The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

Cyber city in Mansa Devi complex
By Geetanjali Gayatri
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, March 2 — Keeping in view the fast-expanding sector of information technology and its growing need in urban areas, the Haryana Urban Development Authority has come up with a proposal to set up a cyber city and information technology park in the vicinity of the township in collaboration with the state's Department of Electronics.

The site which has been given the nod by the Chief administrator and the Senior Town planner is the 200-acre recreational, commercial and residential zone in Sectors 1 and 2 of the Mansa Devi Complex, adjacent to Saketri village. The acquisition of this land as also of an additional 750 acres is already under way.

Earlier, the department was deliberating on a handful of sites for the setting up of the project which has been proposed on a very large scale. The areas under consideration included portions of Sector 3 and 4, the commercial belt of Sector 25 in the extension of the township, in Sector 32 of the development plan.

Also, in a fortnight, the exact layout of the project is expected to be out after consultation with the Secretary, Department of Electronics. Officials in HUDA add foreign agencies besides Indian companies could be involved.

The pattern which is most likely to emerge will be similar to the hub of information technology centres in the south of the country, officials add. Also, there is thinking on the lines of cutting out plots on the land with provision for common facilities.

With such a project in the offing, there will be a great need for providing backward and forward linkages to companies which join hands. Also, HUDA will be required to provide the basic infrastructure and thinking is in on to attract as many private companies in the new undertaking aimed at putting the district on the development map of the country.

22 sheep die after consuming polluted effluent
From Bipin Bhardwaj

LALRU, March 2 — As many as 22 sheep died and more than 20 fell sick after allegedly consuming polluted effluent of industrial units situated at Gholumajra village along the Chandigarh-Ambala National Highway-22, about 5 km from here, on Wednesday.

According to sources, the sheep were grazing along the highway as they approached the water accumulated in a ditch, and drank it to quench their thirst. This resulted in the death of 22 sheep on the spot, while the rest were rushed to the Government Veterinary Hospital, Dappar, and were saved. Postmortem examinations were conducted at the veterinary hospital.

Mr Pritam Singh, owner of the flock, lamented that the sheep started falling unconscious after drinking the water accumulated outside the factory. Eleven of them, including one lamb, died adjacent to the water pond, while the rest crossed the road and collapsed on the other side of the road. The rest of the sheep were prevented from drinking the water.

According to Dr Bharat Inder Singh, Veterinary Officer at Dappar, the consumption of some poisonous fodder or water had resulted in the death of the sheep. ‘‘During postmortem, it was found that clots of blood had accumulated over the heart and the intestines were emitting smell of chemicals,’’ the veterinary doctor said.

Those sheep which were given the life-saving drugs in time were saved. The drugs were used as antidote.

Samples of the water which the sheep drank and the fluid from the intestines have been sent for examination and the report was expected to come within 15 days, said the doctor.

Mr Sanjeev Grover, General Manager of the industrial unit, however, said that his was a steel auto parts manufacturing industry and no toxic chemicals were being used to manufacture the parts. The water had accumulated outside his unit for a long time. No such incident had occurred after the unit started production.

Mr SPS Matharu, Managing Director of the unit, however, admitted that effluent of the unit was discharged into the pond outside the factory but refused to comment about its poisonous contents. He said that the owner of the sheep had been given compensation as per his demand.

Sharma takes over as PGI Director
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 2 — Prof S.K. Sharma, Head, Department of Urology, today took over as the 9th regular Director of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER). He assumed charge in the forenoon following the approval of his appointment by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, which was received here today.

Prof N.K. Ganguly, Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), had been given the additional charge of the Acting Director of the institute after Prof B.K. Sharma relinquished charge at the end of his extended tenure.

The 57-year-old new Director has lot of plans for his five year tenure. He happens to be the first Director who joined the institute as a resident in 1967. The first to be appointed from Himachal Pradesh, he is the eighth Director, who is a product of Medical College, Amritsar. While he did his MS (Surgery) from the PGI, he did his M.Ch (Urology) from AIIMS, New Delhi. He has done lot of work in the field of his specialisation — Urology ( Genito-Urinary Surgery). Prof Sharma has also worked as Professor of Hospital Administration-cum-Medical Superintendent, Nehru Hospital for a year, besides being on the board of various committees.

