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| Wednesday, February
7, 2001, Chandigarh, India |
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Ambulances or taxis? CHANDIGARH, Feb 6 —There is little to doubt that the three city hospitals. PGI, GMCH, Sector 32 and General Hospital, Sector 16, are well equipped for managing emergency cases. But in a majority of accident cases council time is lost in bringing the persons to the hospital. As far as fully-equipped ambulances with paramedical staff and other facilities are concerned, the city hospitals do not have much to offer. Fact, however, is that when such incidents actually take place, not only facilities at the hospitals but disaster manage at site in equally important. The health experts claim that the city does not have a single ambulance. The so-called ambulances are merely patient transports. To start with the word —accident, doctors say that the medical fraternity has since long replaced it with — injury. In itself this could hold a lot of meaning. As injuries, including those suffered during earthquakes, are conceived to be preventable. Hospitals are actually meant for disability prevention with the aim — save a life, a limb and reduce or minimise the disability. Disaster has to be managed in stages. Health experts feel that more than the facilities at hospital, in disaster management , it is the protocol of the plan which has to be fool proof. Mobilisation at hospitals start with communication or the first information received. Beginning with when the news was flashed till the mobilisation of the action team, time taken should ideally be minimum. Consider how the three hospital would react to a disaster they were not prepared for. GMCH is perhaps the only hospital which with a single number can mobilise doctors and other facilities in shortest period of time, as it has the best and most modern communication facility At present, PGI, with an operational telephone exchange but an ineffective paging system could find it difficult to mobilise a team keeping in mind the time constraint. Each person of the team will have to be first located and then given the message. Incidentally, the institute is on the verge of getting a new paging system after the one installed earlier had collapsed years ago. Surprise of surprises would be the case of General Hospital, sector 16, which does not even have a telephone exchange. Here the question would be who has to be given the information and where. Chandigarh is better connected than most of the other cities in the
Next important step would be to dispatch the team of doctors and nurses with well-equipped ambulances and qualified paramedics who can take care of the first aid besides ensuring safe transportation of patients from the site to the hospital. As a senior doctor confided that most of the time hospital ambulances do not have even the mandatory first aid box. And with no trained paramedic accompanying the ambulance, at times, patients bleed all the way to the hospital . An ambulance, as per regulations, besides having good splintage and bandages , should necessarily have basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation, I V drip , oxygen cylinder and enough material to stop and take care of bleeding. Fortunately for the city, the distances are short. Which means that a patient spends very little time in an ambulance while moving from an accident if in approachable distance, to the emergency ward of a hospital. But disaster management plan especially in a place at a considerable distance from the hospitals, requires the concept of mobile hospitals. Clearly evident from the recent experience of Gujarat is the fact that only those medical teams are successful which have complete self sufficiency. At the time of a disaster no one has time or inclination to make arrangements for you, said a doctor from the 22-member PGI team, which has returned from Gujarat. recently. In spite of having 17 doctors, the team performed less than 100 major and minor operations as it was not fully self-sufficient. Ideally the team, primarily managed by senior and junior residents, nurses and attendants should be able to look after others as well as themselves. Hospital which are well-equipped with surgical equipment, tents, operation tables, electricity generators, beds, sterilisers , hospital lines and blankets. Besides a complete infrastructure to take care of the daily requirements of the team members is equally important. |
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Delhi cops pick up 2 youths
from Mohali CHANDIGARH, Feb 6 — The Delhi Police is alleged to have picked up two youths from Sector 71 of SAS Nagar this morning in connection with a murder case of a visa agent in the capital. The police personnel reportedly fired two shots when the suspects allegedly tried to flee. According to police sources, around five Gypsies of policemen in mufti, believed to be from Delhi, converged on the “hideout” and caught the two youths. The two youths, who were staying in a rented accommodation here, tried to flee with Bhupinder jumping off from the third floor of the house. One of the shots fired by the police landed in one of the neighbour’s house after piercing a door, said sources. However, they were nabbed, bundled into the Gypsies and taken away. It is learnt that a team of the Delhi Police led by Inspector Rajinder Singh, SHO Tilak Nagar police station, New Delhi, was in the city along with two sub inspectors to locate the youths. It is alleged that the Delhi police was suspecting the involvement of one of the youths in the sensational murder of Ashok Sandhia at his flat in Tilak Vihar, New Delhi on October 23. It was in this connection that the Delhi police officials were in the city. However, it is also being alleged that these police officers had not taken the SAS Nagar police into confidence before nabbing the youth. The Superintendent of Police, SAS Nagar, Mr Gurpreet Singh Chauhan said he was enquiring into the matter. Police parties had been sent to the spot. |
