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| Wednesday, June 21, 2000, Chandigarh, India |
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A level crossing that paralyses life
Welcome to Sahnewal, a town with a population of 30,000, about 15 km from Ludhiana. It is facing a grave problem due to a level crossing. The level crossing, which is on the trunk track linking Amritsar with Delhi, neatly cuts the town into two. On one side is the bus stand, the police station, a bank, a government school, the veterinary hospital, a cinema hall and the grain market. On the other side of the track is located the post office, the government hospital, FCI godowns, stadium and Dasehra Ground. Traffic on any given day is terrific. Generally, half-an-hour is wasted each time a train crosses due to the closure of the level crossing. Traffic jams take much longer to clear even after the level crossing is opened. The callous attitude on the part of the government is evident as no steps have been taken so far to solve the problem despite repeated representations by the people of town. During the harvesting season, the narrow roads of Sahnewal fail to cop up with the mess created by trucks and trolleys filled with freshly harvested crop. When the level crossing is closed, a stretch of more than a kilometre between the crossing and the GT Road gets clogged with vehicles. This affects even the traffic on the main highway. A bypass or a railway flyover is the only solution to the daily torture that the citizens of the town have to undergo. |
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Army worried over recruitment ‘touts’ LUDHIANA, June 20 — The first-ever Army recruitment rally in the region drew a huge response today as about 3,000 youngsters from this and adjoining districts appeared for the physical tests. Happy at the continuous success of the ‘recruitment-at-your-door step policy’ of the Indian Army that was launched two years ago, but got a thrust only after the Kargil war, the Defence authorities are perturbed at the emergence of a number of touts assuring selection on payment to gullible youths. According to senior Army officers, a large number of touts were operating across the country, especially in the north region, assuring youths of selection at payments of Rs 30, 000 and above. The open rallies conducted by the Army do not leave room for operation of touts as a candidate is tested by several different officers in different phases. Brigadier Treohan said the candidates do not dare speak about any such ‘person’ as they fear they would be implicated as well. Those who are not selected either keep quiet for similar reasons or believe the excuses given by the touts. The Brigadier remembered that their suspicions of such an activity were confirmed a few months back when two youths ‘impersonating’, someone were caught by the recruitment officers. A case was also got registered. It is to avoid such activities that the Army recruitment which used to be a closed affair is open
and transparent now. Brigadier Treohan informed that now the candidates are immediately informed about their marks in each test and are also frankly told about the reasons behind their rejection. The Army also suggests exercises or other requirements to a candidate for getting selected next time. Meanwhile, even after an year, the ‘Kargil war effect’ on the youths continues unabated as most of the candidates said they too want to become heroes like scores of soldiers who made a name in the last year’s combat with the infiltrators. The candidates said they had decided to join the Army last year when they read or watched the brave deeds of Indian soldiers through the media. Later, the glowing tributes paid to the martyrs and the — cremation ceremonies well-attended by the civilians also caught the youths fancy. According to Army figures, the number of applicants have gone up by 30 to 40 per cent since the Kargil war. While the enthusiasm of the candidates was quite encouraging, the authorities were worried at the falling standard of education. Brigadier Arvind Treohan said even 10 plus 2 pass candidates were scoring badly in written tests of class eight standard. Giving some humorous examples he revealed that some candidates responded as ‘actor’ when asked who was Kapil Dev and others even wrote ‘Aithe hi hai’ when asked where was the Golden Temple. Apart from the education problem, the Army is also worried about the falling standard of height among the youths. While earlier the males from this region easily passed this test, in recent years nearly 15 to 20 per cent of applicants lose out at this phase only. |
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PCCTU seeks intervention of rights body LUDHIANA, June 20 — The Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) has sought the intervention of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission to put an end to the alleged violation of human rights in case of retired staff of non-government colleges. This was stated in a press release by Mr K.B.S. Sodhi, PCCTU chief, here today. In a communiqué to the chairman of the commission, the PCCTU chief said that Article 25 of the Universal Declaration Human Rights by the General Assembly of the United Nations stood flouted because the Punjab government had failed to implement its own Act passed in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on March 31, 1999, and its gazette notification of April 26, 1999, which provided pension gratuity to the retired staff of non-government colleges in lieu of Contributory Provident Fund w.e.f. April 1, 1992. Mr Sodhi said that of the 7000 employees from 132 non-government colleges covered under the Act, on an average 15 in-service members expired annually leaving behind their widows and dependants to lead a life of want, misery, helplessness and penury because of the non-implementation of this scheme.
