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| Wednesday, August 2, 2000, Chandigarh, India |
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UT-Delhi optical fibre cable link today CHANDIGARH, Aug 1 — If all goes off as planned, long hours of breakdowns on the important northern power grid will be a thing of the past. The country’s first-ever optical fibre cable link between Chandigarh and Delhi — which becomes operational tomorrow — is designed to immediately, automatically and constantly inform engineers stationed in the state load despatch centre (SLDC) here about overdrawals by the power-sharing states, frequency of power besides the exact position and nature of a fault, if any. At the same time it will enable corrective and even “pro-active” action within minutes . The conventional methods used at present consume several hours before some kind of restoration of supply is carried out in the case of a breakdown. India’s first power line optical fibre link between the 66 kv grid sub-station of the Bhakra Beas Management Board, Chandigarh, and the 400 kv grid substation of the Power Grid Corporation at Ballabhgarh, near Delhi, will be opened by the Prime Minister through video conferencing. This link forms a part of the 1,800 km of optical fibre cable being laid for unified load despatch and the communication scheme under execution in seven northern states at an estimated cost of Rs 480 crore. The link will bring the grid on a par with the prevailing international standards in the developed world. This has been made to provide protection to the phase conductors as a regular ground wire, and at the same time provides very high capacity optical circuits. The installation of the cable has been done under live-line conditions without disturbing the power supply even for a minute. Mr L.K. Gupta , Director, SLDC, says the link will constantly maintain and inform engineers all along the grid about 2,000 parameters of power supply. Giving an example he says the link will inform if a need to increase generation arises and hydro machines located hundreds of kilometers away can be started in time. The Power Grid Corporation, which is running a profitable business of transmitting power, will enter the telecom business as a national long-distance operator by forming a joint venture with telecom companies of national or international standing. The corporation will make additional use of its existing power transmission line network for setting up an optical fibre network across the
country. It will entail the laying of 52,000 km of optical fibre, including setting up of a number of tele-stations, at an estimated cost of Rs 5,000 crore. This will not only increase the tele density in the country but will also accelerate the application of information technology in urban and rural areas. A three-pronged strategy has been drawn up with the help of renowned international consultants, IVO Power Engineering, Finland, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, UK, and Simons, UK. The network will be laid in two phases. Phase I envisages load despatch and communication schemes which will link major cities in the northern and southern regions. Phase II envisages the installation of an additional 10,000 km of optical fibre cables connecting 56 cities, including the state capitals, by 2002. However, some of the major cities like Varanasi, Agra, Lucknow, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore will be connected by 2001. The Secretary, BBMB, Mr K.V.S. Thakur, says the BBMB despatch centre will be the first computerised load despatch centre in the country. The complete system will be commissioned by March, 2001, and the next in line is the Chandigarh-Shimla link. The unified scheme is one of the largest schemes of its kind in the world and is being commissioned ahead of schedule. It will immensely benefit consumers in the area. |
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Greeting them even after death CHANDIGARH, Aug 1 — If your family were to receive a birthday greeting card consistently every year for 10 years after the death of that family member how would your family feel? Odd hurt or angered? This is exactly how the Panjab University Alumni Association was greeting some of its members till just a year ago. Panjab University is one of the pioneering educational institutions of pre-Partition India and in its 118-year life has contributed to society, the nation and the world through its students who have gone on to become statesmen, educationists, artists and professionals. The university and its affiliated colleges on an average enrols more than a lakh students for graduate courses and more than 14,000 for postgraduate courses per year. In the past 118 years the number of former students of the university should be in millions. Now comes the sad part. The association in Chandigarh has not more than 2,000 members even when it is almost as old as the university itself. The list of the 2000-odd members had never been updated and all that the office of the Dean, Alumni