Prof Sharma said that first and foremost task before him is to regain the partly lost glory of the Institute. "I would strive to maintain the traditions and standards laid down by my predecessors — be it in patient care, teaching or doing research," he said while addressing a press conference today.

Assuring allround improvement, he said patients’ well-being and high-quality care would be given top priority. His other priority would be to maintain cordiality among all categories of employees.

Talking about the renovation drive to spruce up the sanitation facilities, Prof Sharma said that Rs 1 crore sanctioned recently would be spent to renovate the 40-year-old toilets.

The other Rs 1 crore would be spent on modernisation and replacement of lifts in the hospital, which were also more than three-decades-old, he added.

He said to expect discipline and devotion from medical and non-medical staff, it was necessary to provide them with ideal working conditions. With this in view, the PGI had already undertaken the construction of more houses for Class III and IV employees, including accommodation for nurses. The Institute of Nursing is nearing completion. He expressed the hope that the advanced cardiac care centre, eye care centre and bone marrow transplant centre, would see the light of the day soon.

The new OPD, which was getting its final touches would be functional in the next few weeks. It would meet the increasing demand of OPD patients from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, besides the city.

He also talked about the computerisation of the new OPD block and laboratories. Keeping in view the growing demand of patients for CT scan, order had been placed for a new spiral CT scan following the official approval.

Robbers strike at factory, decamp with valuables
From Our Correspondent

KHARAR, March 2 — A gang of robbers wearing kachhas struck at a medicine manufacturing unit in Kurali in the early hours today. They beat up the owner of the factory and his sons and looted cash and gold ornaments and other articles worth about Rs 1.5 lakh.

Mr Sushil Kumar Gupta, owner of M/s Precision Pharma said a gang of about 11 or 12 robbers, who were wearing kachhas and had covered their faces with clothes, entered his unit at about 1.30 a.m. Mr Gupta resides in the factory with his family.

When this incident occurred, four workers were working in the factory on the night shift. He said the robbers had rods in their hands. About seven persons broke open the door of his bedroom and snatched wrist watches and gold ornaments from him and his wife, he added.

He suspected that before entering the factory, the robbers drank liquor outside the factory as an empty bottle of liquor and some namkeen was found there. He was beaten up and then robbers searched each and every corner of the bedroom. They took away gold ornaments worth about 20 tolas, about Rs 25,000 in cash, five wrist watches, an electric iron, cordless telephones and other goods, Mr Gupta added that they bashed up his sons Ankur and Anuj, threatened that they would kill Ankur and demanded more cash.

Meanwhile, there was some noise and the workers who were on duty came out, suspecting that something was wrong. The robbers rushed to beat the workers. The workers also came out with rods and the robbers fled.

Mr Gupta informed the police about the incident at about 2.20 a.m. The police reached there within minutes and started investigations.

Mr G.P.S. Bhuller, SSP, Ropar also visited Kurali today and supervised the investigations. The Kurali police has registered a case under Sections 458, 148 and 149 of the IPC. Nakas have been set up. A dog squad and finger print, specialists have also been pressed into service. A search for the robbers is on.

French film festival from March 10
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 2 — A complete retrospective of six films of French writer-director Jean-Paul Rappeneau and six French classics selected by Rappeneau himself would be screened as part of the French Film Festival starting on March 10 to be held at the Kiran Cinema. This seven day festival is being brought to the city by the Alliance Francaise, Chandigarh, in collaboration with the Alliance Francaise network as a tribute to Rappeneau. All the 35 mm films would have subtitles in English.

The festival would begin with the screening of his widely acclaimed film ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’, a 1990 film, starring Gerard Depardieu (the Amitabh Bachchan of French cinema) — a film which has been called the definitive screen presentation of the literary classic, Cyrano de Bergerac. The film which bagged the best actor award for Depardieu at the Cannes Film Festival is also scheduled to be screened again on March 12 and later on March 13.

