chief Secretaries of Punjab — Mr R.S. Mann, and Haryana — Mr R.S. Varma — for attending the presentation by Mr Ribeiro and his team this morning. Mr Sagar told The Tribune that there were useful discussions on the subject of integrated development. The need for planning on joint basis was brought out. It has been indicated to set up a committee at the regional level by involving top professionals. It has also been decided to engage Mr Ribeiro and his team for the second phase of his study and report. The Town Planning departments of Punjab and Haryana would seek his consultancy. The report and recommendations of the consultancy shall not be binding on anyone. The Ribeiro Committee will give some more specific proposals for the concrete integrated development of the Chandigarh region. The consultancy firm has suggested that development of Chandigarh should be viewed or planned in layers. The first layer, the creamy layer, comprised sectors 1 to 30. These sectors have been designed for a population of 1.5 lakh but the actual number of people living in these sectors is almost double — 2.8 lakh. The second layer — from sectors 31 to 47 — is more densely populated. The third layer is being developed. Encompassing the peripheral area of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal, the consultancy has suggested an integrated development of the Chandigarh region by dividing it into six or seven layers. The new towns to be developed in the periphery, it suggests, should have independent services and should not be dependent upon Chandigarh for basic services like medicare, education, etc., Besides, it has also suggested a composite and integrated development of the Mass Rapid Transport System for the entire region as planning in isolation for Chandigarh or satellite towns would add to the chaos and problems besides being costly. The consultancy is also reported to have suggested that the Periphery Control Act needs to be rewritten in accordance with the changing requirements of the integrated urban development and growth. Talking about the future,
the report suggests that there is a big chunk of
wasteland between Chandigarh and Ambala and Chandigarh
and Kharar which needs to be developed and used for
various things. The area under afforestation or the
agriculture land should be preserved as it is so in order
to provide green open spaces or lungs for the greater
Chandigarh region. |
Spring Fest
venue gets facelift PANCHKULA, March 9 — Town Park, the venue of Spring Fest-99, beginning on March 13 is being given a facelift. The horticulture wing of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) is making all efforts to offer the visitors a spring-type environment. The lush green garden, spread over an area of 15 acres with over 20 varieties of seasonal flowers, promises to offer a feat to the eyes. The Governor of Haryana, Mr Mahabir Prasad, is expected to inaugurate the festival, 13th in its series. A variety show by artistes from different states and a cultural programme by school children would add colour to the festivities. HUDA officials say that for the first time “best landscape in a school campus of Panchkula” will be a new feature during the festival. Then there would be a painting competition, rangoli contest, a fancy dress contest, antakshri and a baby show. A police band and folk
dances would welcome the visitors.
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Conductors
hold protest rally CHANDIGARH, March 9 — Members of the CTU Conductors Union staged a rally in support of their long-pending demands at the Inter-State Bus Terminus in Sector 17 here today. Bus services were marginally affected. The protesters raised slogans against the indifferent attitude of the authorities towards their demands. They alleged that despite assurances given by the Administration and agreements reached between the two parties, nothing tangible had been done. On the other hand, union activists and leaders were being victimised, they alleged. The rally was addressed by Mr Mohar Singh, President of the union, Mr Bal Krishan, a leading union activist and other union leaders. They expressed their solidarity with the agitators and condemned the attitude of the Director, Transport, who, they alleged, was not prepared to listen to their demands. Their main demands are release of bonus for 1997-98, previous arrears on account of TA, DA and overtime, grant of leave in lieu of working on national and gazetted holidays, abolition of the daily-wage system new appointment and revocation of termination and suspension orders against several conductors. Restarting the evening bus service was also discussed. Mr Devinder Singh, General
Secretary of the union, said an effigy of the Director,
Transport, would be burnt at the next protest rally, the
date of which was yet to be finalised. |
Black box