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Scheme for rail men fails to take off LUDHIANA, June 20 — Though there is a welfare scheme called RELHS (Railway employees’ Liberalized Health Scheme), hardly 5% of the pensioners avail of it due to lack of basic medical facilities at the railway health unit hospitals. Mr Sher Singh, president, RELHS, said that for major health problems members were directed to the divisional hospital and then to central hospital and if no solution was found, then to some recognised, special hospital which put the patient to a lot of hardships. The RELHS members were given only Rs 100/- per month as medical allowance and no other reimbursement was provided. This was a very meagre amount to meet with the day to day expenses. |
L U D H I A N A C A L L I N G A breath of fresh air for Ludhianvis THE commissioning of the multilevel parking complex near the offices of the Municipal Corporation and an additional bridge on Sidhwan Canal on the Ludhiana-Malerkotla section by the Minister for Local Bodies, Mr Balramji Dass Tandon, on Sunday should go a long way in making life easier for the Ludhianvis. Over the years, the ever-increasing traffic on the roads of Ludhiana has become a major problem for the mega city. As a matter of fact, certain areas of the old city have become more or less inaccessible because of prolonged traffic jams. As Dr S. S. Sandhu, Commissioner of Ludhiana Municipal Corporation pointed out, it had begun to affect business of commercial establishments located in Chaura Bazar and other areas. Ludhiana has acquired the dubious distinction of having the highest per capita cars in the country. It has also become the fastest growing city in the country with an
ever-growing population putting an unbearable burden on its infrastructure. It was against this background that the MC decided to build a multi-storey parking complex. Its construction began five years ago when Chaudhary Sat Parkash was the Mayor of Ludhiana. Soon financial constraints stalled its construction, with the result that during the first three years not more than 30 per cent of the work could be completed. When Dr S. S. Sandhu took over as the Commissioner, he decided to accord it a top priority even if it meant diverting funds for other works. The remaining 70 per cent of the construction work on the parking complex was completed in just one year. The world-class building complex consists of seven storeys and a basement having modern facilities with provisions of passenger lifts, vehicular hoist, fire fighting system, spiral fire escape ramp, public address system and diesel generating sets for power backup. The cost of construction, including civil works, fire fighting and electrical work is about Rs 12.90 crore. With seven stories, it is claimed to be the tallest parking complex in the country with a covered area of 25,000 sq mts spread over land measuring 13,500 sq mts with a large-sized restaurant and grassy lawns, fountain and restaurant at rooftop level from where one can have a view of the city. The capacity of the parking complex is 430 cars, 700 two wheelers and 500 bicycles.
Financial bonanza ONE of the major reasons for the speedy commissioning of the multilevel parking complex was the amazing turnaround in the financial health of the cash-strapped Municipal Corporation brought about by the Commissioner, Dr S. S. Sandhu. The annual income of the MC, Ludhiana, has increased from Rs 92.45 crore in the year 1997-98 to Rs 202.45 crore in the year 1999-2000 and the budget estimates for 2000-2001 are Rs 270 crore. In the year 1998-99, the income was Rs 124.32 lakh, thereby showing an increase in income of more than 52 per cent this year. The major source of income has been octroi, which has increased from Rs 55.23 crore in the year 1997-98 to Rs 105.29 crore in the year 1999-2000. Other major sources of income for the corporation are house tax, water and sewerage tax, excise duty etc. It is also worth mentioning the fact that the MC, Ludhiana, would be one of the few corporations in the country where the expenditure of establishment and contingency is less than 35 per cent of the income. In fact, this percentage has been gradually coming down over the last few years. This leaves more than 60 per cent of the MC’s income to be spent on development work. Moreover, the MC, Ludhiana, is the only corporation in northern India which has mobilised Rs 17 crore through municipal bonds without government guarantee and only on the basis of its credit rating, for Rs 33-crore water supply project.
