EDUCATION

PECSTA chief’s conduct questioned
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 10
The Executive Committee of Punjab Engineering College Service Teachers Association met at the college here today to discuss the conduct of the President of the Association, Prof Khitolia.

Members of the executive asked Mr Khitolia to explain why he had called a General Body meeting of PECSTA when he, as President, was not authorised to do so. It was also discussed why he had complained to the National Commission for SCs and STs, New Delhi, in his capacity as PECSTA President.

Thirdly he was questioned for having given a particular statement to the press in his capacity as PECSTA president, when neither the executive nor the general body had authorised him to do so.

Sources say Prof Khitolia denied the last allegation of having spoken to the press. On the other allegations of misconduct, he stated that he would clarify his position only in the general body meeting of PECSTA, scheduled to be held on April 27.

It was decided by the executive in the end that “Prof Khitolia had misused the office of the President PECSTA in writing the letter and that his conduct was unconstitutional.” The action to be taken against him would be decided in the general body meeting. Prof Khitolia was not available for comments.

HRA hike at PU illusory
Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 10
A Panjab University proposal to hike house rent for official quarters by a seemingly hefty 25 per cent, means peanuts when translated into actual terms. On an average, the hike varies between Rs 10 to Rs 15 per month only.

The type A residents, who earlier paid Rs 12 as house rent, will now pay Rs 15 while the B category residents, who paid Rs 15 earlier are now supposed to pay Rs 20 per month.

A cross-section of teachers and non-teaching staff, when contacted, accepted that the amounts increased were “far less than a deserving hike”. “I even raised my voice for at a proper forum but came in for criticism from colleagues. One voice does not matter at forums”, a fellow of the university senate said.

“A sizeable hike will be seen as an anti-employee step by the majority of colleagues. There are a large number of university employees who do not have the benefit of university houses”, he added.

In the A category houses, employees get a house rent allowance of Rs 500, those a little senior get Rs 1450 monthly. “These amounts can’t buy a single room accommodation in decent localities or sectors. The university should take a look at the prevailing market prices and enhance HRA or an attempt should be made to create more university accommodation”, an employee, residing outside the campus, said.

Members of the committee which had proposed the new rates included the Dean University Instructions, Prof S.K. Sharma, the secretary PUTA, Prof M.R. Aggarwal, and the president of the PUSA, besides others.

Rates have also been enhanced for those PU fellows who have to come to the university for purposes other than university meetings. A room in the guest house costs Rs 10 per day. Now it will costs Rs 20. Rate for stay at the faculty house has been increased to Rs 10 from the existing Rs 2 per day.

Members of various university academic bodies , faculty members and principals, who paid Rs 20 per day for a room at the faculty house will now be charged Rs 25. Officers of the UGC and state governments, who earlier paid Rs 20 per day will now pay Rs 30.

Rates have also been increased for bedding and other facilities. A student commented: “Due to the shortage of fund, PU was charging exorbitant fees from students, but the facilities remained constant. The Senate needs to rationalise charges from students or teachers and students should contribute in equal degrees”.

PU hosts debate on violence today
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 10
Panjab University hosts tomorrow one of the ongoing series of debates on “Violence” in all national and social contexts” at the ICSSR Complex.

Prof Raj Mohini Sethi, chairperson of the sociology department, while addressing a press conference here today, said vice-chancellors, from at least four universities were expected to participate in the conference which will be inaugurated by the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal.

Prof Sethi said that Prof K.N. Kamal, University of Rajasthan; Prof Mohammad Ansari, Aligarh Muslim University; Prof S.K.Gupta, Himachal Pradesh University and Prof R.P.Awasthi, YS Parmar University of Agriculture; Nauni would festure in the dialogue sessions. Also on the list are nominees of VCs of Punjabi University, Guru Nanak Dev University and Jammu and Kashmir University. Prof Yogesh Atal, a former UNESCO Principal, said that “the programme was being taken up a little differently from the conventional seminars and conferences. Violence was a disturbing aspect of today’s world. An attempt is being made only to know the maximum possible truth”.