And six years after his ‘Cyrano......’ received applause, Rappeneau worked his magic with another French treasure, novelist Jean Giono’s ‘The Horseman on the Roof’. This film would be screened on March 14 and 16. This film is set during the infamous 1832 cholera epidemic, and the story follows two strangers bought together by circumstances.

For those interested in the mechanisms of fantasy and comedy together, Rappeneau’s ‘The Savage’ is a must-see, which is about a man who grows vegetables on a deserted island to which he has withdrawn alone, but then ends up giving shelter to a woman who has just had a broken engagement.

This film stars popular French actors in the lead roles, Yves Montand and Catherine Deneuve, and would be screened on March 11, 12 and13. Another Deneuve starer, ‘Life in a Castle’ would be screened on March 11 and 12, which is set at the end of the Occupation and tells the story of a bored wife and her involvement with a German army major.

A comedy, which is also an adventure film along with being a kind of a detective story that sometimes takes the tones of a tragedy, a la Hindi films — this is What Rappeneau’s ‘Burning with Enthusiasm’ promises to be. This film stars the breath-taking French beauty, Isabelle Adjani, and can be viewed on March 14 and 16. The sixth film in this series is ‘The Married Couple-Year II’, which would be shown on March 14 and 15.

The other six films that have been chosen by Rappeneau include films by well-known French directors like Max Ophuls, Jean Renoir and Louis Malle.

“I spent my childhood buried in books......and later, after the war, the almost overnight discovery of cinema swept my earlier interests before it”, wrote Rappeneau in his ‘Carte Blanche’ for six films that he has selected. Interestingly, five of these have been adapted from books or short stories.

Malle’s disturbing black-and-white film ‘Will-O-The-Wisp’, which ends with this chilling dialogue, “I am killing myself because you did not love me, because I did not love you”, is for all those interested in the characterisation of protagonist of the film. This film is scheduled for March 15 and 16.

Jean Cocteau’s ‘The Beauty and the Beast’ would be screened on the inaugural day and also on March 12. One of the most interesting endeavours of French cinema, it would charm all those interested in classical fairy tales that contribute to the creation of a magical atmosphere.

Ophuls’ ‘Madame De..’ can be seen on March 11 and 13.

Jean Renoir’s ‘A day in the Country’, which promises to create an ambience of Maupassant’s stories, is all about life in the outskirts of Paris in 1860 — a time of “swings and breakfasts on the lawn, a time when men in striped sweaters went boating on the river”. This is scheduled for March 11 and 13.

The other two films chosen by Rappeneau include Jacques Becker’s ‘Rue de L’Estrapade’ on March 14 and 15 and Claude Autant-Lara’s ‘Douce’ on March 15 and 16.

ADMINISTRATION

Better power position for Panchkula envisaged
By Gautam Dheer

PANCHKULA, March 2 — The district will shortly be connected with the Shahbad-Panchkula integrated power link circuit, a project hanging fire since long. Consequently, the township would be free from miseries of low voltage and power trippings and cuts.

Work on this newly commissioned Rs 200-crore 220-KV power link project is to be completed by June. It shall provide a double link circuit along a stretch of 70 km, between Shahbad and Panchkula.

At present, a major chunk of power is derived from the 132-KV Punjab Power Grid at Ropar. To cope with the increased requirement of electricity during summers, additional power is purchased from Himachal Pradesh and distributed through the 220-KV Dehar- Madanpur link circuit .

Owing to a restricted power supply from the grid at Ropar, there was insufficient distribution in the district. Also, the transmission links which were inadequate, used to result in power cuts, especially in the rural areas. Sources in the HVPN reveal that the new Shahbad- Panchkula link would derive its source from the 400 KV sub-station at Abdulapur,Yamunanagar.

Mr N. K. Gupta, Director, HVPN, said that that the new link would enhance the availability of power to the district.

The project would also act as a standby arrangement to infuse power supply to other inter-linked destinations, including Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal etc.