Lota brigade HOW do you perform your morning ablutions? Obviously in a good, if not a glamourous bathroom, in the privacy of the four walls of your house. But not everyone is so lucky. Not at least the thousands of migrant labourers, known in common parlance as bhaiyias. They may be creating empires for others. But they live and die in slums and answer the call of nature publicly, no doubt with due humility. They do it in association with each other, with a little bit of early morning conferencing. Long queues of these less privileged, but not less modest, people are seen every morning alongside the Ferozepur road between the gate number two and gate number three of the Punjab Agricultural University, exactly opposite the ‘posh’ Sarabha Nagar. These people mostly include the factory and farm labourers, rickshaw-pullers and others doing menial jobs in big houses.
Every time a passerby passes them, they hide their face, as if in guilt and shame, within their legs. But they cannot help being there. There is no way out. No other place to go for doing what everyone does necessarily, and at times urgently needs to do, before starting his or her day. Hundreds of morning walkers pass them with a frown and grumble. Understandably that is not a site which will please anybody, not at least those who come in their flashy cars to shed their extra fat in the lush green sprawling lawns inside PAU campus. But what cannot be cured, must be endured. The long queues have to be, and are endured with frown and grumble, at times with abuses dished out generously. Abusing these people is the safest risk, with least possibility of reaction from anywhere. But where should these people go? The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation needs to find the answer. In absence of public conveniences on the pattern of Sulabh Sauchalaya, such queues may be resented, but cannot be wished away. According to random estimates, about half a million migrant workers come to Ludhiana. And most of them are bound to form such early morning queues. The MC needs to take care of these less privileged human beings and also those, for whom they create huge empires.
Tailpiece HEARD in the coffee house the following take-off on the popular Punjabi pop number “Gallan gorian, te wich toye...” by Harbhajan Mann: “Sarakan tutian, te wich toye, asi dig paye, oye hoye, aye hai ki lat bhi tut gayee, bus kadd ke kalja le gayee...”
— Sentinel |
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The man in love with bonsai culture LUDHIANA, June 20 — Mr Ranjit Singh Chakkal, an auto engineer at the Guru Nanak Engineering College, is passionately in love with bonsai culture. He has been collecting plants in miniature for the last 28 years. Today, he claims with pride, the collection of more than 270 bonsai plants has given him a unique status, not only in Ludhiana but in the entire country. Bonsai is a Chinese word. It originated from two Chinese words ‘bon’ and ‘sai,’ ‘bon’ means pot and ‘sai’ means plant. Bonsai means the ‘plant in a pot’. Mr Chakkal has a huge variety of bonsai, of which some are even more than 30 years old. These rare plants include the Chinese guava, the Chinese orange, banyan, juniper, reetha, bahera, amla, sheesham, neem, bottle-brush and so on. Mr Chakkal who is a keen observer and lover of plants, has already presented his unique collection on Jalandhar Doordarshan, Alpha TV, and Siti cable. He says he has not succeeded in accomplishing this in a single day, rather it is the hard work of 28 years. Today he is quite familiar with the technique of preserving plants, like the 30-year old banyan and neem, in miniature pots. He advises, “you must preserve the basic aesthetics of a plant. The cutting and shaping is equally important in the bonsai culture”. He has a large number of fruit plants like apple, plum, cashewnut, pomegranate, guava, fig, sitaphal, cheeku, narangi, bil and many more. He claims with pride, “some of the varieties are not found even in India”. He concentrates on his plants for more than two hours every evening. He is so involved with them that he hardly ever goes out for a holiday. Mr Chakkal says that there is a misconception among people that peepal should not be kept at home, which is wrong. Perhaps peepal is the only tree which gives fresh air equivalent to 10 air-conditioners. The tree gives oxygen at night also. In fact according to Hindu mythology peepal is the place where Bramha, Vishnu and Mahesh reside. It is also used in making a variety of medicines, Mr Chakkal informed. Currently, Mr Chakkal is busy developing a composite plant from seven varieties. These include peepal, bargad, pilkan, neem, gular,
bil, and anaar. This will be the pious plant that is often mentioned in Hindu mythology and to be successful in this endeavour, he has gone through different vedas. The plants collected are not only from Ludhiana but also from Bangalore, Siliguri, Saharanpur and various other hill stations. Whenever he goes out for a day or two, his itinerary always includes few nurseries for searching new
