The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

Anandgarh Authority’s liberal package for oustees
By Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 14 — Attractive compensation for land acquired, setting up of special villages for rehabilitation of displaced persons, allotment of plots on reserve price to oustees, setting up of modern dairy farm for oustees, financial assistance to displaced persons, free and latest education facilities for children of displaced persons and a special cell to monitor rehabilitation process are some of the salient features drawn by the Anandgarh Authority before the process of land acquisition starts.

Besides the planned development of the peripheral area on one side of Chandigarh, the new town promises to minimise the discomfort to displaced persons or oustees.

According to information gathered by Chandigarh Tribune, a minimum of 10,000 families would be displaced or ousted in the first phase of the development of the new town. This number may not include a large number of tenants presently living in the area.

The rehabilitation policy planned by the Anandgarh Authority is comprehensive and liberal, which provides sufficient scope for rehabilitation and resettlement of those displaced or ousted.

The new policy aims to ensure that the affected families do not receive any setback in the process of their displacement and resettlement. Besides, it ensures to promise that the oustees or displaced persons acquire a sustainable alternative economic base, which is intrinsically equal or better than what they had in their original habitat, and that they are accepted as equal partners in the host community, and get harmoniously integrated therein while retaining their identity.

The new policy also aims at providing sufficient compensation to the landowners. Keeping in view the proximity from the city and the nature of the land, the Authority promises to offer up to Rs 10 lakh an acre for land outside village lal lakirs and almost double the amount for the land inside village lal lakirs.

For the villages located within 10 to 40 km, the rate to be offered may be Rs 6 lakh for outside lal dora and Rs 12 lakh for inside lal dora. Similarly, for the land falling beyond 40 km, the proposed rate to be offered may be Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh an acre, for land outside and inside lal dora of a village. In case of better locations, the Authority may offer over and above these rates to the extent of 20 per cent.

The Authority also proposes to issue guidelines for assessing compensation for existing structures, houses, orchards, wells and trees

etc etc. These will be revised to bring them in conformity with the market rates.

The rehabilitation policy, which is based on thorough ground work and interaction appears to have taken all the unforeseen problems which may be projected by the acquisition machinery. The policy will also have provision for existing shops and industries which will suffer substantial loss in the earnings in the process of dislocation.

The Authority proposes to set up model villages by forming groups of existing five to eight villages. These settlements will be planned in such a manner that oustees of the village settle en-bloc as one wing sector in the new settlement. Dwelling units of different sizes and varied prices would be offered with some basic construction work besides providing all basic civic amenities, including roads, drains, streetlights and community centres.

For the transportation of dismantled material, which the displaced persons would be allowed to carry with them free of cost, the Authority proposes to provide some transport with the upper ceiling being two truckloads per family.

For rehabilitation of oustees, the Authority proposes to set up large dairy farms on modern lines so as to provide employment to a large number of oustees.

The Authority also proposes to organise loans and financial assistance, including soft loans on concessional terms for oustees. Similarly, the landless would also be helped with various schemes.

For those getting Rs 50,000 or less as compensation, the Authority proposes to provide their children free education, besides offering limited number of scholarships to meritorious students, besides reimbursing expenses for coaching on competitive exams. The Authority will also set up ITIs and polytechnics in the new town.

The Authority also maintains a regular dialogue with oustees so as to understand their problems, needs and requirements and will accordingly make amendments.

Constable lures, rapes minor
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 14 — The police has registered a case against a constable of the local police for allegedly luring and raping a minor girl of Kharar.

A case under Sections 363, 366, 376 and 342 of the IPC has been registered at the central police station. The girl was found by some police personnel in an unconscious condition at the Sector 17 ISBT yesterday.

Commenting on the incident, Mr Parag Jain, SSP, said although the girl and her parents (her father is a head constable of the Punjab police) did not want to pursue the matter, the department had taken a serious view and had booked the constable. "We did not want the public to feel that the department was shielding an offender just because he was a policeman," he said.

The offence was borne out by a note found among the personal belongings of the girl. She had written that the accused should not have done what he did to her and should refrain from doing so to other girls, he added.

Sources said the accused, Sarandeep, posted in the Operations Cell, met the girl at the ISBT. The girl was searching for a B.Sc college in the city and asked him for directions. When he told her that there was no such institute by that name, she broke down and said that she was ruined and that she had nowhere to go as she had left her house after a verbal duel with her parents.