Relations in the university did was send birthday greeting cards to these members each year and write the odd letter once in a while. Many people responded with updates on the members’ status, but this information was also not incorporated. So much for the “relations” the university maintained with its alumni. Things only started looking up last year when the whole office of the Dean Alumni Relations, was overhauled by the new DAR and work began in earnest to change things in the association. The most prominent and immediate issue was the pending construction of the Alumni House. Mr N.R. Puri, who had agreed to bear the entire cost of construction, was requested to start the work as soon as possible. A computerised data base was created to update all information regarding the members. A membership drive was also started to invite the alumni of the university to become members. The office also created an interactive website of the university for getting in touch with more university graduates. The alumni are one of the most untapped sources of much-needed funds for the university and although concrete steps have been taken to start this process, a lot needs to be done. One of the major achievements in this direction has been the offer of Prof Rajiv Rai Sant from Minnesota University, USA, to institute a Chair Professorship in the university. |
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Tripura Police to recruit local youth CHANDIGARH, Aug 1 — The Tripura State Rifles and the Tripura Police have decided to recruit eligible youth from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and the Chandigarh riflemen and enrolled followers. A recruitment team from Agartala has already arrived in the city to hold a major recruitment rally in the city from August 5 to 9. The venue of the rally will be the CRPF complex at Hallomajra. A few hundred riflemen and enrolled followers will be recruited during the five-day rally. The Tripura Government has recently taken a policy decision to reserve 25 per cent of jobs in both the Tripura State Rifles and the Tripura Police for eligible youth from outside the state and throughout the country. Initially, the rally for riflemen and enrolled followers was planned for Jaipur. A last-minute change saw the venue of the rally being shifted to Chandigarh. In fact, the Tripura Government had opened the doors to outsiders when it sent its recruitment team to Punjab and other parts of northern India in October last year. At that time some 20-odd Sub Inspectors, Head Constables and Havildars were recruited from the region. Those recruited then are at present undergoing training at Agartala Police Training School and would be soon inducted in both the Tripura State Rifles and the Tripura Police. After the success of the October experiment, the state government has now decided to recruit riflemen and enrolled followers from northern India. The Tripura Government has also relaxed recruitment norms for eligible candidates from other parts of the country, including northern states and union territories. The minimum educational qualification for recruitment as rifleman is middle. For enrolled followers, those who have cleared fifth standard are eligible for recruitment. Those who are between 18 and 21 years of age, are 5 ft 6 inches tall and have a chest of 31 inches normal and 33 inches after expansion are eligible for recruitment as riflemen. There is no physical fitness criteria for those seeking jobs as enrolled followers except the age and educational qualification. The eligibility criteria for recruitment to any other state police force or paramilitary force, including the Border Security Force and the Central Reserve Police Force, is slightly tougher. The minimum educational qualification elsewhere for recruitment as a rifleman is matriculation. The minimum height required is 5 ft 7 inches and the minimum chest measurement required is 32 inches without expansion and 34 inches after expansion. The starting salary for a rifleman comes to about Rs 4300 a month. The Tripura Police is looking for some drivers, plumbers and masons for recruitment as riflemen while in the category of enrolled followers, washermen, barbers, cooks and others would be preferred. |
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Reconsider selection, HC tells PGI CHANDIGARH, Pronouncing the orders in the open court, the Bench, comprising Mr Justice R.S. Mongia and Mr Justice K.C. Gupta, observed: “If no meeting of the governing body is fixed within the next one month, then it may be convened”. The Bench concluded that “If it were permissible under law to consider the matter by the members of the governing body by circulation, the PGI would be at liberty to resort to that method”. The Bench also directed the handing over of the order’s copy to the PGI’s standing counsel, Mr Anil Malhotra. In his petition, Dr Singh had contended that he had applied for the post but was not selected by the selection committee in November 1999. The governing body, he added, decided to refer the matter to the selection committee for reconsideration whether there was any documentation of gross indiscipline against him. He also stated that after the office of PGI reported that neither a charge sheet was served on the petitioner nor were their any disciplinary proceedings contemplated against him, the matter was reconsidered by the selection committee and he was selected on January 6. The governing body, however, did not approve his selection, he added. Mr Malhotra stated that no reason was required to be given by the governing body for not accepting the recommendations of the selection committee and, therefore, there was nothing wrong with their rejecting the recommendations. |