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City in top gear on IT path LIFE is surely changing in a big way here. Eight out of 10 people you meet these days are either working for a website or starting up one. People have fallen in love with it. Information technology is advancing at a break neck pace. Ludhiana is emerging from the industrial society to what sociologists call the information society. We can witness the shift from an industrial economy to a post-industrial one, which is dominated by Information sector. Ludhiana cannot insulate itself from the impact of IT revolution. So high is the magnetism of the Internet that today 80 per cent of the town is reportedly hooked to the worldwide web and their tribe is increasing, says Upender Dikshit, who runs a computer academy. We are moving from analogue to digital technology, from upper to optical fibre systems, from static to mobile communications, says Akshay Bhanot. Yes! Ludhiana has changed and the change is evident. He says educational institutions need to reach their students through e-mail. Enterprises need to share vital business information with workers at all levels for better performance, says Sudir, who’s working in a firm. Information technology is guiding the multimedia communication revolution and the evolution of information, super highways has changed the ways people live, work, play, travel or communicate here. We can be on the road to a success by mastering the cyber world, admits Zena, a student. — Surbhi Bhalla |
Gurjot’s killer confesses to another murder LUDHIANA, June 20—The infamous Gurjot murder case of Dhandaran village, 18 km from here, has taken a new turn with the accused Cheena Pandit confessing to another murder at Phulawal on the night of January 25, 2000. According to the information available from police sources, Cheena Pandit, allegedly under the influence of opium, had also murdered mason Achche Lal. It is learnt that Cheena Pandit was earlier working as a labourer under the deceased when following a minor disagreement he hacked and later strangulated him to death. It is learnt that the deceased owed Cheena Pandit around Rs 1500 of the salary that he paid to the accused. When Cheena Pandit reportedly asked him for this money on the evening of January 25 when the two had stopped at a paan shop, Achche Lal did not relent on the plea that he was himself short of cash. Investigating officer of the sensational murder case of seven-year-old Gurjot, Inspector Maninder Bedi said, "During interrogation the accused confessed that he murdered Achche Lal as he lied to him about not having money and that he had seen a thick wad of notes in Achche Lal's pocket while he was paying the bill at the paan shop. Inspector Bedi also informed that Cheena Pandit and Achche Lal had a scuffle at the shop and only when a few bystanders intervened that the two went their ways. Cheena Pandit is, however, alleged to have followed Achche Lal on his way home to Kiran Vihar Colony. While Achche Lal stopped near the water tank in the colony to smoke a cigarette, Cheena Pandit allegedly hit him on the head with a sickle. He is later believed to have also strangulated the deceased with his muffler to ensure that Achche Lal was done to death. The police informed that after committing the murder, Cheena Pandit too away his watch and Rs 4500 from his pocket and buried the sickle nearby. After his arrest on June 13, in connection with the kidnapping and murder of Gurjot Singh at Dhandaran, the police found out about this murder which had so far been declared as a blind murder case and the sickle used for murder was recovered from near the water tank. The watch of the deceased Achche Lal was recovered from Cheena Pandit. Meanwhile, it is also learnt that Cheena Pandit is an opium addict and the police has recovered 500 gm of opium from him. During his interrogation, he has also confessed to have planned the kidnapping of Gurjot one month before he could actually execute the plan. It is learnt that he had lured Gurjot a few days prior to his kidnapping by promising to buy him a watch if he came to him alone. Interestingly, two days prior to his death Gurjot had also mentioned this to his elder sister, Manpreet. On the fateful day of June 8, Gurjot went to Cheena Pandit to get a watch but Pandit, realising that he did not have enough resources to keep the boy in hiding till the time he received the ransom amount, murdered him.
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Murder case registered LUDHIANA, June 20 — The police has registered a case against Ashok Kumar on the charge of killing a 16-year-old boy in his house at Surinder Bhaiya Da Vehra in Sherpur Market. According to an FIR registered at the Focal Point police station under Section 302 of the IPC, Ashok Kumar murdered Sant Ram on June 18. The case has been registered on the statement of Samai Ram, uncle of the deceased. No arrest has been made by so far. Bags snatched Two miscreants have snatched a bag containing Rs 1500 and a camera from Ramesh Prasad Singh and another bag containing Rs 1000 and few clothes from Santosh Prasad Singh. A case under Section 356 of the IPC has been registered.