Prof A.K.Dasgupta, a member secretary of the Indian Association of Social Science Institutions, said that it was felt that the subject of violence was a multi-disciplinary problem. The first session tomorrow is on “culture, society and violence” and the second session is on “micro-dimensions of violence”. Prof Ashok Chandra, a secretary in the Department of Education’ will present a special paper on “Current times in social science” in the afternoon session. 

Student body formed
Our Correspondent

SAS Nagar, April 10
A student body of the Institute of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers Student Forum (IETESF) was formed in the Shaheed Udham Singh College of Engineering, here today.

The main objective of the IETESF is to provide a platform for interaction between students and professionals working in the field of Electronics and Telecommunications. The membership of the Forum is open to students from the disciplines of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Electrical Engineering as well as Computer Science and Engineering.

The inaugural function of the Forum will be held tomorrow and Dr R. P. Bajpai, Director, CSIO will be the chief guest. Office-bearers of the Forum are: Ms Navita Sekhon — (Counsellor); Aditya Sawhney — (Chairman); Nitin Bhayana — Secretary and Sumita Malik — Treasurer. This was stated by Mr D.S. Kumar, principal of the college, in a press note.

1 gets lucky in first campus interview
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 10
The Placements and Counselling Cell of the Panjab University Law Department organised its first campus interview here today.

According to Prof D.N. Jauhar, coordinator of the cell, a reputed company interviewed 20 students for jobs today, out of which 10 were shortlisted for the final interview. However, only one student, Anil Kumar Goel, got a job.

Dr M.S.Bains and Ms Anupama Goel helped Prof Jauhar in organising the interviews. Prof Jauhar said, “The department will ask senior advocates to train freshers.”

Education colleges’ principals protest
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 10
Principals of various education colleges of Punjab and Chandigarh have unanimously resolved to raise collective voice against the Punjab Government’s opinion of closing down colleges of education from the next academic session. This was decided at a meeting of the principals of these colleges, affiliated to Panjab University, held at the university’s premises here today.

Taking a serious view of Punjab Government’s proposal, the principals stated that closing the colleges of education did not provide any remedy for getting rid of unemployment.

The meeting of the principals was called to discuss evaluation of lessons for the conduct of B.Ed (Lessons in Teaching) and B.Ed practical examinations. The B.Ed theory examinations start on April 17. 

COURTS

HIGH COURT
Consider engineers’ plea, Haryana told
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 10
Allowing a writ petition filed by Faridabad civil engineers, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the state of Haryana and other respondents to consider whether the petitioners can be promoted “subject to other conditions of service”.

In their petition before the Bench, comprising Mr Justice Amar Bir Singh Gill and Mr Justice V.S. Aggarwal, Mr D.D. Goyal and other engineers had sought directions to consider them for promotion from the date certain other respondents were promoted or giving officiating charge as Superintending Engineers.

The petitioners, in alternate, had asked for directions to revert the respondents if there were no vacancies. Their counsel had added that the petitioners were working as Assistant Engineers. After hearing the arguments, the Judges directed the respondents to consider the petitioners for promotion for any post that may fall vacant.

Guard’s plea dismissed

Mr Justice Mehtab Singh Gill of the High Court has dismissed a security guard’s petition seeking regularisation of service after holding that special police officers were recruited and trained before being deployed at banks for security purposes.

In his petition before the court, Mr Inder Pal Singh of Nurpur Lubana village in Kapurthala district had earlier stated that he was entitled to be regularised as he had worked with the Central Cooperative Bank in Kapurthala for over 240 days. He had also asked for all consequential benefits after regularisation.

Counsel for the bank, on the other hand, had stated that the administrative control of the SPO was with the police department. Only the bank manager could assign duty hours.

After hearing arguments, Mr Justice Gill observed: “A perusal of the decision on behalf of the Punjab Government makes it crystal clear that the SPOs are recruited and trained by the police department and sent to the bank for security duties. The writ petition has no merit and is dismissed”.

