HEALTH

Workshop participants made aware of child rights
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, Feb 1 — A 12-year-old student of a prestigious English Medium school in Chandigarh, Harman (not his real name), was admitted to the children’s ward of a private hospital after suffering an injury in his left arm. It all started when he returned home with a low grade in mathematics in a weekly test. He was given a severe beating by his father, who wanted the best from his son to compete in the future. The neighbours of the victim thought the disciplining was extreme but did not question the motive.

« Sushma (not her real name), a 10-year-old girl along with her mother visited a doctor. The girl, who had bruises near her private parts, told the doctor that an uncle (mama) of her often misbehaved with her. The mother of the girl did not let her speak any further and told the doctor that her daughter had gone mad and was concocted the story. She told the doctor to ignore his statements and just treat her injuries.

« Rajesh (not his real name), a 13-year-old child of a poor Brahmin family from Kurukshetra. The boy was the sixth child of the family. His father knew a rich family in Amritsar, who wanted a helping hand at their home. The duty of Rajesh was to look after a four year-old son of his employer and do other jobs. Finding it difficult to adjust to the new environment, he complained to the neighbours that he was not being given food properly and was beaten up at times.

In all the above cases lack of awareness about child rights in society and poor networking among various government and non-government agencies that come in contact with the victims have come to light.

The cases and the findings were tabled at a one-day workshop conducted on “Public Education Programmee” by members of the Indo-British Project on Child Rights and Child Protection in Punjab at Senior Secondary School in Phase 3B 1 here today.

As many as 100 persons — children, parents, policemen, health workers and teachers — participated in the workshop conducted with the joint collaboration of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission, the Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur, and the British Council.

During the workshop the participants were made aware about the child rights with the help of games, skits, plays, interactive and participative activity. A documentary on a girl child “meena”, a victim of child abuse, was also shown on the occasion.

Mr Parveen Sinha, Superintendent of Police (Intelligence), Amritsar, who is a lead trainer under the project, said ; “What we read in newspapers about the cases of child abuse was only the tip of the iceberg. Most of the cases go unreported”. Due to lack of networking between different agencies, the victims were left to defend for themselves. In a number of cases the family members of a victim added to their woes.

On the role of police in dealing with the cases of child abuse, he said it was left to handle the victim though it was not equipped to do so. A proper coordination between the agencies and the police was required. Mr Sinha said efforts were being made to evolve a system to know about the child abuse.

Justice V.K. Khanna, Chairman of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC), in his valedictory address said there was a need to impart education to poor children. Mr A.P. Bhatnagar, ADGP, Punjab, Senior Superintendent of Police, Ropar, Mr G.P.S. Bhullar, and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Mr O.P. Popli, also attended the concluding function.

Under the project at least 12 districts in Punjab would be covered. In each of the district at least six “public education programmes” would be conducted. Two workshops had already been held at Phagwara.

SPORT

German experience enriches Sabeeha
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Feb 1 — ''The experience in Germany has enriched me," said the city girl Sabeeha Dhillon, air rifle national champion, who returned only yesterday from Munich after taking part in the Invitational Air Weapons Championship Munich-2000. Sabeeha, a student of the local Bhavan Vidyalya, Sector 27, was the only girl shooter from this part of the country in the 12-member Indian junior (under-21) team, comprising seven girls and five boys, at this championship.

She said more than 100 shooters of 41 countries took part in this meet held from January 26 to 30. Sabeeha finished 20th with a score of 389 out of 400, whereas, the top shooter scored 396. Though the difference was only seven points, many shooters had identical scores.

The Indian junior team was provided with free boarding and lodging. It was sponsored by the National Rifle Association of India. She praised the 100-lane shooting ranges in Germany, which had two sections of 50 lanes each. The top eight finalists were given separate lanes and there used to be a pin-drop silence when the competition was on, unlike here.

Sabeeha said Mr S. Chakarvorty of Maharashtra was the coach and Deep Bhatia of Delhi was the manager of the team.

Sabeeha said those who ate non-vegetarian food had a choice, while she had to satisfy herself with buns and juices only.

The other girls in Sabeeha's event, 10 m air rifle, were Sunita and Shruti of Delhi. Sabeeha Dhillon who practices under the watchful eyes of Col T. Dhillon at his Sector 35 range, had earlier given a superb performance at the National Shooting Championship at Phillaur, past year, in November.

MCM spikers win
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Feb 1 — MCM DAV College for Women and Guru Gobind Singh College for Women won their matches against SMS Karamjot College for Women, Miani, 27-25, 25-20, 25-15, and Guru Nanak National College, Doraha, 25-07, 25-10, 25-08, respectively, in the Panjab University Inter-College Volleyball (women) Meet at the PU grounds today.