Man injured A head constable of the Punjab Police posted at the Civil Hospital was hit by a car at Jagraon bridge, near K.C. Gas Company. A case under Sections 279 and 337 of the IPC has been registered at the Division No 2 police station. |
Cable operators told to get
registered LUDHIANA, June 20 — The district administration has asked all unregistered cable operators in Ludhiana to get themselves registered within five days failing which their equipment would be seized and penal action would be taken against them. Addressing a press conference here yesterday, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.K. Sandhu, revealed that of the 346 cable operators operating within the municipal limits of Ludhiana, only 47 had got themselves registered with the registering authority. He said 299 cable operators were operating their network in contravention of the Cable Transmission Network Regulation Act, 1995, which states, “no person shall operate a cable television network unless he is registered as a cable operator under this Act”. The Deputy Commissioner said all operators had been directed to either register themselves as operators or renew their licences within five days. Mr Sandhu revealed that it had come to the notice of the administration that the equipment used by the operators was of poor quality. He asked the operators to confirm to the provisions of the Act which states that the equipment used should conform to the provisions of the BIS Act, 1986. He revealed that it had come to the notice of the administration that some operators were relaying some programmes by using decoders or specialised gadgets which offended good taste and decency. Such a relay, he pointed out, was in contravention of the Act and asked the operators to stop it immediately. The Deputy Commissioner said the operators telecasting the local advertisements obscure the reception of programmes being aired by various channels, which have become a nuisance. He pointed out the advertisements were allowed only when they are clearly distinguishable from the programme and should in no way interfere with the programme. He asked the operators to stop using the lower part of the screen for carrying such captions static or moving which hinder the programme. |
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IDBI branch launched LUDHIANA, June 20 — The IDBI opened its branch in Ludhiana on Monday. This is the 43rd branch of the bank in the country and the third in Punjab. The branch was inaugurated by Mr
A. A. Khanolkar, senior vice-president of the bank. Talking to reporters, Mr Khanolkar said, the bank operates on a high technology platform, sourced by the best banking technology and software providers in the world and focuses on offering world class products to its clientele. He said, the Ludhiana branch was fully computerised and connected with other branches in the country to provide “anytime, anywhere banking” to customers. The senior vice-president said, the branch will offer a wide range of innovative products such as ‘money save’, saving account ‘money access 24-hour ATM banking, ‘money flex’ a flexible deposit option, ‘money Xpress’ instant electronic transfer of funds and an E-Sec account which allows customers to hold shares in electronic form, as well as money line i.e. anywhere banking. The branch will also provide several loan products like ‘money power’ and instant overdraft facility against fixed deposits, ‘money home-loans’ and corporate salary account management through its ‘money corp’ product. He said, the bank is in the growth mode and will be significantly strengthening its existing branch network to cover more business centres in India. Plans have been drawn up to install more money scholar i.e. educational loans and ‘money equity’ which are loans against demat shares and several other personal loan products. Mr Khanolkar disclosed that the IDBI had introduced the Smart Card scheme at Renukot in Uttar Pradesh. This product offers off site ATMs across the country during the current year. The bank has entered into strategic tie-ups for ATM sharing with the American Express bank and has become a member of the ‘swadhan network’ of ATMs of the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA). Introduced for the first time by a commercial branch in India, ATM will subsequently be launched in other cities, for which a detailed road map has been prepared. Smart Card, an electronic purse that will make cashless transactions a reality will be unique to India and herald the advent of a state-of-the-art transaction process on the Indian banking scene. The senior vice president claimed that the bank had achieved all round growth during the year ended March 31, 2000. Deposits, he said grew by 25 per cent to Rs 3448.17 crore, advances went up by 50 per cent to Rs 1600.7 crore. Net profit also shot up by 99 per cent over the corresponding period in the previous year at Rs 60.98 crore in 1999-2000. The branch has been designed by architect Renu Khanna from