yet to reach Chandigarh CHANDIGARH, March 9 — Was it a structural failure that led to the AN-32 crash at the IGI airport in New Delhi on Sunday last ? The exact cause of the crash would be known only after the data from the flight data recorder (FDR) and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) are analysed. The FDR and the CVR comprise the black box. The court of enquiry after collecting all evidence and sealing the relevant equipment and documents at the IGI airport will now focus attention on the black box which was detected intact from the crash site. The facilities for analysing the FDR and the CVR are available either here or at Agra. Until this afternoon the black box had not arrived here. The court of enquiry into the crash is being conducted by Air Cdre R.V. Kumar, SASO, Udhampur. Until a few months back, he was the Station Commander here. It may be a mere coincidence that on March 7, 1994, one of the AN-32 aircraft from Chandigarh on a routine sortie to Leh met with a serious accident. Wg Cdr Awasthy, the chief navigator of the aircraft, was sucked out of the navigation blister, which busted. The aircraft had to make an emergency landing at Leh. Again, it happened on March 7 on Sunday last. Military aviation experts do not rule out the possibility of a structural failure that led to the worst ever crash underwent by any AN-32 aircraft after it was inducted into the Indian Air Force. The experts point out that though decoding of the CVR can be done instantaneously, it will take a long time for analysing data from the flight data recorder which is not digital. The FDR carries data about all 256 parameters of the aircraft. The data are generated in the shape of graph sheets which need time for corelation before analysis. The CVR, on the other hand carries the entire cockpit conversation held during the last 30 minutes. Once the CVR is decoded, the exact conversation that the captain of the aircraft had would reveal a significant , if not complete, details about the cause of the crash. For AN-32 aircraft, the touch down speed (at the time of landing) is 230 km. At the time of the crash, the experts feel, perhaps one or more controls may have got jammed leading to total disruption in communication between the captain and the air traffic controller. The other possibilities
could be any structural or frame failure or snapping of a
cable. The chances of the glide path getting jammed at
the last moment also cannot be ruled out. |
Complex
cries for facilities CHANDIGARH, March 9 — The authorities have turned a blind eye regarding provision of basic amenities at the Modern Housing Complex, Manimajra. The complex is the largest housing colony of the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) located at the foothills of the Shivaliks. The complex came up seven years ago and has a population of nearly 10,000. The CHB constructed 2,280 multi-storeyed flats under four different categories — I,II, III, IV — and later independent duplex- type units numbering more than 600. From the beginning the complex has suffered various shortcomings due to poor planning and low allocation of funds. Basic amenities available in the complex can be compared with those available at any suburb of a town of Haryana. Developmental works here have been taking place at a snail’s pace. There are no developed parks and in the absence of internal railings, vehicles remain parked here. In the duplex houses, however, railings were provided which may be the result of the fallout of the shortcomings of the multi-storeyed flats. When the ground floor residents tried to develop the green belt, out of their own pockets, in and around their boundary, much hue and cry was raised and instead of encouraging them, it was bulldozed by the authorities concerned. Those who have not developed these greenery have to face the onslaught of garbage dumping and congress grass. The CHB should have fixed a prize for the best maintained garden and this would have encouraged others to develop the same. About 10,000 people jostle sometime or the other during the day to reach their destinations in Chandigarh and other places but the railway crossing near the complex hampers their timely arrival in offices, business establishments, schools, colleges and other places. If the alternate route is undertaken, then an additional 2 km has to be covered. On the highway ‘T’ crossing traffic lights should be installed near the petrol pump to ease the flow of traffic. Recently, the Adviser to the Administrator of Chandigarh, Mr Jagdish Sagar, paid a visit to see for himself the problems being faced by the residents. He ordered a survey regarding the maintenance of green cover in front of the inner blocks and in the common area. A questionnaire was sent within two days of the visit. The residents sought widening of the internal roads which now allows only one four wheeler to pass at a time. Also, residents damanded provision for guest parking as in other sectors. Residents also questioned the utility of garages provided in all the four categories of houses. They complained that very few people parked their vehicles there. What has been built cannot be demolished. The ramps were constructed at a huge cost for which equal cost was recovered from all the occupants, including the ground floor people who have very little utility for these ramps. The basic amenities needed at the earliest include a post office, a school and a playground. The public health system is in a shamble and sewerage pipes remained choked, causing seepage and dampness in the flats. The boundary wall
