The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

Private candidates protest boards decision
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, Oct 17 — The private candidates who opted for practicals in the humanities stream of the Senior Secondary School Examination of the Punjab School Education Board, scheduled to be held in March 2001, have protested against a decision of the board of not allowing the private candidates to opt for practical subjects.

In a representation to the Chairman of the board several girl students of Ferozepore district have said that when they had filled the examination form on the basis of the syllabi released by the board for the year 2000-2001. The students said they were already taking training for the practicals from approved institutions. The students have urged the Chairman to allow them to appear as per the earlier practise, as the new decision was taken mid term.

Vocational centre inaugurated
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Oct 17 — A vocational training centre was inaugurated by the Director, Social Welfare, UT Ms Madhavi Kataria, today at Sarangpur, village It is jointly adopted by Rotary Club Midtown Chandigarh, Inner Wheel Club of Regional Midtown, Regional Resource Centre (RRC) of Panjab University and Social Welfare Chandigarh.

Ms Kataria also released a book ‘Aao silayi sikhen’ prepared by the RRC and announced grant to run the vocational centre.

Dr Vanita Gupta, president Rotary Club, Chandigarh (Midtown) in her welcome address announced various vocational training skill programmes which are being launched by club today.

Ms Manjeet Paintal, Director, Regional Resource Centre stressed the need for the promotion of vocational skills for self-reliance and self employment.

Mr B.S. Dhaliwal, District Savings Officer, Chandigarh Administration, introduced the National Saving Scheme to the audience.

Children of Government High School Sarangpur and neo-literate presented cultural programme on the theme of adult literacy.

There was an exhibition of teaching-learning material prepared by the regional centre for the neo-literates. The training centre is located in the heart of the village.

The principal of the school, Dr Brij Shukla thanked the gathering.

The vocational courses includes training of students for six months in two batches. One batch will learn skills in tailoring with embroidery and others will attend electricians courses.

Name games in PU elections
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 17 — Elections to the Panjab University Campus Students Council, today, took a ‘funny’ turn with the naming of a candidate, for the president’s post, whose name happened to be the same as that of another candidate.

Bhupinder Singh ‘Bhuppi’ is contesting for the post from the PUSU-HSA-ABVP panel. The last date for the scrutiny of papers, today, saw another Bhupinder ‘Bhuppi’ in the contest. Already Bhupinder from the PUSU-HSA-ABVP panel is facing Bhupinder Beniwal from the SOPU front.

The filing of papers for the top post is being described as an election tool for marginalisation of the opponents’ votes. The students also met the university tribunal to decide the issue.

It was pointed out that even if the university allowed the rival ‘ Bhuppi’ to affix the same title to his name, it should make certain prominent changes in the ballot paper for identification of the candidate. This could be specifying the respective departments.

SOPU denies any link with the candidature of Bhupinder from the History Department. He is said to have contested the elections last time too. He lost the council elections because he just polled 11 votes. However, he was elected as the department representative.

AISSF backs coalition in PU elections
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 17 —The local unit of the All India Sikh Student Federation (Badal), in a press conference here today, expressed support for the PUSU-HSA-ABVP panel in the elections to the Panjab University Campus Students Council.

Ravinder Singh Jolly, president of the federation said that issue for the Punjabi courses as a separate department was the main issue. Dr Manjit Singh Bhoma, the national president, will also visit the campus. The federation has also cleared its stand on the falling academic issues which need immediate correction.

Chand Singh Madaan, chairman of the Haryana Students Association, said that the panel manifesto which was to be declared today had been deferred by a day because of the new alliance. Slight changes were desired in the manifesto with the inclusion of new demands. The manifesto will likely be declared tomorrow, Chand Madaan added.

Another party worker said that Beniwal, the presidential candidate from the rival group had a background of close encounters with the police. “He said yesterday that he would not contest elections incase he was named in a ‘stripping’ FIR,” a party worker said.

However sources close to Beniwal said that “he was not named in the proceedings of the ‘stripping’ case. The campaigning of the rival group was malafide.”

The police records do have a record naming Beniwal in the ‘stripping’ case at the Students Centre, but, “only the authorities can best clarify the case”, the student added.