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Traffic cops to paint truck
numbers CHANDIGARH,
There has been a tendency on the part of truck drivers to either sport flashy number plates or display these at inconspicuous places. The most common is hanging it below the body at the rear, which is often covered with mud or dust. As such, it is difficult to note down the number in case of an accident. Elaborating on the drive, the UT IGP, Mr B.S. Bassi, said it was a major problem since the number plates on a majority of the vehicles did not confirm to specifications and were not readable from a distance. The problem arises in case of accidents, since it is almost impossible to jot down the number. The traffic wing will get some good-quality stencils made and will hire the services of painters. All commercial vehicles which pass through the city will be covered under the drive. The registration number will be boldly painted on the sides of the truck and at the rear part of the body on the upper side. This will ensure greater visibility from all sides at a distance. Mr Bassi, pointed out that their aim was not to harass anyone, but to act in larger pubic interest. Those found tampering with the painted numbers would be strictly dealt with, he stressed. He said preparations were on and the drive would begin in the next few days. A meeting of the representatives of truck unions had also been called to spell out the objectives and to seek their cooperation in the drive, he said. |
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Cultural vibes across
borders CHANDIGARH,
Tomorrow, youths from 12 countries who have been studying in India at
various colleges or the PU, will get together at Tagore Theatre to reflect upon and represent their own lands vis-a-vis India. The valedictory international evening being held here tomorrow comes as part of Rotary’s concern to fulfil its responsibility towards international service. The students, who will perform in pairs, have been chosen with the help of the President, Foreign Students Association, Mr Prashant
Banerjee. The interesting part of the evening will be when each of the performers will have an exclusive six-minute slot, during which he will have a chance to present his culture to the audience. The student will start with describing his nation, then the national dress and its roots, followed by a cultural item from his land. The last part will be the interactive part where the performer will quiz the audience about his country and the audience will quiz the performer about India. Towards the end, all the participants will light candles as a symbol of universal brotherhood. “The project is the first of its kind and attempts to give international students a chance to open up. They have long been staying in this city and must by now, feel close to its culture,” said Capt Mohni Kahlon, former President of the club. When The Tribune caught up with some of the foreign students this morning at Tagore Theatre, where they were rehearsing for tomorrow’s performance, one could already smell the enthusiasm in the air. Quipped Gerald, a student of the GCM, Sector 11, who is representing Uganda, along with Damanie, a GCG-11 student, “There is nothing better than such an exchange. We will have a wonderful opportunity to interact with people of a different culture and if we could take back even a fraction of warmth we received here, back home, we will feel that our stay in India was a success.” Similar were the opinions of Jackie and Msiga who are going to represent Kenya tomorrow. They will inform the public about a war tribe of their land. Tibet will be represented by Norbu and Lhakpa, Thialand by Saran (a PhD Fine Arts student at PU) and Boonchoa (a PhD Education student at PU), Kazakhastan by Jannar and Jannat (both ex-students of the GCG-11). Interaction with the participants, most of whom were in their national attires, revealed how strongly they felt about India. All of them said that they were greatly overwhelmed by Indian culture and wanted to portray their culture before Indians. Most of the performances include dances and songs. Another feature of the evening will be Indian folk dances interspersed on the performances by foreigners. “There will be kathak performance by Neha Tayal, apart from Indian classical and Punjabi folk performances by the group “The Legend,” informed Kavita Sobti who is choreographing the show. |