separating the complex from the old Manimajra town is
without any barbed wire and therefore the complex is
prone to thefts and robberies. Similar is the case with
the garages whose lights do not function and the CHB, MC
and the Engineering Department have shown little interest
in maintaining these. |
A nuisance
for road users CHANDIGARH, March 9 — Although more than two years have passed, the local Municipal Corporation authorities have failed to complete a small roundabout dividing Sectors 42 and 43. As the roundabout has been lying incomplete for such a long period it has become a nuisance for the residents as well as for the road users. What is more interesting is the fact that even as the Chief Engineer of the local Municipal Corporation had set a deadline — according to which the construction work had to be completed by December 31 — the major part of the project is still lying incomplete even after the lapse of an additional three months. A visit to the place revealed that though a number of workers were seen working at the roundabout and the enclosure of the chowk has been constructed, no earth filling has been done so far. Similarly, the road encircling the chowk was still to be metalled and the road berms were yet to be constructed. As a result the place has become a traffic hazard, particularly during rains due to accumulation of water in the low-lying areas around the roundabout. “The problem turns acute as even after a slight drizzle the area is in a pool of water,” said a resident of Sector 42. He said the area had become accident-prone due to the uneven surface and slush accumulated around the roundabout. According to sources, the Municipal Corporation authorities had set a fresh deadline according to which the work had to be completed by the end of February. But that too has expired for reason best known to the civic body authorities. When contacted, Mr Kewal
Krishan Addiwal, the Mayor, admitted that the project was
delayed due to laxity on the part of the officials of the
civic body. “I had even pulled up the officials
concerned for that,” he said. He however failed to
tell when the roundabout was going to be completed. |
Cremation
ground lies unused PANCHKULA, March 9 — In another example of a public facility not being put to use, a cremation ground in Sector 20 here, adjoining Kundi village, is lying unutilised. Built at a cost of over Rs 12 lakh, it had been completed four months back. Lack of knowledge about the start of the facility in the township is the reason behind this, say residents. Investigation by the Tribune reveal that of the 60 cremations done at the Mani Majra cremation ground on an average in a month, at least fifty per cent are from Panchkula. Besides, a number of residents prefer to perform the last rites of the departed ones at the Sector 25 cremation ground at Chandigarh. The residents blame the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) and the district administration for not informing the public about the completion and start of the cremation ground. At different grievances redressal committee meetings, the issue had been raised many times. Mr Mukesh Malhotra says the administration should write to different residents welfare associations about the completion of the cremation ground. “Whenever an acquaintance passes away, we go to the cremation ground at Mani Majra, as we think the facility does not exist in the township”, he adds. In the past, the site of the cremation ground had been a major headache for HUDA. Three sites, developed in different sectors of the township from time to time, had to be abandoned after being constructed, for one reason or the other. The last one was being developed in Sector 3 at a cost of over Rs 20 lakh, before it was abandoned. Finally acting upon public demand, a site about 1.5 acre in area, which would be extended to eight acres, has been developed as the cremation ground. Two covered sheds for burning the dead, a temporary sitting arrangement, two rooms to store wood, bathrooms and drinking water have been provided at the cremation ground. The approach road and parking at the site have also been provided.The only facility lacking at the cremation ground is a telephone. Mr Yadvinder Kumar, an acharya who has been handed over the charge of the cremation ground, says people prefer to cremate the deceased at Mani Majra, as they are not aware of the availability of this facility in the township. He says the administration has told him that the start of the cremation ground will be widely publicised. He says help of some religious bodies of the township has also been sought in this regard. Mr Uggar Sain Sharma, President of the Residents Welfare Association of Sector 11, says the administration should write to the residents welfare associations of the township. This facility, he says, can be used by the residents living in the sectors near the cremation ground. The issue was raised with