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Wheat price to be fixed soon CHANDIGARH, Feb 6 — The announcement of the minimum support
price (MSP) of wheat, which has become a million dollar question for farmers of Punjab and Haryana, is expected any time. The issue has become controversial after the Agriculture Prices
Commission (APC) recommended a reduction in the MSP of wheat this year. The recommendation has not only agitated the wheat growers in the country but has also created a dilemma for the Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana, Mr Parkash Singh Badal and Mr Om Prakash Chautala, respectively, whose politics is farmer-oriented. According to informed sources, a meeting of the Union Cabinet is being convened soon to take a final decision on the MSP of wheat. The sources say this year a big increase in the MSP of wheat is not expected in view of the recommendation of the APC. Even the Union Agriculture Ministry, which has the ultimate responsibility to fix the wheat prices, is believed to be against any increase in the MSP of wheat this
year. The Union Food Ministry, which purchases wheat, will find itself on a slippery wicket if the MSP of wheat is increased because the market prices of wheat have fallen. Under the circumstances Punjab and Haryana are maintaining pressure on the Centre to increase the MSP of wheat considerably. The Union Cabinet was scheduled to decide the issue on January 25. But Mr Badal and Mr Chautala rushed to Delhi the same day and urged the Prime Minister to increase the wheat price in the interest of the farmers. The Cabinet postponed the decision on the wheat price. The Chief Ministers of the two states claimed that Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee had assured them of sympathetic consideration of their request. Mr Chautala had also announced that the MSP of wheat would not be
reduced. The sources say the Centre is likely to either maintain last year’s MSP or may go in for a slight increase. In the past five years it will be for the first time when there will not be a big increase in the MSP of wheat. Citing the increased cost of production as the reason, the states have demanded a hefty increase in the MSP. According to an estimate, due to the increase in the prices of diesel, the cost of production of wheat has gone up by 2 per cent. But the Centre will have to keep in view the market price of wheat while determining the MSP. The market price of wheat is less than the MSP of Rs 580 per quintal of wheat. The farmers have no option but to turn to the government for remunerative
prices .As per the norms, there should be a buffer stock of 84 lakh tonnes of wheat in the country, which at present has stocks of about 250 lakh tonnes. The MSP of wheat for 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000 was Rs 380, Rs 475, Rs 510, Rs 550 and Rs 580 per quintal, respectively. |
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Mayor guilty of dissolving
panels, says report CHANDIGARH, Feb 6 — The Mayor, Mr Raj Kumar Goyal, has been held guilty of dissolving the MC subcommittees at the special meeting of the House on January 29 without allowing division of votes on the issue. The subsequent adjournment of the meeting and the proceedings held by the Deputy Mayor on the floor of the House are also illegal. A report in this regard on behalf of the Secretary, Local Government, has been submitted to the Adviser for a final decision on the issue. Sources revealed that the report clearly mentioned that as per Regulation 54 ( 1) of the MC Act, the Mayor ought to have allowed voting on the issue of dissolution of committees when four members got up and asked for the same. The proceedings of the House sent earlier had also indicated that the request of the BJP councillors was turned down and the Mayor simply announced that the committees stood dissolved and soon after he adjourned the meeting without the consent of the majority. The Commissioner had also observed the same in his report sent to the UT Finance Secretary and Secretary, Local Bodies, Mr Rakesh Singh. The report further observed that the proceedings conducted by the Deputy Mayor, Mr Mohinder Singh, and 14 BJP-SAD councillors on the floor of the House soon after, withdrawing the powers of the Mayor to constitute these committees, and forming a five-member subcommittee to constitute the same, was also illegal and not in accordance with the Act. The decision of the Adviser on the issue was awaited and the future of the committees depended on the same. |
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Students without roll numbers to take
practical exam later SAS NAGAR, Feb 6 — There is still a ray of hope for the candidates of the matric and senior secondary school level examination of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) who could not sit in the practical tests which began on February 3. The board authorities would allow the candidates to take in the practical exams at a later date decided by them. The Chairman of the board, Dr Kehar Singh, said the board would ensure that the candidates sit in the practical exams. Earlier, the board authorities had said in case the candidates failed to get their roll numbers on time, another chance would be given to them to appear for the same practical exam on February 7. Similarly the candidates of 10+2 class have been asked to contact the District Science Supervisor concerned by February 6 so that they could sit in the practical test on February 7. But a number of candidates were still to get the roll numbers. |