She left her house because she was in love with Rajinder Kumar, a resident of Sector 18, and had received an emotional letter from him, pleading her to come to him. She was deeply moved and disregarding her parents' objection, set forth for Chandigarh.

The accused is said to have consoled her and offered her to stay with him. He kept her with him all day and after completing his duty, changed his clothes and took her to Pinjore where they stayed at a hotel. He allegedly laced her dinner with some substance and when she became unconscious, he raped her.

Sources said when she recovered her senses and saw her nude condition, realising that she had allegedly been raped, she started crying. The accused comforted her and offered to marry her the next day. He somehow managed to convince her and repeatedly assaulted her the whole night. A police party is said to have gone to the hotel and checked the entry register, confirming that the couple had checked in late past night.

The next day, he is said to have told her that he was already married. He asked her to return to her house and left her near the housing board roundabout after giving her Rs 100. She boarded a bus for the ISBT and reportedly, scribbled her suicide note at the back of the ticket.

She is said to have bought some insecticide from a shop before coming to the ISBT again to look for the accused, since he had told her that he was on permanent duty there. Unable to trace him, she consumed the poisonous substance. She was rushed to the Sector 16 General Hospital by some policemen who found her lying unconscious.

However, the medical examination of the victim revealed that she had not been raped. The police, on the other hand, has written to the medical authorities, asking for the constitution of a board of doctors to reach a logical conclusion. In case the need be, the matter will be referred to the PGI also. Meanwhile, the police had requested the hospital authorities not to discharge the girl, hospital sources said.

The accused is yet to be arrested. In view of the gravity of the offence where a policeman was involved, the case would be investigated by Mr K.I.P. Singh, SHO of the central police station, personally, the sources added.

Chaos, confusion in city schools
By Sonoo Singh
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 14 — Some schools of the city remained open today while others remained closed in the wake of confusion and inconvenience over the announcement of a public holiday made by the Chandigarh Administration today under Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881.

The schools which had shut down were seen to have deployed their chowkidars and peons outside the school gates to inform about the shut-down, while other schools whose buses had already left to pick up the kids decided not to shut down their institutes “at the last moment”.

Meanwhile, most city schools are currently holding supplementary examinations. “Our children suffer on account of such sudden and hasty decisions and either ways the kids have started getting too many holidays these days”, said Mrs Juneja, a mother of two.

The chaos over the annoucement of a public holiday today began early morning when even this reporter was deluged with both queries and complaints from parents and even teachers of various city schools. An irate parent said: “Why cannot the Administration wake up at the right time and inform the schools about declaring a holiday and save both the parents and our children of all this harassment?”

When an official of the UT Administration was contacted in the morning, he said: “The fault surely lies with us, but the fact of the matter remains that such notices when issued by the Administration need to be abided by and all the schools need to follow them — whether private or government”.

In fact in the early hours of morning, a horde of students could be seen loitering outside their school premises, since they had either been dropped there by their parents, or by their buses, or rickshawallas or they had cycled down to finally learn that today was a holiday.

Reportedly, early morning some of the so-called ‘elite’ schools did decide to go ahead and open their schools but later when both students and children started filtering in they sent them back declaring today a holiday. Another parent, Mr Rajiv Sharma said: “First the newspapers announce that there is a holiday, then when we call up the school to confirm and we are told that the annoucement is only for the government schools, and finally after all this running around where we drop the kids to school, we are told to go back!”

Another parent, whose child’s school was open, added: “Not only does the announcement of a holiday come to us at the last moment but also when we finally reach the school we have to say ‘sorry’ for reaching late”.

Mr P.K. Singh, Principal of Vivek High School, Sector 38, which was one of the few schools open today, said: “We would have had a holiday in the school had this been declared earlier. We have children coming from the satellite towns and

also from Parwanoo. So it made no sense to send them back. Also, most of the students these days have working parents. So I do not feel that it is very safe for an educational institute not to take this aspect into account. All these students who came today, attended school”.

The school had also arranged for a film show of ‘Shaheed Udham Singh’ today for senior students today. “A similar confusion had happened earlier as well, but then we do not want either the school or the students to suffer just on account of holidays”, added Mrs Singh.