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Taxi stand: a bone of contention LUDHIANA, June 20 — A taxi stand right in front of the Raikhy Cinema on the busy Cinema Road here, which is in existence for a long time now, is involved in a thick controversy with the cinema owner and the taxi operators making contradictory claims, the district and civic administration turning a deaf ear and the traffic police allegedly colluding with the taxi drivers. Vehemently refuting the claims of the Self-Employed Matador Taxi Union which operates a taxi stand between the two main gates of the cinema, the theatre owner, Mr Vikas Raikhy, said in the first place the taxi stand should not have been here and the fact that it had existed at its present location for the past three decades speaks volumes of official indifference and lack of coordination between different departments. On the other hand, the body operating the taxi stand stakes its claim at the site on the basis of an order issued by the District Magistrate in 1971. In the face of stiff opposition by the cinema owner, when they felt that they might be dispossessed under mounting pressure from various quarters, the taxi operators sought judicial relief and obtained a permanent injunction restraining the Municipal Corporation from dispossessing them from the present location. Mr Raikhy contests the claim of the taxi operators and maintains that the orders issued in 1971 which formed the basis of the court orders on the issue early this year had in fact lapsed in 1974 and cites Rule 7.22, sub-section 3 of the Motor Vehicles Rules 1940 which states that any orders declaring a site as temporary taxi stand under these rules would automatically lapse after a period of three years if not renewed thereafter. "That is the reason that no record pertaining to the taxi stand is available in the office of the District Magistrate and the then Magistrate had issued a letter dated Nov 17, 1994 saying "no taxi stand was permitted in front of Raikhy Cinema or elsewhere in the city." Contending that the taxi stand located right in front of the cinema and haphazardly parked vehicles, at times obstructing the entry or exit points, violate not one but many other laws and rules governing the cinema houses and public transport vehicles, Mr Raikhy explains that Rule 33 (ii), 19 v (c) and (d) of the Punjab Cinemas (Regulation) rules 1952 stipulates: "No vehicle shall be parked or allowed to stand in such a way as to obstruct exists or impede the rapid dispersal of the persons accommodated in the building in the event of fire or panic." Moreover, most of the vehicles often parked at the taxi stand are not registered as public transport vehicles and operate in an illegal manner evading road tax due to the state government which such vehicles are liable to pay, points out the cinema owner. He says the state Transport Department and the District Transport Officer had failed to react even after he had repeatedly brought these facts to their notice. Mr Raikhy maintains that the "unauthorised" taxi stand was located on a part of the 82-foot wide public road as shown in part one of the town planning scheme. "Not only the taxi operators are encroaching upon a public road and open space in front of the cinema in violation of a host of laws governing cinema houses, transport vehicles and taxi operators but some of them were allegedly causing nuisance to the cinema management as well as moviegoers but the district administration, civic authorities, the traffic police and the Transport Department had refused to act," laments a dejected cinema owner in a hopeless
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Four kerosene dealers booked LUDHIANA, June 20 — The district administration has registered cases against four kerosene dealers for illegal and unauthorised storage. Disclosing this here today, the Deputy Commissioner Mr S. K. Sandhu, said, following the reports of unauthorised storage of kerosene by the dealers, a team led by the District Food and Supplies Controller, Ludhiana Mr Parven Vij, conducted raids on various dealers. He said during the raids four dealers were found indulging in unauthorised storage of kerosene. Cases have been registered against Sunil Kumar of Kakar Oil Company for hoarding 950 litres of kerosene, Davinder Singh of Aman Oil Store for hoarding 620 litres, Ashwani Kumar of Sheela Oil Store for hoarding 520 litres and Rajinder Kumar of Rana Oil Store for hoarding 200 litres. The officials also raided the premises of Rajinder Karyana Store in New Shivpuri and detected 68 quintals of rice without required license in contravention of the Punjab Trade Article Licensing Order 1992. The rice stocks have been seized and a case has been registered against the dealer for violation of the government order. |
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While a football ground of the Guru Nanak Dev College. The venue of the rally was packed with youths wearing shorts only and braving the scorching heat, the boundary wall of the college and rooftops of the surrounding buildings were replete with anxious parents and curious onlookers of the recruitment process. They had a first-hand experience of the recruitment process as the Army is organising such rallies in non-military areas across the state for the convenience of the candidates who earlier had to travel long distances for the purpose.