the Local Self-Government Minister, Ms Kamla Verma, and
the Deputy Commissioner, Ms Saroj Siwatch, during a press
briefing after the monthly grievances redressal committee
meeting here today. |
Naris and
niketan in pitiable condition CHANDIGARH, March 9 — In the city which had its share of hyped and euphoric functions on International Women’s Day, there exists a home for women in which most inmates have been labelled as ‘those type of women’ by even the authorities of the place. Huge jail-like grills at the entrance, dilapidated building, dirty and unkempt dormitories, lack of adequate staff, mentally retarded women inmates residing along with the “mentally stable”, broken furniture and posters of film stars on the walls — all this present a pitiable picture of the Nari Niketan, Sector 26. According to official sources, the purpose for which the Nari Niketan was set up was quite different than the purpose that it is serving at present. The home was meant only for “deserted women” and not for the mentally disabled. At present there are 19 inmates “most of whom are mentally retarded”. According to a functionary of the Social Welfare Board, “there is no alternative but to keep the mentally retarded in the home because most of these women, picked up by the police, are handed over to us under court orders. So we cannot send them to asylums unless we receive a court order stating the same”. The Nari Niketan has one superintendent, one cashier-cum-clerk, one crafts teacher, four chowkidars and one attendant. It has no full-time doctor. There is a provision of visiting doctors, including a psychiatric, who visit once a week, “but the Health Department has to be reminded every now and then”, officials added. Malti, an inmate who has been in the home for more than 10 years, has developed a skin disease with sores all over her body reportedly due to the side-effect of drugs being taken by her as part of her psychiatric treatment. “We admitted her in a hospital, but even doctors and nurses refused to keep her there and sent her back. Now a doctor visits her frequently, but we have to wash her, feed her and look after her,” said Ms Sarojini Gill, superintendent of the Nari Niketan. Although the post of crafts teacher, “who is currently away on maternity leave” and unable to teach much to the mentally disabled girls, exists for this home, no posts for cook or gardener exist. Official sources point out that since this place was meant only for “maltreated” women, there was no point of keeping a cook or a gardener. The concept of the Nari Niketan, according to them, is to have a home-like environment where women would get together and cook for themselves. The home for “battered” women has a yearly budget of Rs 1.64 lakh as contingency fund. Babli (18), who has been here for one year spoke about her fondness for films and film stars and dislike for studies, said: “I was a maid-servant, staying alone at Bapu Dham Colony and the police picked me up to dump me here.” Denying her story, Ms Gill said, “She used to frequent various dhabas and was finally picked up by the police and handed over to us. She in fact even tried to run away from here”. The oldest in this home, Anita a (52,) who has been an inmate here for the past three years, after she was abandoned by her family who branded her as “that sort of woman”, says that she wants to shift out to Mother Teresa’s Home in Sector 23. “I don’t have many complaints here, but I’ve heard that Mother Teresa’s Home is better”. The authorities claim that most girls here either have a “criminal background or a mental disability, both of which this place is not equipped to handle”. Most of these women have come through the police. The place gets only an order stating, “Directed to keep the girl here till further order”. No case histories are ever presented for a proper follow up. “It is mostly the
relatives who in connivance with the police leave these
girls here when they find it difficult to handle
‘such type’ of girls,” said the
superintendent. “Everyone, including the
women’s social organisations, run away from the Nari
Niketan. Some have worked with us, but after some time
they left because of the non-cooperative attitude of
these girls,” added the authorities. |
Mechanics