COURTS

Judicial remand for woman
From Our Correspondent

KHARAR, Oct 17 — Mrs Harinder Sidhu, Judicial Magistrate, Kharar yesterday remanded Mrs Hareet Kaur, a resident of Chajumajra Colony village in judicial remand till October 25 on the charge of burning her husband.

The police had registered a case under Section 307 IPC against Hareet Kaur on the statement of Mr Nazar Singh which was recorded by the Duty Magistrate at the PGI, Chandigarh, on October 15.

DIG told to probe shackling case
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Oct 17 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the ADGP to supervise the inquiry being held by the DIG, Patiala, Range, into the alleged custody of Harbhajan Singh, a resident of Gaggarwal village in Fatehgarh district. He was allegedly kept in illegal custody at Kheri Naur Singh police station and escaped from there with his left leg shackled.

Harbhajan Singh, accompanied by his wife, Gurinder Kaur, had appeared in High Court last week with one of his legs in shackles. The High Court had then ordered an inquiry.

Punjab’s Advocate-General H.S. Mattewal told Mr Amar Dutt that a case under Sections 392 and 34 (illegal detention and criminal conspiracy) had been registered. He had been arrested and released on bail as the offence was bailable, Mr Justice Dutt directed the DGP to transfer DSP Gurpreet Singh and ASI Malkiat Singh of Khamano police station to some “distant place” so that he could not influence the inquiry.

Mr Justice Dutt also allowed Harbhajan Singh to go to his native place, Khara, in Ropar where he had been living in a rented house and directed the SSP, Ropar, to take care of Harbhajan’s security.

Mr Justice Dutt, however, ordered Harbhajan’s wife to be lodged at Nari Niketan in Chandigarh. The case has been adjourned to Friday.

Plea against Army discharge dismissed

A Division Bench of High Court today dismissed a petition filed by Lance-Naik R. Rajesh belonging to the Corps of Military Police challenging his discharge from the Army on the ground of being surplus in the permanent low medical category.

It was contended by counsel R.S. Manhas that after the petitioner had an accident while on duty he was placed in low medical category in 1997 and that despite an improvement in his medical condition, he was being discharged without awaiting the result of his medical board due in August 2001. It was averred that the petitioner was fit to undertake any assignment in all climatic conditions in all types of terrain. The petitioner, therefore, should have been allowed to complete 15 years of service to qualify for pensionary benefits under the Army regulations.

On behalf of the Army authorities it was urged by Mr Anil Malhotra that of the surplus manpower consisting of 784 Junior Commissioned Officers and other ranks of military police category, all appointments of permanent low medical category personnel having 15 years’ service, in case of JCOs, and 10 years service of other ranks, had been withdrawn by the Army. Consequently, 145 JCOs and other ranks of Military Police Personnel were being discharged from service with effect from October 31 and financial benefits admissible to low medical category personnel who have not completed 15 years service would be paid.

The court held that discharge order did not suffer from any infirmity in as much that personnel placed in low medical category were being discharged and no junior persons of the category had been retained and thus there was no discrimination.

PMET verdict reserved

A Division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Arun B Saharya and Mr Justice V.K. Bali today reserved its judgement in the PMET case challenging the Punjab Government’s notification making certain amendment in the admission procured by which students studying in the schools and colleges of Chandigarh have been debarred from taking the test.

Mr Damandeep Singh Makkar and other students had challenged the decision of the Single Bench in July.

Goyal withdraws bail plea
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Oct 17 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today allowed UT Superintendent K.B. Goyal to withdraw his bail application.

An alleged accomplice of former UT Home Secretary N.K. Jain was arrested by the CBI in an alleged bribe case under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to prosecution K.B. Goyal had been a conduit of Mr Jain, collecting money on his behalf.

Mr Justice Surinder Singh Nijjar permitted counsel for Goyal to withdraw his bail application after the counsel understood the trend of the court which had made up its mind to dismiss the bail application saying that the High Court had already dismissed the bail plea of Mr Jain.

Following this counsel for Goyal made a request to withdraw the bail plea and Mr Justice Nijjar permitted the same.

Life term in rape, murder case
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Oct 17 — Anil Kumar, a resident of Bihar, was sentenced to life imprisonment today by the UT District and Sessions Judge, Mr H.S. Bhalla, in a murder case.