UT may give relief to farmers
By Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 2 — The Chandigarh Administration may pay a sum between Rs 9.50 lakh and Rs 10.40 lakh per acre as compensation to farmers whose lands are being acquired in Badheri, Kajheri, Palsora and Nizampur Kumbra villages as part of the 225-acre acquisition drive in these villages around the city.

Well placed sources in the Chandigarh Administration said that the sum has been calculated on the basis of registries of sale of land made when notices of acquisition were sent under section 4. At present these villages have been served notices under section 6 and 7 of the Land Acquisition Act. Sources said the Chandigarh Administration is working towards serving notices under section 9 within the next sixty days. After this the farmers or land owners will be invited to file their claims for compensation.

Sources further said that the price per acre would be between Rs 9. 50 lakh and Rs 10.40 lakh. Meanwhile, it has been learnt that the Administration is yet to finalise the compensation packet for farmers in Badheri village where 70 acres are to be acquired. Another 114 acres are to be acquired in Kajheri, while 39 acres are to be acquired in Palsora and some more lands in Nizampur Kumbra.

Meanwhile, the land owners of the three main villages of Badheri, Kajheri and Palsora held a meeting this morning to decide upon their further course of action.

Mr Bhupinder Singh Badheri, a former Sarpanch of Badheri village said that the Administration must follow the Supreme Court ruling, that says all registered sale of land in the past one year from the date of acquisition should form the basis of compensation.

In some cases the Administration is saying that the average of the past three years will be taken into account, he said, while claiming that the compensation in his village should work out to Rs 25 lakh per acre.

On the other hand, sources said that a major part of these lands will be used to develop the sectors for residential purposes.

New-look intersection by month-end
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 2 — The work on the provision of automated traffic lights at the Housing Board Intersection on the Chandigarh-Panchkula road is expected to be completed by the end of this month.

The intersection has been under renovation for the past more than four months as the Administration decided to replace the old traffic rotary with automated traffic lights. Initially, the Administration proposed to finish the work by December 15.

The newlook intersection has now been provided with slip roads on three sides. Being the only link between Chandigarh and Panchkula, the intersection becomes a major traffic bottleneck during peak traffic hours, both in the mornings and the evenings.

The foremost reason for delay in completing the work has been shifting of 11 KV power transmission lines. There were some electricity poles which were to be shifted by the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.

The Municipal Corporation has also taken up in hand the work on the provision of storm water gulleys on the slips roads and the main road besides the intersection.

Yet another work is expected to start soon. This is for provision of some covered manholes to check leakage of water and other pipelines traversing the intersection. The Department of Public Health has been granted permission for road cuts at the intersection.

Engineers are hopeful that after the public health engineers complete their work, the work on fresh carpeting of the intersection with premix would start and it would be ready by the end of March.

Administration to set up school tribunal
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 2 — The Chandigarh Administration has decided to set up a school tribunal to safeguard the interests of teachers working in privately-managed recognised schools of the UT.

The UT Education Secretary, Mr N.K. Jain, in a communication to the Central Government, has sought the extension of the Punjab Privately Managed Recognised Schools Employees (Security of Service) Act, 1979, to Chandigarh. Section 8 of this Act provides that "the state government may constitute school tribunal for the purposes of this Act and that it shall consist of only one person to be appointed by the state government.'' It further says that the person to be appointed as the presiding officer of the tribunal has to be a former or serving Judge of the High Court or the District Court. He can also be an Additional District Judge.

According to the information available, the tribunal will adjudicate on all issues arising out of the service conditions of privately-managed recognised schools. Teachers will now be able to appeal against the actions of the school management in the tribunal, which in course of time, will redress their grievances. It will also expedite legal redressing of grievances, which normally takes a long time in civil courts.

The Education Secretary said Chandigarh being a small UT, did not need a whole-time school tribunal for adjudicating the cases, which should be small in number. However, with a view to providing the much needed facility to private-school teachers, the Administration had decided to set up this tribunal.