back at vacated sites CHANDIGARH, March 9 — Even as the Administration proposes to notify 425 new sites near filling stations for mechanics, things are back to normal for several mechanics in Sector 28 who managed to save their tools and equipment during an anti-encroachment drive by the municipal authorities yesterday. A large number of vehicles could be seen being repaired at the sites which had been cleared. The mechanics are eager to get their consficated goods released after paying fines, but the authorities have yet to come up with a concrete proposal to rehabilitate them. In the words of a senior official: “Such drives, in the absence of a permanent solution will cease to have any impact.” Sources in the Administration said 1,307 persons, whose names figured in the survey held in 1996, would be rehabilitated. According to estimates, there are more than 2, 000 mechanics in various parts of the city and it would not be possible to rehabilitate all of them. A notification in this context was issued on February 15, which stated that 431 sites had been identified in Sectors 38 and 48. These would be given, through a draw of lots, to auto spare-part dealers, scooter mechanics and other mechanics on lease for 99 years, it added. The remaining persons would be eligible for a limited auction of sites, identified near the filling stations earmarked by the Chief Architect in various sectors. Sources said a draft notification in this context had been sent to the Adviser to the Administrator for approval and necessary orders. If approved, the number of sites available for rehabilitation would go up to 856. Efforts are on to accommodate the remaining persons soon. The prices of the sites were yet to be decided upon, the sources added. As many as 198 shops and booths in Sector 48 are lying unallotted for quite some time as the decision of the authorities to go in for a limited auction did not go down well with the mechanics. They demand that all the sites should be allotted at rates agreed upon by both parties in 1996, Mr Joginder Singh, Chairman of the Chandigarh Auto Mechanics Welfare Association, who has been spearheading the struggle for getting the sites allotted, alleged that the authorities had raised the rates arbitrarily from Rs 1. 4 lakh to Rs 8 lakh for booths and to Rs 18 lakh for shops. Such an amount could not be raised by the mechanics and hence very few would be able to avail of the rehabilitation offer. The auction would merely benefit spare-part dealers and property dealers. He said the Administration had also returned Rs 14,500, deposited with the Estate Office in lieu of the sites in 1996. Condemning the anti-encroachment drive, he said while the authorities were removing the mechanics by quoting High Court directives, little had been done to abide by the deadline of relocating them by April 23. They have filed a contempt petition against the Estate Office for not rehabilitating them by December, following a directive given in another case. He said nothing concrete had come out of a meeting with the Finance Secretary in this context and another meeting had not been fixed yet. “We are prepared to
relocate, provided the sites are allotted to us on
reasonable rates and till that is done, the persons,
whose names figure in the survey lists, should be given
identity cards so that they are not harassed in the
future”, he added. |
13 booked
for giving fake certificates CHANDIGARH, March 9 — A desire to get a job of a teacher on the basis of fake certificates has landed 13 persons, including three women, in a soup. They applied for jobs as junior basic teachers (JBT) through the Haryana Staff Selection Commission, but they reportedly presented fake educational certificates pertaining to their training as teachers. The certificates had been obtained from the Bihar Shiksha Vidyalya. The commission while scrutinising applications found that a total of 16 had persons attached certificates of the Bihar-based vidyalya. It was found that three applicants were genuine while the remaining13 were fake. The case was handed over to the Haryana Vigilance Bureau, that recommended the registration of an FIR. The Chandigarh police has registered a case under sections 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code. The ones who have been booked are Deepak Juneja ( Sonepat), Nagina Kumari, Sanjay Kaushik and Surendra Singh ( all from Karnal), Sharda Ram and Ramesh Chander ( both from Rohtak) , Rajesh Kumari and Surinder Singh ( both from Rewari) , Bhupinder Singh ( Yamunanagar), Rajpal ( Mahendragarh) and
Sudesh Kumari ( Jhaggar). |
CHANDIGARH, March 9 —The general body meeting of the Panjab University Teachers Association here today adopted a resolution saying that the current wrangling between the Vice-Chancellor and the Syndicate was taking a toll on the university functioning. It was pointed out that process of constituting selection committees had been stalled. The functioning of the university should not suffer on any account. The meeting was informed by Dr Satya P Gautam, President, that the VC had informed that applications for career advancement schemes will be entertained in April. This was largely welcomed The PUTA decided to boycott the process of paper setting till the time they got the UGC scales as announced by the Centre earlier. Teachers also urged the university to adopt the enhancement of the retiring age from 60 to 62. The meeting was attended by about 85 members. Seminar: A two-day national seminar on “Geographic education and research: the Indian scenario”, being organised by the Geography Department, got underway at the ICSSR complex here on Tuesday. Prof G.S.Gosal in his inaugural address expressed anxiety at the prevailing geographic illiteracy. He dwelt on curricula upgradation, importance of ecological and environmental issues apart from ethnic conflicts and importance of field study. Dr K.V.Sundaram, member of the Karnataka State Planning Board, spoke on the importance of the inter-disciplinary approach in the changed scenario. Prof M.M.Puri, Vice-Chancellor, delivered the presidential address. Others who spoke were Prof Gopal Krishan, Prof R.C.Chandna and Prof (Mrs) Mehta. Protest march: The Tibetan Youth Congress will organise a protest march from here on Wednesday. The march is being organised to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day, a press note said here on Tuesday. More than 130 members are