It was alleged that the accused had allegedly raped and murdered a minor five-year-old girl of city. The case against the accused had been registered under Sections 376, 302 of the IPC on May 12, 1996, in Sector 31 police station.

The father of the girl had lodged a report about 10.10 p.m. in Sector 31, police station alleging that the girl after taking her meals at about 8 p.m. went out of the house and not returned till the lodging of the report.

On May 12, 1996, victim’s uncle found her body near Sector 47. He found the wound marks on her body.

The defence counsel argued that the accused was young and sole bread earner of the family and had old parents so he had deserved leniency.

The judge observed that the accused had committed a serious crime, he had raped a minor girl and then murdered her, therefore, he did not deserve any leniency. The judge sentenced the accused to life imprisonment on murder charges under Section 302 of the IPC and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 and seven year’s rigorous imprisonment on the rape charge under Section 376 of the IPC and a fine of Rs 10,000.

Plea dismissed

The UT Additional District and Sessions Judge, dismissed the interim bail plea moved by Anurag Gupta, one of the accused in the Panjab University, mathematics department, paper leak case.

Former Controller of Examination, Sodhi Ram, Anurag Gupta and three others, besides the accused had been arrested for their alleged involvement in the case.

The UT Judge had earlier adjourned the case filed by the CBI against Sodhi Ram, and others till November 11.

Lawyers: notify mode of cess payment
From Our Correspondent

KHARAR, Oct 17 — The District Tax Bar Association, Ropar, has demanded that the Punjab Government should notify the mode and procedure to deposit the social security cess in cash imposed in April this year to save the payees from harassment and inconvenience.

Mr J.P. Dhiman, president of the association and a local taxation lawyer had written a letter in this regard to the Secretary, Department of Legal and Legislative Affairs, yesterday.

Mr Dhiman had written that the department vide notification dated April 11, 2000, had imposed the social security cess at 10 per cent of the sale/purchase value (subsequently amended to 10 per cent of the tax payable) upon the dealers who are registered under the Punjab General Sales Tax Act, 1948.

He said how the cess was to be deposited had not been made clear deposit of this cess. But according to a news published in newspapers the payees were asked to deposit the cess in the form of crossed cheques/demand drafts in the name of the Secretary Social Security Women and Children Development Punjab.

He has demanded that the Excise and Taxation Department be directed to receive the sales tax returns without the deposit of this cess till rules were framed by the department.

CULTURE

Showcasing the festive spirit of India
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 17 — Artists from all over the country have responded hugely to the call of Bank of Punjab which is all set to give meaning to its fourth annual art exhibition. A yearly feature this, the exhibition has gained a lot of ground during the past four years, and now it is rated as one of the major platforms for budding artists.

This year’s theme, fairs and festivals, attracted a number of works, and the jury comprising Dr B.N. Goswamy and Mr Prem Singh had a tough time shortlisting the exhibits out of about 200 collections. Informed Mr Prem Singh, principal, College of Arts, Sector 10, “We have received over 200 works out of which we have short-listed about 70 for being exhibited at the gallery here.”

The works have already been mounted and the exhibition will go on till October 23, the final day which will be marked by a special award conferring ceremony. There are four awards in this contest. One award worth Rs 20,000 has been instituted in the memory of the founder of the Bank. Apart from this, there will be four other awards of Rs 10,000 each.

The entries have been received from UP, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Each artist was allowed to submit two exhibits on the themes of fairs and festivals.

The collection, is impressive — both in the sense of the colours employed as also in the sense of the richness of culture displayed. The [participants have virtually transformed the art gallery into a live celebration scene. The festivities covered are wide ranging from Divali and Dasehra to Hola Mohalla and Baisakhi.

Teej also seems to have dominated the minds of many an artist and they have painted women at their graceful best swinging away to glory. The focus has mainly been on Divali and at places on the age old ritual of Karva Chauth.

Southern India is also reflected in various works, some in which the artist has captured the zeal of the Onam boat festival and others where the Durga poojan has been taken as the theme of portrayal. The grandeur of Rajasthan comes alive in a massive painting on Makar Sankranti.

Some painters have concentrated on nature as a festival in itself and have painted its various manifestations right from flowers to the sun.