Vigilance Department seeks statement correction
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 2 — Seeking permission to correct a statement made earlier in the case against Engineering Department officials, the UT Vigilance Department today said it had inadvertently mentioned certain agreements as being subject matter of the challan.

Replying to an application moved by accused Sadhu Singh and Yash Pal Saggi for the supply of the agreements, enquiry officer said due to inadvertence and oversight, a statement was made on October 4, 1999, mentioning that certain agreements were also subject matter of the challan, whereas these contracts were not subject matter of the trial in the present case.

Seeking dismissal of the applications, the enquiry officer stated that the accused had been supplied with copies of the contracts which were subject matter of the trial.

Earlier, in the application, Sadhu Singh and Saggi stated that they had been given copies of eight agreements but copies of the remaining nine agreements had not been supplied.

The application will now come up for consideration before the UT District and Sessions Judge, Mr B.S. Bedi, on March 22.

COMMUNITY

Service lanes used for debris
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, March 2 — The service lanes provided behind the commercial premises in different sector markets in this town have become a source of nuisance for the residents, with the local authorities least bothered to check it.

Designed to allow movement of traffic behind the shop-cum-offices shop-cum-flats and showrooms, the service lanes are being used either to store material or to dump debris. In one glaring example, a service lane. lay buried under debris, construction material and refuge.

Blocked storm water gullies and choked sewers were also casualties of the nuisance, which presented a poor picture of the state of maintenance. A visit of different markets revealed that in some cases, the owners of commercial sites, who had undertaken construction on their plots, had dumped the debris on the service lanes, to be picked up by the local municipal authorities.

A former councillor, Mr Amrik Singh Bhatti, said he had approached the authorities concerned after the harassed residents complained to him in this regard. But action was still awaited. He sought a special drive to clear the service lanes.

The shopkeepers — especially those running hotels, eating joints or sweetmeat shops in phases 2, 5, 3B2 and 7 — had raised unauthorised structures at the back of their shops. In one specific case, a hotel in Phase 3B2 had encircled the open area behind its premises by fencing.

Most of the hotel owners were running their kitchens in unhygenic conditions in the extended area behind their shops. The waste generated from the kitchens was being drained into storm water gullies in an unauthorised manner, thereby blocking the road gullies.

Some shopkeepers had also violated the building-bylaws by tampering with the approved layout plans. Though the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authorities had been issuing notices to the violators and had demolished unauthorised structures in some of the markets, the encroachments still exist.

Mr Inderjit Waraich of the local Anti-Encroachment Committee, said they had brought the problem to the notice of the authorities on a number of occasions. He said the committee was planning to go to court against the PUDA for not removing encroachments in the town.

CRIME

2 held for consuming liquor at restaurant
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 2 — Three persons, two of them consuming liquor at a Sector 22 restaurant, were arrested by the police here last night.

According to the police, Narinder Singh, a resident of the Phase 7 of SAS Nagar, and Paramjit Singh, a resident of Sector 21, were arrested when they were consuming whisky at the restaurant authorised to sell only beer. Vijay Kumar, the manager, who was serving liquor to them, was also held. A case under Section 61/1/14 of the Excise Act has been registered.

A press note warned today that such pubs, discos, eating joints and guest houses, which encourage the public to consume liquor at unauthorised places, will be challaned and action under the law, including the cancellation of their licences, would be taken.

Liquor seized: The police has arrested Parmod of the Kumhar Colony in Sector 25, and recovered 40 pouches of whisky from him.

In another incident, the police arrested Suresh Kumar, a resident of Bapu Dham Colony, from near the Sector 26 market and seized 30 pouches from him.

Separate cases under Section 61/1/14 of the Excise Act have been registered.

Held for gambling: The police has arrested two persons — Hirde Ram of the Colony No 5 and Rakesh of Sector 22 — from near the Sector 22 market on the charge of gambling at a public place. A sum of Rs 110 and playing cards have been recovered from them.

A case under Section 13/3/67 of the Gambling Act has been registered.