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Madhan ‘got no chance’ to examine witnesses CHANDIGARH, Feb 6 — The Commanding Officer of 603 ASC Battalion, who was responsible for recording the summary of evidence (SOE) in the disciplinary case relating to Maj V.K. Madhan, today conceded that the accused officer had not been given an opportunity to examine witnesses in his defence during the SOE proceedings. Col Vivek Tripathi stated this while being re-examined by the defence in the ongoing general court martial (GCM) proceedings here. Major Madhan of 2 Rajputana Rifles is facing charges of dereliction of duty while on active service during Operation Vijay. The defence also contended that the accused officer was not “given relief” by the authorities concerned when he made observations on certain anomalies in the recording of the SOE. Meanwhile, in the other ongoing GCM trying Maj Maneesh Bhatnagar of 5 Para on similar charges, the prosecution today filed its reply to Major Bhatnagar’s allegation that some documents pertaining to his disciplinary case had been tampered with, which amounted to forgery. The prosecution in its reply contended that the said documents (Appendix ‘A’ to Army Order 24 of 1994) had been in its possession till today, but had not been used for any mala
fide purposes. The prosecution maintained that forgery was done with intent to cause material loss or injury to a person, but no such thing had been done in this case. At the most, the prosecution contended, superfluous parts in the document had been scored out without the least ill-intention. Both GCMs were adjourned till tomorrow. |
UT allotted six villages of Bhachau taluka CHANDIGARH, Feb 6 — Two teams sent by the Chandigarh Administration, today started the work of establishing schools, hospitals, public distribution provision shops and village offices in the pre-fabricated structures and tents donated by the residents of Chandigarh in the six villages of Taluka Bhachau in earthquake ravaged Gujarat. Two teams, led by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr Ajay Kashyap, and the SDM (East), Mr Gyanesh Bharti, have been allocated three villages each to operationalise schools, hospitals and village offices in order to bring back the economy of these villages on the rails. Meanwhile, people kept on responding generously to the appeal of the Punjab Governor and UT Administrator, Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd). Today, Sector 7 Traders handed over a draft of Rs 1.60 lakh and the Association of Commercial Enterprises, Sector 7, presented a cheque of Rs 92,000. Traders of Sector 20 Market contributed Rs 17,200, the Market Association of Sector 20-C, Rs 20,000, traders of Sector 22-C, Rs 68,300, Kiran theatre, Rs 32,000, KC theatre, Rs 21,000, The Guru Granth Sahib Sewa Samiti, Sector 34, presented life saving drugs worth Rs 1.50 lakh, whereas the Chandigarh Medical Traders Association presented life saving drugs of Rs 3.50 lakh. Mr R.K. Jain, Chief Engineer, Chandigarh, today handed over demand drafts amounting to Rs 7,92,824 to Ms Neeru Nanda, Adviser to the Administrator, Chandigarh, here at the UT Secretariat, Sector 9. This amount was the one-day salary of the employees of the Engineering Department of UT, Chandigarh. A delegation of principals of government, private colleges and students made a contribution of Rs 10 lakh which included Rs 1,95,000 by the GCG - 11. The Market Welfare Committee, Sector 47-D, collected items of day-to-day use, including blankets and clothes. The Bharatiya Valmiki Dharam Samaj also contributed Rs 10,000 to the relief fund. The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) employees donated one-day salary totalling about Rs 15 lakh. The Seventh Day Adventists Church, Sector 41-B, sent one truck of relief material. The Local unit of the Nationalist Congress Party also sent a truckload of relief material. The Mazdoor Sudhar Sabha donated Rs 20,000. Employees of the Land Mortgage Bank Karamchari Union decided to donate one-day salary. The Administration has asked people to make donations through crossed cheques or drafts to the Red Cross Earthquake Relief Fund-Gujarat and deposit cheques directly at Karuna Sadan Building, Sector 11, Chandigarh. People who wish to donate in cash can deposit their contributions in the account of Red Cross Earthquake Relief Fund-Gujarat in the Sector 17 branch of the United Bank of
India. The bank is located next to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. AMBALA: The Ambala cantonment Traders Federation appealed on Tuesday to all the trade and industry organisations to extend a helping hand to the district administration by providing all kind of help in cash or kind to send it to earthquake-hit Gujarat. A number of members of the federation have contributed to the relief material for Gujarat. The members who have contributed include Sadar Bazar Traders Association, Kabari Bazar Disposal Goods Traders Association, DC Road Traders Association, General Merchant Traders Association, Bazaza Bazar Traders Association, Sarafa Bazar Traders Association and Science Apparatus Manufacturers Association, a release said. AMBALA:
The Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party president and MP, Mr Ratan Lal Kataria, said that the state unit has decided to adopt an area in earthquake devastated Gujarat. Talking to mediapersons after flagging off two truckloads of relief material by the BJP and RSS yesterday, Mr Kataria said that an emergency meeting was held at the residence of the Haryana prabhari, Mr R.D. Aggarwal, regarding relief activities in Gujarat. “We have decided to give relief to about 1,000 families by sending them complete kits which contain necessary items,” he said. Mr Kataria said that each kit is going to cost about Rs 3,000. KHARAR: Three trucks loaded with relief material for earthquake victims of Gujarat were flagged off by Mr Bal Bhushan Sharma, member of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, in Kurali, yesterday. The goods which include clothes, blankets, Atta, sugar, ghee and other eatables have been collected by the Block Youth Congress. Among others Mr Harpreet Banti, president district Youth Congress, Ropar, Mr Dixit Kaushal Goru, president, Block Youth Congress, Majri and Mr Netar Mini, president BCC, Kurali, were also present on the occasion. PATIALA:
Two trucks loaded with 18 tonnes of dry powder were sent to Gujarat on Saturday by Punjab Milkfed. The trucks were flagged off by the Managing Director of Punjab Milkfed, Dr B.M. Mahajan. |
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Contributors
get colourful receipts CHANDIGARH, Feb 6 — Contributors to the Gujarat Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, who routed their donations through The Tribune, were pleasantly surprised when they started receiving colourful receipts acknowledging their contributions. The receipts, issued on behalf of the Gujarat Chief Minister by the Manager of Gujarat Bhavan in New Delhi, are being sent individually to each contributor for record and also to claim 100 per cent exemption under Section 80 (G) (2) (a) (iii h f) of the Income Tax Act. The receipts also mention the number of the cheque, the date and the amount. The receipts started pouring in this morning. The contributors have appreciated the speed at which receipts acknowledging contributions have been issued. Meanwhile, a Ludhiana-based trust sent in a pay order for Rs 1.10 lakh for onward transmission to the Gujarat Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. The response has been so overwhelming that daily receipt of the contributions varies between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh. |
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Councillors deny misconduct SAS NAGAR, Feb 6 — Two municipal councillors of the ruling group in the local municipal council, Mr Surjit Singh Grewal and Mr Bharat Bhushan Maini, have denied that they indulged in misconduct during a meeting of the civic body on November 23 last. Replying in response to the show cause notices served upon them, the councillors today said the facts in the show cause notices were not corroborated by the First Information Report (FIR) lodged by the Subdivisional
Magistrate (SDM)-cum-convener of the meeting. At least five councillors — Mr Amrik Singh Mohali, Mr S.S. Patwari, and Mr Manjit Singh from the opposition group and Mr Bharat Bhushan Maini, and Mr Surjit Singh Grewal from the ruling group — had been served the notices under Sections 16-E and D of the Municipal Council Act, 1911. They had been asked to reply within 15 days of serving of the notices In a written reply to the Principal Secretary, Local Government Department, they said the allegations mentioned in the notices were also not corroborated by the reports given by the Deputy Commissioner, Ropar, and District Transport Officer (DTO), Ropar. They said the proceedings recorded in the record of the civic body did not mention their involvement in tearing of ballot papers and throwing of chairs. Stating that the Deputy Commissioner in his report said the envelope containing the ballot papers was picked by Mr Amrik Singh Mohali who then tried to tear them off. The envelope was then taken by Mr S.S. Patwari who tore them. There was nowhere mentioned that the two councillors participated in the tearing of the ballot papers. They said being from the ruling group they were interested in getting the election finalised and their conduct as alleged in the show cause notices would have instead resulted in postponement of the elections. They said they had filed a civil writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, praying for holding of the election. They claimed that they had been falsely implicated due to political rivalry. They had alleged that a councillor of the opposition group, Mr Amrik Singh Mohali, had the backing of the ruling SAD-BJP combine in the state. |