Khadi workers begin nationwide
protest CHANDIGARH,
The khadi workers assembled outside Khadi Ashram in Sector 17 and announced that all khadi ashrams in the country would remain closed till August 8, to protest against the indifferent attitude of the government towards the genuine demands of the khadi workers. workers squatted on the floor and spun yarn to register their protest. They alleged that on account of the policies of the government, over five lakh weavers were on the verge of unemployment. And the sale of khadi products had registered a decline during the past three years. In a representation to the Prime Minister, they urged him to reconstitute a gramudyog commission, which had not been constituted for several months. They also demanded the announcement of a five-year plan for the khadi sector. More financial assistance for the khadi sector in the budget was also demanded in the representation. They alleged that due to the uncertain policy regarding rebates, business of the khadi organisations had been severely affected. It demanded a clear-cut five-year plan for rebate. Since khadi was a non-polluting and labour-intensive industry, it should be beyond the
jurisdiction of the labour laws. Interest-free working capital for khadi projects, suspension of recovery of surplus capital and bank loans for the next three years were the other demands highlighted in the representation. |
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UN Year of dialogue
among civilisations CHANDIGARH,
The World Association for Development of Philately has also endorsed the proposal. All postal administrations of member countries of UPU have been asked to organise a nationwide competition for design of the stamp and submit the winning designing to the International Bureau (IB). The IB in turn is to submit the winning national design to a special International Jury. The design finally selected by the IB will figure on the postage stamps issued by all the participating countries to mark the Year of Dialogue Among Civilisations. The date for issue of this stamp would be October 9, 2001 (World Post Day). The entries for the competition are being called for by the Chief Postmaster General, Punjab Circle, Sandesh Bhavan, Chandigarh-160017. The last date for the receipt of entry form is August 7, 2000. |
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Gurpurb celebrated
CHANDIGARH,
The students participated in shabad gyan followed by ardas and hukamnama. |
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‘Concentrate on population control’ CHANDIGARH, Lauding the humanitarian work done by the club, the Finance Minister, urged the rotarians to concentrate on major projects like population control. “The country is standing on the threshold of a population explosion. Denial of opportunities could lead to a very serious law and order situation,” he cautioned. Mr Luthra, while outlining the plans for his term, said that a Rotary community corps would be formed for uplift programmes like health and hygiene in Chhoti Perch village. “A training programme for the village women will be held where they will be given training in sewing and other vocations,” he said. Rotary Shivalik will also assist the YTTS, an NGO running a school for street children and the mentally and physically challenged. On the occasion, prosthetic aids were given to two students of the Pustak Foundation, a project under the YTTS. The other plans include building funeral pyres at cremation grounds and a micro-loan project for promoting self-employment among rural youth. The outgoing President, Mr Dharinder Tayal, gave details of the projects carried out during his tenure. These included continuation of the $ 25,000 project, Gift of Life and the $ 4000 project, Hope as well as holding hepatitis B vaccination camps and the pulse polio drives.
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‘Operation clean and green’
launched PANCHKULA, Aug 1 — Having initiated a project for making a model sector in the city, the Residents Welfare Association of Sector 12 has adopted the slogan of “operation clean and green” and launched a drive to plant trees in their sector. The two sites adopted for the purpose include the area along the nullah and the other adjacent to the T junction of Sectors 12, 11 and 4 which has been transformed into a park after it was adopted by the residents. Clearing of dumps of malba, levelling of the area, fencing and installation of gates was undertaken by the residents themselves from a common pool of contributions made by them. The president of the association, Col Sham Singh, said the officials of the Haryana Urban Development Authority had gone out of their way to make the drive a success. While the Horticulture Department had provided saplings for the drive, the roads’ division came to the rescue of the residents for clearing of malba, filling up of low lying ground and raising it to kuccha link road along the park. Further plans of the association include mass plantation of fragrance