In the men's section matches played at same venue, DAV College, Chandigarh, beat the PU Campus, Chandigarh, 25-14, 25-14, 25-17.

Officials elected

Jasbir Singh and Ravinder Singh Bawa were unanimously elected the President and Secretary, respectively, of the Chandigarh Sports Coaches Association at its meeting held past evening.

The outgoing President of the association, Mr J.S. Negi, has been discharging the duties of the District Sports Officer due to the death of Mr O.P. Puri past week.

The other office-bearers are as follows: Patrons — Baldev Singh, Kuldeep Singh; Chairman — K.S. Bharti; Sr Vice-President — Darshan Lal; Vice-Presidents — Iqbal Singh, S.K. Joshi, Harish Kumar, Onkar Singh, Iqbal; Joint Secretary — Amarjit Singh, N. Shashi; Treasurer — Suresh Kumar; members — D.S. Kohli, Krishan Lal, Sarbjeet Singh, Jasjeet Kaur, Manjeet Singh, Sarbjeet Singh, Harjinder Singh, Rajeev Kaushal.

Sport trials

The Regional Board for Culture and Sports will hold lawn tennis and chess trials to select the UT team for the All-India Civil Services Sports Meets.

According to Mr C.S. Bewli, Secretary of the board, said the tennis trials would be held at AG (A and E) Punjab office on February 4 at 1 pm. The chess trials would be held on the same date at the Survey of India Complex in Sector 32 at 9.30 am.

The tennis tournament will be held in Chennai from February 21 to 27, while the chess meet will be be held at Agartala (Tripura) from February 25 to March 4. Only the Central Government employees based at Chandigarh are eligible to take part in the trials.

ADMINISTRATION

MCC delays tubewells’commissioning
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 1 — The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) has delayed the commissioning of some of the tubewells in the city.

A majority of the 25 tubewells, work on which had started early last year and which were to be made operational before the commencement of the summer season last year to mitigate the water shortage in the city, could only be commissioned only recently.

While five tubewells in the labour colonies—Palsora Colony, the Sector 31 Labour Colony, opposite Colony No 5 in Sectors 44 and 45, and Nehru Colony — had be commissioned, the work on the three of the other 20 tubewells had only recently started, according to sources.

The sources said the sites of three tubewells — one in Sector 42 and two in Sector 25—had been changed by the Architecture Department of the Chandigarh Administration and it would take quite some time before the work was completed.

In fact during his annual press conference on December 23 last year the former Mayor, Mr Kewal Krishan Addiwal, has informed that 12 of these 20 tubewells had been commissioned. A senior official had then added that four or five more tubewells were to be commissioned shortly.

The need for installing new tubewells was felt since the Punjab Government had taken back its share of about two-and-a-half million gallons per day (MGDs) for SAS Nagar from the Kajauli Water Works last year. This coupled with the rising demand for water in the city and drying up of the old tubewells ,the running of which had become uneconomical, had virtually left no option with the civic body except go in for the new tubewells.

And as the fourth phase of the Kajauli Water Works, intended to bring 20 MGDs of water, will take another about three years, the sinking of the tubewells had become necessary as a short-term measure to tide over the shortage of water, particularly in summers.

The sources claimed that the tubewells, which will provide about 8 MGDs of water, would be completed before the onset of the summer season this year.

Traffic awareness fortnight
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, Feb 1 — The traffic police has launched a traffic awareness fortnight from today. An exhibition-cum-interaction programme was held at the Government College for Girls, Sector 11, here today. The programme would be organised in association with Freedom India, a social organisation.

The drive would cover all the major schools and colleges of the city and the students would be educated about the need for obeying traffic rules and regulations. They would be shown video films on road safety and officers would be at hand to answer all the queries of the students.

The main hall of the college was jampacked with students and many eager ones posed some questions about the growing menace of rickshaws and other slow-moving traffic on city roads. Replying to allegations of bribes, officers assured that if they came to know of such incidents, they could bring it to the notice of senior officers and the defaulters would be strictly dealt with.

Those who spoke on the occasion included Mr Alok Kumar, ASP, Traffic, Mr Sagar Preet, ASP, Central, and other officers. Mrs Vijay Lakshmi, principal, and Mr Ankur Kapoor, President of the organisation, were also present on the occasion

Plan to develop Sector 29 green belt
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 1 — The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) will develop the green belt in Sector 29 here.

According to sources, under the first phase a five-acre area is being levelled and ploughed with the help of tractors. Subsequently, the landscaping will be done and pathways provided for the strollers.

The drawings of the park had been prepared and estimates were in the process of being prepared. Flower beds, railings and shrubs of different varieties would be provided in the green belt which was likely to be developed in a year’s time.