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Traffic rules thrown to winds PANCHKULA, Feb 6 — In violation of the directions issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the traffic regulation and pollution control case, residents of Panchkula, even police personnel can be seen zipping down the streets without wearing helmets. Though the police has been challaning the violators for not wearing helmets, yet the riders continue to go helmetless. And this is not all. They can even be seen crossing the roads from the wrong side. VIP brats can also be seen driving cars with black films on the windowpanes and red lights on top. Ignoring the traffic signals, a substantial number of drivers endanger lives of pedestrians and cyclist. “Absence of police personnel at some of the crossings, give the violators more freedom to violate the rules,” says a Sector 18 resident. “This has resulted in a number of accidents during the past three years”. Due to heavy rush during the office and school hours, these crossing become “accident prone”. Sources in the police reveal that about eight months ago the department had planned to fix speed limit within the city and had even installed boards along the road sides indicating the speed limits for cars, scooters and other vehicles and had spent a lot on the project. However the whole exercise proved to be a failure and the “over-speeders” could not be challaned as the only radar with the department is not functioning. Dr C.S. Rao, Superintendent of Panchkula police, said Panchkula Police has been enforcing the high court’s directions and has challaned number of violators. He further said the violators, including the police personnel, were being
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Mayor for building
2 marriage palaces CHANDIGARH, Feb 6 — Mayor Raj Kumar Goyal has in a note sent to the MC Commissioner, Mr M.P Singh suggested that two marriage palaces be constructed in the city for the benefit of the city residents. He proposed that one should be constructed in Sector 34 and the other in Mani Majra. The Commissioner has been asked to prepare a proposal in this regard. The Mayor suggested that one can be constructed in the 7 acre vacant land in Sector 34, opposite the gurdwara to cater to the requirement of the people residing in the southern sectors, while the other can be constructed in pocket No: 2 and 3 of Mani Majra. Mr Goyal said these
marriage palaces are doing successful business in places like Ludhiana and Jalandhar and if started here could be a boon for city residents. The parking, which is usually chaotic outside the hotels and other places will be more organised in these palaces. |
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Army institute invites applications CHANDIGARH, Feb 6 — Applications for admission have been invited by the Army Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (AIHMCT). The institute, located in the Army Service Corps Centre and College, Bangalore, is commencing the sixth course from the first week of July. A spokesperson of the Sainik Welfare Department, Punjab, said the admission in the course is open only for the children of serving and retired army personnel as well as war widows who are in receipt of liberalised pension. A written test is scheduled to be held on April 29 at various centres in the state, including Ambala, Pathankot and Jalandhar. Candidates should have passed 10+2 or equivalent examination from a recognised board with English as compulsory subject. Candidates who appeared for 10+2 examination and awaiting result, may also apply, provided they produce the proof of passing the examination at the time of admission. Prospectus along with the application form can be obtained from the Principal, AIHMCT on a payment of Rs 250 through a demand draft drawn on the State Bank of India before February 28. The last date for receipt of application forms is March
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Three booked for rioting CHANDIGARH, Feb 6 — The local police has registered a case on charges of rioting, violence and threat against a tenant of a shop and two others in Sector 35 after an inquiry was conducted by the senior police officers in the city. According to the information available, a case under Sections 147, 148, 149, 323 and 506 of the IPC was registered after the complainant, Mr Varinder Kumar Jindal, complained that he had been falsely implicated in a similar case by his tenant. He had gone there to get his shop vacated on the orders of the court on November 15, 2000. The police had registered a case against the complainant, Mr Varinder Kumar Jindal, on the complaint of his tenant, Anish Ahmed, and two others, Nafis Ahmed and M.M. Khanna. They had accused the former of criminal trespassing, threatening and violence. After the case was registered against Mr Jindal, he requested a thorough inquiry into the case and subsequently the tenant and his associates were booked. Motor cycle stolen A Yamaha motorcycle (HR-03E-1768) was reportedly stolen from the Bank Square Parking in Sector 17 here yesterday afternoon. An FIR under Section 379 of the IPC has been registered on the complaint of Mr Karnail Seth at the Sector 17 police station. Cash stolen A sum of Rs 15,000 was allegedly stolen from the dickey of a scooter (CH- 01E-5509) while it was parked in front of the office of the owner, Mr Narender Pal, in Sector 35 yesterday. A case under Section 379 of the IPC has been registered at Sector 36 police station. Drill machine stolen A drill machine and Rs 7000 were reportedly stolen from the premises of Mr Sanjiv in Ram Darbar, Industrial Area, Phase II, on the night of February 4. A case under Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC has been registered at the Sector 31 police station. Two injured A resident of Kurukshetra, Arjun Singh, was arrested after the Tata 407 vehicle he was driving hit a Kinetic Honda in Sector 40 yesterday evening. The two youths, Sajag and Karan, who were riding the scooter, were seriously injured and were admitted to the PGI. Liquor seized The police seized 12 pouches of whisky from Rajesh Kumar of Ram Darbar last night. In another case, the police recovered 48 pouches from Jagdish in Sector 25 last night. Cases under Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act have been registered. |
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