EDUCATION

‘Laser promises new vistas in science’
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 4 — “Theory indicates development of new versions of laser which promise new vistas in science”, said Prof B.M. Deb, Chairperson of the Department of Chemistry, Panjab University, while talking to The Tribune on the concluding day of the three-day conference organised by the Chemical Research Society of India, here today.

“These Lasers do not exist but the research work promises new developments. India, however, lags behind on providing expenditure for buying state of art apparatus. The department has an exclusive group at work on the issue. There are negligent works reported elsewhere in the country”, Prof Deb added.

One important issue was that leading countries in the laser technology would not be open to impart their state of art technology to outsiders. India has to attempt to make self attained success in this direction, he said.

The concluding day also saw announcement for the best entries in the posters category. Amita Wadhera and Gurmeet Kaur Nanda, both from Panjab University, were the winners. Another prize was awarded to Samrat Mukhopadhaya from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, for his work in organic chemistry.

The next conference of the CRSI is scheduled at the National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, from February 1 to February 3, 2002.

Tejinder Sondhi from the local Sacred Heart was given a prize for excellence in teaching. Dr Harjinder Singh Laltu was awarded the young scientist award. The conference, this time decided that young scientist will be picked from among scientists in the area which hosts the conference annually. The conference witnessed 31 medal lectures apart from the eminent chemist C.N.R. Rao on “ Chemistry”at DAV College, Sector 10.

Professor Deb said that suggestions had been to the CRSI that papers in the conference be published in a book form. No decision has been taken on this account but the Indian Academy of Sciences will publish important papers.

COURTS

HUDA ordered to pay compensation
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Feb 4 — The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has ordered the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) to pay interest compensation at the rate of 12 per cent from the date of deposit till offer of possession and waive off interest on delayed payment to Mr B.S. Dhillon, a resident of Delhi.

In his complaint, Mr Dhillon had stated that he was allotted a plot in Sector 23, Sonepat, and he had deposited Rs 1,91,969 up to February 1998, but failed to get physical possession of the plot despite several visits.

On his visit to the site, he found that development work had not commenced so he demanded that the interest on delayed instalments be waived off.

Upon notice, HUDA, in its written statement, said that the possession was offered in March, 1999, but Mr Dhillon took it in October 1999. It was added that he had not made the payment of instalments and enhanced compensation on due dates.

In its order, the bench observed that though the amount was deposited by February 1998, physical possession was not given till March 1999. It added that it was specifically alleged that the development works were incomplete which went unchallenged by HUDA.

"As such, there is no room for doubt that the possession of the plot could not be offered to the complainant within a reasonable period of three years owing to non-completion of development works,'' the order stated.

The bench held that by doing so and charging interest on delayed payment before the offer of possession, HUDA had been in deficient services. 

DISTRICT COURTS
Six months RI for adulteration
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Feb 4 — The UT Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Sant Parkash, yesterday sentenced Kumar Chand and Vinod Kumar to six months rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1000 under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act.

It was alleged that a food inspector had inspected the premises of Kumar Chand, at about 11 a.m on May 25, 1995. The accused was having about 100 packets of super pasteurised standardised milk in his possession for sale. It was alleged that these packets were manufactured by Vinod Kumar.

The inspector purchased three packets of the milk, by paying Rs 15.75. The sample was sent to an analyst. As per report the sample was found deficient in milk fat and solids.

NDPS case

The UT Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr R.C Godara, dismissed the bail application moved by Sanjay Kumar, in an NDPS case. The case against the accused had been registered under Section 21 of the NDPS Act on January 22, in police station west.

It was alleged that the city police had recovered 2.80 gm smack from the accused.

The UT Additional District and Sessions Judge, Ms Sneh Parshar, dismissed the appeal of four city residents. The four Sadhu Ram, Om Parkash, Pawan Kumar, Rajesh Kumar, had filed an appeal against the order of the Judicial Magistrate (First Class).