70 slots allotted to lawyers
Kiran Deep

Chandigarh, April 10
After 15 years of “struggle” by the lawyers, the UT Administration has finally allotted 70 slots to advocates practising in the District Courts. Space has also been allotted to adjust the remaining chamber-less advocates.

The decision to allocate the chambers is significant as the substantial numbers of rooms were either lying vacant or locked, forcing the advocates to construct make-shift wooden chambers in the narrow corridors.

The problem was worse for junior advocates. In the absence of chambers, there was no place for them to discuss “sensitive cases” with their clients. The chamber-issue had also played a major role during the elections to the District Bar Association.

Today, sources in the Administration revealed that the letter of allotment of vacant slots was issued by the UT Deputy Commissioner, Mr Ramsekhar.

Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, the UT District and Sessions Judge, Mr H.S. Bhalla, said , “The decision of allotment of vacant slots was taken by committee comprising the Additional Session Judge, Mr Lakhbir Singh, the UT Sub-divisional Magistrate, Mr Prithi Chand, and members of the District Bar Association.”

Confirming the allotment of the slots, the UT Subdivisional Magistrate, Mr Prithi Chand, said, “The Administration has issued letters to those advocates who had applied for vacant chambers and slots in 1998.”

It is learnt that about 300 lawyers had filed applications invited by the Estate Office for re-allotment of chambers in 1998. The advocates had submitted Rs 1,000, along with the application.

The President of the District Bar Association, Mr N.K Nanda, said the decision of the allotment has come after many years and it became possible with the cooperation of the Judicial officer and Administration.

Arunjeev Singh Walia, who had filed suit in the District Courts for the allotment of the vacant chambers and slots, said now after a long struggle a number of advocates have respectable place. In 1997 the advocate of the district courts had filed suit in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for the allotment of vacant chambers and slots in the district courts.

Lawyers' strike 
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 10
The work in the District Courts was disrupted as the strike by the lawyers entered its second day today. Hundreds of lawyers blocked the main entrance to the District Courts Complex and did not allow any lawyer to appear in the court.

The lawyers threatened that they would continue the strike till the Administration provided them suitable chambers.

Forum penalises doctor, insurance firm 
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 10
In a major decision the UT District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-II, has granted Rs 2,50,000 as compensation to a city resident, Mr Rajinder Singh.

The complainant had moved complaint against the doctor of an eye and ENT Hospital, Sector 35 and New India Insurance, Jeewan Parkash Building, Chandigarh. The complainant stated that he went to Dr Rohit Grover, for getting his eyesight checked in October 1993. It was alleged that Dr Grover had informed the complainant to undergo cataract operation of both the eyes with a difference of six months in between the operation of each eye.

The cataract operation on the left eye was performed on October 21, 1993 and the complainant paid fees Rs 4,000 to doctor. Thereafter visited doctors number of times and during all these visits a fee of Rs 30 per visit was charged from him.

The complainant told the doctor that he could not see properly but he assured him that his eye sight would become normal with the passage of time, but it did not happen.

The stitches were removed on December 15, 1993 and on the next day the complainant found that his eyesight in the left eye had been completely disturbed. The representation made to the clinic invited the response that the intra-ocular lens would get its correct place within a period of few months and the eye would become normal.

Some medicine and eye-drops were prescribed to the complainant. However, even after a wait of several months the expected improvement did not occur in spite of the medicines taken by the complainant and the eye drops used by him.

It was on December 2, 1994, that the doctor admitted before the complainant that the intra-ocular lens could not be properly placed and so another operation would have to be performed for correction of eyesight.

The complainant, being anxious to get his eyesight restored, followed the advice of the doctor and second operation was performed on February 16, 1994 and amount of Rs 450 was charged from him. But the second operation was also proved unsuccessful. The complainant further alleged that he had suffered the loss of normal eye sight in the left eye because of negligence and casual approach of the doctor. It is a case of deficiency in service on the doctor’s part and the complainant and a compensation of Rs 5 Lakh.