Another school that was open today was St Anne’s Convent, Sector 32. The Principal, Sr Josy, said that their attendance had been hit by this confusion over the holiday today. “Since the attendance is not even 50 per cent today, we are not teaching the regular syllabus to our children today. But we should have been told about this holiday in advance. Actually, even a single phone call from the Administration a day earlier could have sufficed, so that we could have declared the same to the students and their parents”. The school sent back students of lower and upper kindergarten.

Brother D’Abreu, Principal of St John’s School, Sector 26, which was not open today, when contacted said: “We had never said that today is not a holiday, if the Administration has announced it. But the same could have been announced earlier”. The school sent back all its teachers and students who were not sure about today being a holiday.

Meanwhile, its neighbouring school, St Kabir Public School was another school that remained open today, though the attendance was “affected marginally”.

Most of the school principals were in fact of the view that such decisions should be taken only after discussing the same with the various schools and one of the principals suggested: “Why cannot the Administration draw one common calendar of holidays for all the schools here? This would save all the harassment and also make the educational institutions work better.”

COMMUNITY

Ex-servicemen, widows at the receiving end
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 14 — With disability pension as well as other pensionary benefits not being revised even two years after the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission were implemented, ex-servicemen and several widows continue to be at a financial disadvantage.

The matter, ex-servicemen say, is pending with the government despite the case being taken up by various ex-servicemen’s associations with the agencies concerned repeatedly.

As per current rates, those with 100 per cent disability are receiving a mere Rs 750 per month and those with 50 per cent disability half this amount. ‘’One reason for introducing disability pension, in addition to service pension, was to enable the affected person to employ an attendant to look after his needs and to bear medical expenses where required,’’ a retired officer commented. ‘’But at today’s prices this amount is too meagre to do the needful,’’ he added.

Affected ex-servicemen say that as per the information available, the revised scales for disability pension are still to be determined, let alone their finalisation and notification.

Another sore point with ex-servicemen as far as disability pension is concerned is that the percentage of disability as determined by a stipulated medical board is ‘’arbitrarily’’ reduced by the Central Defence Accounts (CDA) without consultation with the medical board or the affected soldier.

The issue was taken up with the central government that these ‘’arbitrary’’ powers of the CDA be clipped and disability percentage as determined by a medical board be adhered to unless a competent medical board determines otherwise. This matter has made no headway.

While ordinary family pension was increased earlier from 15 per cent of the last drawn pay to 30 per cent, the revision of special family pension, continues to hang fire. It is still being paid at old rates of 30 per cent of the last drawn pay.

Family pension is applicable to widows and non-revision is putting them in financial difficulties. Several affected widows have already approached the government to get the case expedited, but other than routine communiques that the matter is being considered, there has been no indication of the revision coming through.

A retired Brigadier said there are a large number of widows who are awaiting the revised pension orders to be issued. An ex-servicemen’s association has written to the CDA, Allahabad, but there has been no response from them in this regard except that the case has been taken up with the higher authorities, he added.

Ex-servicemen as well as widows are unanimous in their opinion that since disability as well as family pension affects those who are facing difficult circumstances, their welfare should have been the government’s priority.

Apart from pension, another issue causing embitterment among ex-servicemen, particularly those residing away from military establishments, is non-entitlement of reimbursement for treatment undergone in civilian hospitals.

While treatment at military hospitals is free of cost, ex-servicemen say that unlike civilian government employees, rules bar reimbursement of medical expenses. Those requiring medical treatment, particularly, the aged or the disabled face problems while travelling from the hinterland to military establishments.

No trace of cleanliness, hygiene
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Jan 14—Cleanliness and hygiene are at their lowest ebb in the most frequented market of Sector 7 in the township. While stench from a choked sewer is all pervasive even as water gushes out of the small opening, nearby lies a heap of garbage in the absence of a dustbin in the area. Also, lined up rehras add to the already filthy conditions in the vicinity.

A shopkeeper says,: “A line of the sewerage system runs through this belt and is forever choked. The problem has persisted for over six months but the department concerned has done nothing in the matter despite regular complaints. This has become the bane of our existence since the stench is overpowering.’’

The residents are also disturbed over the insanitary conditions prevailing in that area. “The sewer water runs from just outside our house. Besides the smell, this water keeps standing right in front of the houses, making it difficult for us to send our children outside or even stand near the road,’’ a resident informs.