expected to participate in the march which will conclude
in Sector 17. |
CHANDIGARH, March 9 — Two persons have died in the city in separate incidents since this morning. A resident of Janata Colony, Sector 25, Roshan Lal, fell off a truck in Ram Darbar and died on his way to the hospital. Roshan lal was employed in an industrial unit in Phase II, Ram Darbar. The accident occurred quite close to the unit where he was employed. Meanwhile, Anil Gulati of Mani Majra, who was admitted to the PGI after he consumed a poisonous substance at home, died this morning. In a separate incident, Munni Lal of Shastri Nagar, was injured when he fell off a truck in which he was travelling. Suicide bid: Meanwhile, three persons , including two women , consumed poisonous substance at their respective homes and were admitted to the PGI. Bhag Singh of Palsora village, Suneeta Devi of Sector 30 and Santosh Devi of Kalka were the three persons, according to police sources. Three injured: Two pedestrians and a scooterist were injured in separate accidents in the city today. Ms Radha of Sector 38 was hit by a scooter in Sector 40. Mr Vishnu Dev of Sector 32 was hit by a scooter near Attawa village. Mr Avtar Singh of Sector 40 was riding his scooter when he was hit by a Maruti car. In-laws booked: A local resident, Manoj Kumar, his mother and his father have been booked by the police for allegedly harassing Ritu Garg, wife of Manoj Kumar. Ms Garg has alleged that her husband, her father-in-law, Sham Sunder Garg and mother-in-law, Savita Garg used to harass her over dowry. PANCHKULA Scooterist hurt: A scooterist, Ashwani Kumar, a resident of Sector 11 here, was injured after he was hit by a car, near here, on Monday. The police has registered a case under Sections 279 and 337 of the IPC against the driver of the car whose identity could not be ascertained. Dead:
Asha, daughter of an Army man posted at Western Command,
Chandi Mandir, was found dead in the command area, near
here, on Monday. The police has initiated inquest
proceedings under Section 174 of the Cr.PC |
70 students
get prizes CHANDIGARH, March 9— The Dev Samaj College for Women, Sector 45, held its annual prize distribution function here today. About 70 students were given prizes by Mrs Atma Ram, former Principal, Government College and DPI (Colleges), on the college premises. Besides prizes in academics, students excelling in various sports and cultural activities were also awarded. Sonia was adjudged the best sports girl, Harleen the best speaker, Anju Sood for best poetry recitation, Meenakshi Thakur the best vocalist, Bharti for rangoli, Yachna the best NSS volunteer and Sarabjeet the best volunteer for the fete organised on the college campus. Later in the afternoon,
students of B.Com (final) were given a farewell party
following which Anshu was crowned Miss Dev Samaj. |
185 more
teachers court arrest CHANDIGARH, March 9 — As many as 185 teachers courted arrest in support of their demands here today. According to Mr Surinder Sharma, a spokesperson of the Punjab State Aided School Teachers and Other Employees Union, with today’s arrests the total numbers of arrested teachers had gone up to 955. The strike in 484 schools in the state was complete. A meeting of the union
with the Chief Minister is scheduled for tomorrow. |
Accountancy
Asiad award for city boy CHANDIGARHMarch 9 — Mrinal Sharma, Nitin Aggarwal and Pawan Kumar Sethia of Pandit Mohan Lal SD Public School, Sector 32, Chandigarh, stood first, third and fifth, respectively, in All-India IX RS Accountancy Asiad, 1999, for class XII. Mrinal and Nitin have won
cash prizes of Rs 5,000 and Rs 2,000, respectively,
besides Medals of Excellence.Pooja Shukla, Roohi,
Madhurika Vohra, Raunak Kumath and Navdeep Kumar have
stood fourth, seventh, eighth, 10th and 11th,
respectively. |
Musical function at school CHANDIGARH, March 9 — A musical morning was organised at Strawberry Fields, a kindergarten school run by the Durga Das Foundation in Sector 24 here today. Tiny tots of the school presented songs in the tastefully decorated library of the school. They presented “Lavender Blue”, “The Clown” and songs on aeroplanes, crocodiles etc. as enthusiastic parents craned their necks to see their child perform. The chief guest, Mrs Serla
Grewal, a trustee of The Tribune, complimented the school
and the parents on the occasion.
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