The Bench comprising Mr R.P Bajaj, and Ms U. Agnihotri, keeping all the facts into mind, compensation of Rs 2,50,000 including the costs of the case and compensation for the harassment complainant underwent. The forum directed the doctors and insurance company to pay the amount. 

CULTURE

Amar Khalsa screened in gurdwara
Tribune News Service

The movie offers an insight into the mind of the 10th Sikh Guru who laid the foundation of the Khalsa to fight the evils and secure dignity of life. The movies covers all the events, beginning from the creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh on April 13, 1699. With the help of a storyline, the present-day relevance of the Khalsa has also been established.

Villain and heroine want good roles now
Parbina Rashid

Chandigarh, April 10
To make Punjabi film industry strong, persons who understand the medium need to form an association,” said the Joint Secratary of the Cine Artistes Association, Deep Dhillon, who had played a corrupt cop in ‘Ghayal’. Deep was here for the shooting of a Punjabi movie ‘Mittar Piyare Nu Haal Murida Da Kehna’.

He said insincerity of producers had caused the decline of Punjabi cinema. “They started copying Pakistani movies that were irrelevant to this region,” he said.

Deep has made a place for himself in Bollywood. After bashing up heroes in movies like ‘Mr India’, ‘Karishma Kudrat Ka’, ‘Ghayal’ and ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’, Deep wants to do some serious roles now. “I have had enough of promoting heroes at my expense. Now, I want to act in only those movies where the villain has an edge,” he said.

After being away from Hindi cinema for two years, Deep will return in ‘Yeh Raste Hai Pyar Ke’ with Madhuri Dixit, Sunny Deol, Ajay Devgan and Preity Zinta.

Deep has also acted in TV serials like ‘Kanoon’, ‘Rani Jhansi’, ‘Maharana Pratap’ and ‘Mein Dilli Hun’. He said, “I do not want to be seen often on satellite channels because it might affect my chances of getting good roles in films.”.

Deep said producers of Punjabi serials exploited their actors. “In Punjab, the expenses on sets and equipment are far too low, so, producers should at least pay their artistes well,” he said.

Deep and his friends used to stage plays in his native village, Bhatti, where boys played female characters. Deep said Punjab had a rich heritage that youngsters needed to preserve, polish and present to the world without distortion,” he said.

Sheeba, who was introduced by Sunil Dutt in ‘Ye Aag Kab Bujhegi’, was also here for the shooting of ‘Mittar Piyare Nu Haal Murida Da Kehna’. The film, which is directed by Ratan Aullakh, traces the story of socio-political changes from the Partition to Operation Bluestar. Dara Singh, Vindoo, Rama Vij, Mukesh Rishi, Avtar Gill and Shiva are also acting in this film.

Sheeba’s second film, ‘Pyaar Ka Saaya’ with Rahul Roy could not click. After projects like ‘Aur Phir Ek Din’ and ‘Sarhad’, Sheeba is all set to enter the world of Punjabi cinema.

Sheeba does not consider language to be a barrier. “If I am offered a role of substance, I will work in even Tamil or Telugu films,” she said. This Dubai-born Punjabi ‘kudi’ speaks Punjabi fluently.

Sheeba said she loved this role and its length was of no importance to her. “It is the quality of work that counts. Though I have worked in a number of films that highlight women’s issues, the feminist movement does not impress me. I am rather moved by stories of the plight of orphans and cruelty towards animals. If I had my way, I would make every couple adopt one orphaned child,” she said.

On the issue of casting couch in film world, Sheeba said it was a myth propagated by media. “Acting is like any other profession and an actress should decide how to handle herself,” she said.

Sheeba is presently shooting for Aniz Bazmi’s ‘Radhe Shyam Sita Ram’ with Aishwarya Rai, Sunil Shetty and Sharad Kapur. She is also working in her home production with her director husband Akash Deep. “The movie, which is yet to be named, is an attempt to show that the ‘sati’ system still exists in India,” she said.