It may be recalled that the development of the green belt had been a standing demand of the residents as there was hardly any good park in the area. Currently, this particular piece of land was barren and was not put to any productive use.

SP ‘ignores’ DGP's instructions
By Geetanjali Gayatri
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Feb 1 — A couple of Sector 10, Dr Davinder Chopra and his wife, say the police has acted very irresponsibly by not registering a case of fraud committed on them by a resident of Kurukshetra in spite of instructions issued by the Director-General of Police at an open darbar to redress grievances of the public against the police.

''I first went with my complaint to the DGP in December in the darbar where he issued instructions to the Superintendent of Police to inquire into the matter and send a report on the follow-up in the case. However, it seems the SP ignored the instructions and failed to submit anything in this regard in nearly a month's time,'' Dr Chopra said.

Following complacency by the Kurukshetra police, Dr Chopra approached the DGP again in the darbar held in January. On inquiry, the DGP found that the SP had failed to respond to his call of action and inquiry in the case. Subsequently, a strongly worded letter was sent to the SP and the report was sought. Meanwhile, the SP was transferred and a new incumbent took charge in Kurukshetra.

On enquiry, Dr Chopra was informed that after a lapse of nearly two months of bringing the case to the notice of the DGP, it has been sent back to the local police. Here again the issue of registering a case is hanging fire while the Chopras are trying their best to tide over the ''difficult period'' without buckling under pressure.

''We are being threatened by the couple in Kurukshetra to leave the house and withdraw the complaint. However, we are keeping faith in the police and hoping that it will act fast now that the matter has come to the local police though I am preparing yet another application for the darbar of the DGP which is usually held around this time,'' he said.

The Superintendent of Police, Mr Sudhir Chaudhary, said that an inquiry was already on into the matter and that the needful would be done very soon. He added that police personnel had been sent to Kurukshetra to get the accused named in the complaint but nobody from their side had responded so far. police sources added that the accused had categorically refused to come and give their version in the matter.

In the complaint, Dr Chopra had stated that a resident of Kurukshetra, previously their tenant, had come to the doctor couple seeking financial help to the tune of Rs 60,000 for a bypass surgery of their mother-in-law. The couple said they responded on humanitarian grounds and offered Rs 61,000. In lieu of this, the accused issued them a cheque for Rs 60,000 in November 1997. However, the fraud came to light only when the cheque was produced in the bank and they were informed that sufficient funds were not available.

''We visited the bank a couple of times but we were given the same reply by the authorities. Also, following the discovery the couple who committed the fraud on us left my place and locked the area occupied by them. Later, I found that they had shifted to Kurukshetra,'' he said. Further, he added that he had visited the police station time and again but had failed to get a satisfactory reply. He claimed he had been invariably put off during his visits with the most common excuse of the police that ''an inquiry is on into the matter''.

Additional charge for Vasistha
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 1 — Mr Ashok Vasistha, Assistant Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh, has been given the additional charge of Assistant Estate Officer-II by relieving Mr Parminder Singh Gill, Subdivisional Magistrate (Central), of the additional charge. Mr Vasistha will deal with court cases relating to the Estate Office.

Kerosene: The Director, Food and Supplies, Mr M. Ramsekhar, has ordered that the ration card holders having two units without an LPG connection shall be allowed to draw 10 litres of kerosene per month, while those with more than two units shall get 20 litres of levy kerosene. Ration card holders with single LPG cylinder will get three litres of levy kerosene per month, while those with more than one cylinder shall not be entitled to any levy kerosene, a press note of the Administration said.

Gur Asra Trust chief’s plea
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 1 — In a complaint filed before a city court, Gur Asra Trust President Kulbir Kaur Dhami has sought the summoning of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee President Bibi Jagir Kaur, besides executive secretary of the Trust, Mr Jaspal Singh Dhillon, for allegedly defaming her.

Accusing Mr Dhillon of publishing and releasing a booklet levelling 18 “false and frivolous allegations of grave nature against the complainant”, Ms Dhami stated that the same was “publicly distributed” by Bibi Jagir Kaur among the press.

The allegations regarding the embezzlement of funds and wasteful expenditure were false as evident from the fact that the entire expenditure had been accounted for and was “duly entered in the record books maintained by the Trust”, counsel for the complainant added.

Refuting the allegation regarding the withdrawal of Rs 90,000 by the complainant from the bank account of the Trust, her counsel also stated that the accusations were “levelled with an ulterior motive to defame her”. Counsel added that the “cheque was duly signed by the complainant in her capacity as the Trust director....”

A “libellous letter”, counsel added, was also written by Mr Dhillon to Bibi Jagir Kaur mentioning the withdrawal of the money “with a malafide intention to defame the complainant and with ulterior motive to remove her from the position that she enjoys in the Gur Asra Trust”.