Car stolen: Mr Digvijay Singh, a resident of Sector 21-D, in a complaint with the police, alleged that his car (HP-38-9454) was stolen from outside his residence on February 29.

A case under Section 379 of the IPC has been registered.

Mobile phone stolen: An advocate, Mr Anil Kumar, complained that his mobile phone was stolen from his chamber on February 29.

A case under Section 380 of the IPC has been registered.

Purse lost: Ms Neelam Rani, a resident of Sector 71 of SAS Nagar, in a complaint with the police alleged that she lost her purse when she was in her house from the Sector 35 market. The purse contained important documents besides an amount of about Rs 1,000.

PANCHKULA

Four arrested: Four persons were arrested by the local police in connection with forged documents of a Zen car here today. Joginder Singh, a resident of Sector 45, Anurag of Sector 18 and Vinod Kumar of Sector 15 in Chandigarh were arrested along with Madan Lal Jain, who presented the documents at the office of the SDM at the district secretariat. On checking the documents, the officials found the documents forged and informed the police, who registered a case against the accused.

Variation in spices’ prices
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, March 2 — Prices of spices differed marginally in the local markets of the township today. Within sectors, there was a slight difference in prices between booths and shops.

In sectors 7 and 8, dhania was priced at Rs 5, while it was available for Rs 4.50 in Sector 4. Whole and powdered zeera could be bought for Rs 10 for 100 g. The price of black pepper, whole and powdered, showed a marked difference. While it was available for Rs 30 in Sector 4, it could be bought for Rs 35 in Sector 8. In Sector 7, it was priced at between Rs 32 and Rs 35 in the booths and departmental stores respectively.

Black cardamom was available at the same price in most shops in Sectors 7 and 8. Green cardamom was being sold at Rs 10. Tamarind was available for Rs 5 per 100 g in Sector 4, while the seedless variety was priced at Rs 7 in Sectors 7 and 8.

Tejpatta was the least expensive at Rs 2, followed closely by jaiphal at Rs 3 and fenugreek seed at Rs 4 in Sector 4 and Rs 5 in Sector 8. Klaunzi was being sold at Rs 10 and hing for Rs 15 in Sectors 7 and 8.

Anardana was priced at Rs 20 in the booths in Sector 8, while the same was available for Rs 22 in Sector 7. Amla, whole and powdered, was available at the same prices in the two sectors.

Among powdered masalas, chat masala was priced at Rs 22, chana masala at Rs 24 and meat masala at Rs 30 a packet. Degi mirch was available for Rs 22 in Sector 7 and for Rs 21 in Sector 4. Kasuri methi was priced at Rs 9 and 10 in Sector 8 and Sector 4, respectively. Whole rai was priced at Rs 6 and amchoor at Rs 15.

Housing finance office opened
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 2 — GIC Housing Finance Limited, one of the top five housing finance companies of the country, today opened its office here today.

Speaking at the inaugural function, Mr D. R. Gangopadhyay, Chief General Manager of Industrial Finance Corporation of India Limited, and the Director of GIC Housing Finance Limited, stressed the need for prompt service along with reasonable rate of the interest for the housing loans.

In spite of stiff competition, the company had been on a growth path since its inception in 1989 and had so far financed 40,500 dwelling units.

The cumulative sanctions of the company had increased from Rs 30.67 crore in 1991-92 to Rs 909.15 crore in 1998-99, he claimed.

The company, which was among the 22 housing finance firms approved by the National Housing Bank, had maintained its dividend at 20 per cent for the past three years, he added.

He hoped that the office in Chandigarh would cater to the increasing housing needs of the region.

The Chief Executive of the company, Mr N. Sowmyan, while claiming that the company was offering the most competitive interest rates, said it strived for sustainable relationships with the borrowers.

Listing various value-addition services to the customers, Mr Sowmyan informed that free accidental death insurance cover was provided to the borrowers.

No charges for part or full payment of the loan, coupled with loan documentation free of cost were the other salient features of the scheme.

And the interest was calculated on the monthly reducing balance unlike the other companies which calculated on the annual reducing balance, he said.