The Magistrate had sentenced one year rigorous imprisonment to four city residents. It was alleged that the court had sent bailiff, Ram Lal, to execute the warrant for attachment of property worth Rs 25, 000 for the Sector 7, Sadhu Ram and Sons Company. It was alleged that instead of giving amount to the bailiff, the four accused had beaten and assaulted him. Then the case against the accused had been registered under Sections 186, 147, 353, 506 and 323 of the Indian Penal Code.

Remand for four

Gian Sarup, Satish Kumar, Bhusan Kumar, Sunil Kumar were sent to judicial remand till February 15 by the UT Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Sant Parkash. The city police had arrested six persons, a resident of Sirsa, for their alleged involvement in a case registered under the Cheating and Gambling Act. The two have already been sent in judicial remand.

The six were taken into custody from a Sector 22 hotel, late while they were calculating the stakes soon after finishing of the match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

Phone consumer's plea upheld
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Feb 4 — The UT District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum II, has allowed the complaint of city resident and directed the District Manager Telecom to reframe the bills in accordance with the calling pattern.

The complainant, Mr Paramjit Singh, had filed complaint before the forum that the two bills issued by the Telecom Department in the year 1996 and 1997 were highly inflated and he did not use the phone to extent depicted therein.

The complainant had raised a specific grievance in respect of the second bill saying that the number of ISD calls made to Qatar showing consumption of 1811 units was never made by the complainant because nobody in his contact lived there. He accepted the remaining calls as correct.

Both these bills were challenged before the department and they allowed the rebate by keeping 7,000 and 18,00 calls respectively. Thus, the amended bills and the other bills were paid by the complainant. He alleged that there was no response from the District Manager Telecom (opposite party) regarding calls kept under dispute. Even the opposition party had started demanding the disputed amount and had given threat to disconnect the telephone for non-payment of the bills.

The Bench comprising members the president, Mr R.P Bajaj, and Mr H.S Walia, and Mrs U. Agnihotri observed that the non investigation of the excess metering complaints in accordance with the instructions of the department itself and non communication of the result of the inquiry to the complainant are the acts of deficiency in service on the part of the opposition party. These support the contention of the complainant that the two bills were inflated because of some mischief. The opposite party had failed to discharge the onus to dispel the circumstances narrated above.

The forum allowed the complaint with cost of Rs 550 and direct the opposite party to reframe the bills of 1996, 1997 in accordance with the calling pattern found in three previous bills and serve the same upon the complaint for payment or adjustment. 

CULTURE

Festival of Tibet leaves mark
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 4 — The closing day of the Festival of Tibet saw the monks and children performing six traditional dances of the land for about 500 visitors.

A Tibetan dancer of Solan’s Yung Drung Bon Monastery performs at the concluding-day function of Tibet Festival in DAV School, Sector-15, Chandigarh, on Sunday. — A Tribune photograph

While cultural performances were being staged all through the day, the formal ceremony of closing had a rich treat for the gathering which was more than just pleased to witness the show. The first dance of the evening came from the children of Tibetan Children’s Village School (TVCS), Dharamsala, tashi shoelpa. The dance is said to bring good luck. Attired in colourful apparel, the four performers managed a tremendous applause. The trend continued when the monks of Bon Monastery performed dhur dag cham (the dance of lord of cemeteries). The third sequence was dopa drodung, the drum dance by children of TVCS.

The traditional ngonpa (dance of hunters), yak dance and the bird dance, also thrilled the gathering, as they kept asking for more. Last but not the least came bashey, the dance from the eastern part of Tibet, which is famous for its typical choreography.

The cultural performance was followed by the distribution of prizes to the winners of a painting contest for school children held earlier during the day. The prizes were distributed by Yeshi Pgumtsok, President, National Democratic Party of Tibet, who came especially from Dharamsala. The winners of the contest whose theme was “World peace and harmony”, in the order of merit, were: Varinder Saini (Government Girls School, Sector 8), Tashi (Tibetan Children’s Village School) and Shivani Thapa (St Soldier’s International School, Sector 28). Also present among the guests was Baldev Pandey, president, Bharat Tibet Sahyog Manch.