Also, the continuous leakage from the sewer is damaging the road running alongside. The regular seepage of water in this road would eventually lead to a decrease in its life. “The longevity of our road is at stake and we cannot afford to have pot holes since repair work takes time. For this reason alone, we are pressing the department officials to look for a permanent solution to the problem,’’ another resident informs.

They collectively contend that it is not that the department turns a deaf ear to their complaints. Rather, men from the department visit the area following a complaint by one of the residents. They inform that nobody has tried to get into the root of the problem and work out a solution in a manner that it does not arise again.

Dumping of garbage is also a problem in the absence of dustbins for the residents.

Resultantly, a heap of garbage lies in a corner just adjacent to the leaking sewer. This adds to the problem of stench and garbage disposal. Again, nobody from the department has bothered to clean the surroundings in spite of repeated complaints.

Six to eight rehras are perpetually lined up in one corner of the market. The residents inform that the fodder of the horses mixes with the flowing sewer water, leading to further deterioration in the level of cleanliness.

Road not repaired for 6 months
From Our Correspondent

PAPPRI (SAS Nagar), Jan 12 — The only approach road to more than a dozen villages, which was damaged last year due to breaches in the sewer nullah, is still crying for repairs.

The sewer nullah had broken its banks near Pappri village, 5 km from the Industrial Area of SAS Nagar, during the monsoon last year.

The residents said that the authorities had been cautioned about the danger long before the monsoon. Mr Iqbal Singh, a local resident, said that the villagers had brought this matter to the notice of the authorities at a public grievances meeting at Manauli in June last year.

The road had started caving in when water from the nullah eroded its berms. Though the cracks were plugged yet the repairs and metalling of the road had not been done even six months after it had caved in.

The bus service to the area has been suspended because of the condition of the road.

The residents complained that the suspension of the bus service had created problems for the students and teachers. A government school teacher said that she had to walk more than 4 km through muddy fields to reach Phase XI to board a bus.

Milkmen's strike on Jan 17
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 14 — The supply of milk to the city and its periphery is likely to be affected on January 17 following a strike call by the Periphery Milkmen Union and the Sangharsh Committee, Punjab and Chandigarh.

The main grouse of the union is the setting up of the Punjab Dairy Board which they say is an anti- farmer step and will bring many small dairy owners and vendors on the road. The board will ensure that milk be sold only to the government dairy, sounding the deathknell for thousands of milkmen.

Leaders of the union said the milkmen the ultimate sufferer would be the consumer who will have no option but to buy milk at the prices dictated by the board. Moreover, the milk would only be sold in packets.

The terms of the board also stipulate that a dairy owner and farmer would have to sell his milk to a particular diary for at least one year with the condition that the loss would be borne by the seller with no liability on the part of the purchaser.

They alleged that Punjab Government, in collusion with certain foreign powers, was labeling the whole exercise as a big leap for the White Revolution.

Agitators from various parts of the state would assemble and protest in Sector 34.

Only 1 cop for every 1,100 persons in Mohali
By Rajmeet Singh
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, Jan 14 — Striking by criminals is easy if one considers the imbalance of the police-population ratio in this township which has a porous border with Chandigarh. Things have been moving at a snail's pace regarding equipping the police force with more men, vehicles and equipment.

There is roughly just one policeman for every 1,100 persons as compared to one for every 220 persons in Chandigarh. Performing VIP duty, providing escort to entourages of VIPs passing through the township and court-related work are some things which keep at least 50 per cent of the force busy. Law and order in the town is in the hands of the remaining cops.

Whenever a VIP lands or takes off from the Chandigarh airport, local force is deployed in the funnel area of the airport — which comprises a number of villages falling in the sub-division.

Providing force in Rajindra Park opposite the Chief Minister's residence at Chandigarh is also among the duties of the SAS Nagar police. The staff and vehicles of the PCR cell have been reverted back to the police stations concerned.

Such is the state of preparedness of the police that there are just four Gypsies, including the one with the Superintendent of Police, four mini-trucks, of which at least two are out of order, and seven motor cycles. Sources say that at least four motor cycles are with the traffic wing. The transport requirement is 12 Gypsies, seven mini-trucks, 25 motor cycles, one bus, one recovery van and one prison van.

For SAS Nagar sub-division, there are just two police stations and four police posts. Under the Sohana police station, there are 53 villages and the last village is 19 km away.