plants all along the nullah to drown the foul smell and to give a facelift. “To be named ‘smriti van’ at a later stage, each tree will be adopted by a family and named after one of its members. The family will be responsible for maintenance and ‘each one, plant one’ will be our new slogan in the scheme of things to come,” he added. The General Secretary of the association, Mr Dalip Katyal, said in previous years also the members had adopted two sites and planted trees. As many as 90 per cent had survived only because of personal attention and proper care of each one of them. Meanwhile, at a function organised at Government Primary School, Sector 4, the vanamahotsava was celebrated with the plantation of five kinds of 100 plants and congress grass was uprooted in the entire locality. Speaking at the function, Mr Jogi Ram, Superintending Engineer, HUDA, said that in an effort to make the city
greener, all sector welfare associations could approach the Horticulture Department and put forward their demand for saplings which would be planted by HUDA. |
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Hingoli councillors laud
MC CHANDIGARH, Aug 1 — A delegation of councillors from Hingoli, headed by Mayor, Ms Anjali Arun Paturkar, today met the Chandigarh Mayor, Ms Shanta Ahbilashi, the councillors and officers of the civic body. The delegation, which reached here yesterday on a study tour, was informed about the planning and development of Chandigarh and working of the various departments of the corporation as also about the budget allocations and revenue receipts. The corporators from Hingoli lauded the works of the horticulture wing, pertaining to the development and maintenance of gardens, parks and green belts. Impressed with the underground drainage and sewerage and developmental works of the Public Health wing of the civic body. The delegates expressed desire to develop Hingoli on the pattern of Chandigarh. Apart from Ms Paturkar, the other members of the delegation are Mr Shambher Singh, Mr Dilip Chavan, Ms Manisha Gogate, Mr Om Prakash Dhanmane, Mr Ashok Naik, Mr Sheikh Shakil and Mr Babarao Bangar. Hailed: The Congress councillor, Ms Satinder Dhawan, has appreciated the proposal of the Chandigarh Housing Board(CHB) to allot tenements in the names of husband and wife jointly. In a statement here, she termed the proposal as meaningful and a positive step towards gender equality. This would certainly raise the status of women in the family as the husband would not be able to sell property on his own. Ms Dhawan, who is also the president of the Mahila Nayay Samiti, hoped that the scheme would check illegal sale of the allotted property. She urged the Chandigarh Administration to draft a policy soon in this regard. |
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Highest rainfall in 5
years CHANDIGARH, Aug 1 — Rainfall in the city during the months of June and July this year has been the maximum ever recorded in the past five years. Already, the city has received a whopping 69 centimetre of rain in 61 days of the monsoon that is calculated from June 1 to September 30. This time, the rain is 26 centimetre above average for this period. In June the rainfall had been 25 centimetre while in July it was 44 centimetre. The Director of the local meteorological office, Mr S.C. Bhan, says rain this year has been in excess, however, this is nothing new, as the city had received 63 centimetre of rain in 1994 also. No particular reason can be assigned to this deluge, he said, while adding that continuous rain in Chandigarh on July 17 that broke a 45-year-old record for maximum rainfall in a single day, could have also added to the statistics of rain in these two months. It had rained 26.2 centimetre, between 8.30 am on July 17 and 8.30 am on July 18. The highest recorded rainfall for a span of 24 hours previously was on September 26, 1955 when it had rained 234.9 millimetres, or 23.4 centimetres. This has also been the third year in succession when rainfall in June and July was more than 50 centimetre i.e. almost 7 centimetre above average. |
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Inner Wheel Club
chief installed CHANDIGARH,
She stressed on empowerment of women at the grass-roots levels. Mrs Sharma said that women empowerment, literacy and poverty alleviation were some of the areas which needed immediate action. Mr Vivek Sood was installed as President of the Rotaract Club of Chandigarh, Rotary's partner in service. |
Sector 45 resident killed in accident CHANDIGARH, According to police sources, scooterist Benny Joseph was travelling with his wife, Minnie, and their two-year-old daughter, Biman, and one-year-old son, Benjamain, when they were hit by a speeding truck. While Benny died on the spot, his wife was rushed to hospital where her condition is stated to be serious. The children were also hurt but are out of danger. The truck driver, Maghar Singh, a resident of Mohali, has been arrested and booked under Sections 279, 337 and 304-A of the IPC. Stabbed: One arrested: Kidnapped: Drinking charge: TV set stolen: Gambling: Scooter stolen:
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Cops beat up scribe SAS NAGAR, At a joint meeting held here, members of the Chandigarh Journalists Association and the Mohali Working Journalists Association demanded the registration of an FIR and action against the guilty police personnel. Mr Sarvmeet Singh told all those present at the meeting that he was coming back from his office in Chandigarh at about 11.15 p.m. on July 31 when he saw a naka near Yadavindra Public School here where the police personnel had stopped some persons. He stopped to enquire from the policemen what had happened. Instead of giving any proper reply, the policemen allegedly started misbehaving with him. As things hotted up, a police Gypsy came there with about four more police personnel. They allegedly threw him in the Gypsy, removed his turban and took him to the Phase VIII police station where he was beaten up. He went through hours of mental and physical torture. Mr Sarvmeet Singh alleged that the staff at the police station did not allow him to contact anyone on telephone. It was only from Civil Hospital, where he had been taken for a medical examination, that he was able to contact his colleagues who later got him released at about 4 a.m. After the meeting, members of both associations met the SP, Mr B.S. Randhawa. Mr Randhawa ordered a medical examination of Mr Sarvmeet Singh. He also said he would inquire into the incident and take action. The Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr G.P.S. Bhullar, said the Superintendent of Police (Detective), Ropar, would inquire into the matter and submit his report tomorrow. He said if any police officials were found guilty in the case suitable action would be taken against them. |
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Medical Officer fires
shots in air CHANDIGARH, Aug 1 — Tension gripped the area around the cattle pond in the Industrial Area when the UT Medical Officer of Health (MOH) of the local Municipal Corporation, Dr S.S. Cheema, reportedly fired a couple of shots in the air from his personal revolver on Sunday night. According to sources, the officer had gone on a surprise check following reports of irregularities by the staff of the cattle pond. The staff is said to have resented the check and raised slogans against the officer, following which he reportedly fired in the air. A complaint was filed in this regard with the Industrial Area police station by the employees union. Today, Dr Cheema and the complainants were summoned to the police station for investigations. Meanwhile, the civic body staff staged a dharna in front of the office of the MOH. Sources revealed that a compromise is being worked out between both the parties while the police has not registered a case. |
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4,264 vehicles
challaned CHANDIGARH,
According to figures provided by the traffic police, 210 vehicles were impounded, while 134 were towed away. A majority of the vehicles, 1,020, were heavy transport vehicles or light commercial vehicles, 22 were private buses, 45 government buses and 157-three wheelers. As far as violations were concerned, 773 of the vehicles were plying without back lights or brake lights and 656 were plying with defective indicators. The drive was carried out under the supervision of Mr Balbir Singh, SP, Traffic, and Mr S.S. Randhawa, DSP, Traffic. |
JAC supports Punwire
employees SAS NAGAR,
Members of the unions of Godrej, PCL, JCT and other industrial units took part in the rally. The minister was not at his house when the procession reached there. Addressing the rally, Mr Saheed Ahmed, General Secretary of the Punwire Employees Union, said the issue of Punwire should be a matter of concern for the entire country. He said a rally was being held in Sector 17 of Chandigarh on August 10, in which all trade unions and representatives of political parties would take part. He charged the Badal government of not coming to the rescue of the unit, which had been showing profit for the past 22 years. During the Congress regime, the unit was in profit, but with the Badal government taking over the reins of the state, the unit started making losses. The employees demanded that the factory be restarted at all costs. |
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Sandhu heads
management panel SAS NAGAR,
A notification in this regard was recently issued by the Governor of Punjab. The IMCs — constituted at ITIs throughout Punjab — would help improve the interaction between the industry and the institute. The IMCs would look after admission process, examination, training to students, faculty development, placement of passed students, curricular revamping, equipment maintenance and capital expenditure. The other members of the IMC are Mr JS Bhatia, Additional Director, CEDTI, SAS Nagar, Mr SK Sethi, Ms Amar Deepika, and representatives of different departments related with the industry. |
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