PUDA officials say the planned area of the town is around 8,500 acres and the population over 4.60 lakh.

The staff strength required to maintain law and order for a population of over three lakh is around 1,000. The requirement of constables alone works out to 434. To enforce the traffic rules in the township, the requirement is around 48 personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police. But the strength of the force in SAS Nagar sub-division today stands at around 250 only. Sources say that since 1979, there has been around 600 per cent increase in the crime rate.

In-laws booked in suicide case
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 14 — The police has registered a case against the in-laws of a young woman who reportedly committed suicide by hanging herself in Dadu Majra colony on January 12.

A case under Sections 304-B and 498-A, IPC, has been registered at the Sector 39 police station.

Sources said Pinki had allegedly hanged herself by her dupatta from a ventilator. Mr Ram Kishen, father of the deceased, a resident of Indira Colony, Sector 17, Panchkula, in his compliant alleged that his daughter was being harassed for bringing inadequate dowry.

He has named her husband Sanjay, father-in-law and mother-in-law, and Santosh, sister-in-law, as the accused.

Whisky seized: The police has arrested Thanesar resident Pawan Kumar from the Sector 17 ISBT and seized 300 pouches of whisky from him.

A case under Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act has been registered.

Truck driver held: The police has arrested Parshottam Singh, a truck driver, for allegedly hitting and injuring Agra resident Jai Parkash near the Sector 26 transport lights.

A case under Sections 279 and 304-A, IPC, has been registered.

SAS NAGAR

Negligent driving: The local police today registered a case against truck driver Palvinder Singh for negligently driving and causing damage to public property near the traffic lights of Phases 3 and 5 here.

Car panes broken: Unidentified youths broke the window panes of cars parked outside a house in Phase 2 here last night when residents were celebrating Lohri.

BUSINESS

Pay premium, get car instantly
By Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 14 — Even as prices of almost all cars in the small car segment have gone up substantially in the past two weeks, a premium on instant delivery still prevails in this car segment as confusion over imposition of uniform sales tax is making buyers pay more for the same product due to the panic.

It all started in second week of December when the automobile sector was rife with reports that major cars companies like Maruti, Hyundai and Telco were going to jack up prices. Premiums ranged between Rs 7,000 and Rs 30,000 as people preferred to buy cars then instead of waiting for some days. Now after the price hike, the Zen, the Maruti 800 CC and the Omni van from the Maruti Udyog Limited (MUL) stable still command a premium between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000, over and above the company price. This is holding true even after prices have been increased between Rs 15,000 and Rs 22,000.

The TATA’s also increased the price of the Indica. Despite a steep hike that is between Rs 15,000 and Rs 18,000, one of the most selling variants of the Indica, the diesel with AC version, is commanding a premium between Rs 5,000 and Rs 8,000, said Mr Harbir Singh, a car dealer in Sector 7.

Sources in the automobile sector said the premium prevails as buyers are fearing that imposition of uniform sales tax structure may jack up the prices in Chandigarh also. On the other hand, it is already clear that Chandigarh will not hike the sales tax on cars from the present 4.4 per cent. Even the authorities in Punjab are reportedly not going ahead with the scheme fearing a flight of trade from the state.

However, all these details are still not known to members of the public, who are paying premiums to buy cars instantly. Besides this the ongoing marriage season is also fuelling the premium, as Maruti 800 and the Omni continue to be considered as “good” gifts.

Till about the first week of December all cars like the Maruti 800, Zen , Santro and the Indica, were available “off the shelf”. In some cases discounts ranging between Rs 2000 and Rs 2,500 were also offered during the first week of last month.

Meanwhile the delivery of cars has not been quick. It takes around 10 days for a customer to get delivery of the Maruti 800 cc car. Though the consistently selling Maruti 800 CC, standard model, is now selling at a premium, the deluxe version and the “EX” variants of the same segment can still be had “off the shelf”.

The Zen that is positioned directly in competition with the Santro is also selling between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000 over and above its schedule price. Premiums on other small cars like the Santro from Hyundai has almost ended, said another car dealer.

Sources said the sellers are not ordinary people who booked cars for their own use after seeing some profit in it.

As the premium is prevailing in the new car segment, the sale of second hand cars cannot be behind. In this segment also the 800 CC continues to reign supreme.