EDUCATION

Jacob’s surprise visit to polytechnic
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 20
Leaking roofs, clogged toilets, dull classrooms with broken furniture, laboratories and workshops with obsolescent equipment, seepage in walls, poor electrical fittings, open electrical junction boxes, loose wiring, ill-maintained hostel rooms, vast playgrounds and huge campus providing few facilities to the students is the overall picture of Central Polytechnic, Sector 26, Chandigarh. The Punjab Governor and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh, Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd), made a surprise visit to the polytechnic here today.

Accompanied by Mr. R.S. Gujral, Home Secretary, General Jacob reached the campus at 11:30 am. Mr S.C.Sapra, Principal, Central Polytechnic, informed the Governor about courses in five trades. In many classes and laboratories teachers and instructors were absent. Students were not able to answer basic questions.

The Administrator said, “We must provide them proper facilities for training engineers. Laboratories and workshop should be well equipped and teachers must be abreast with the latest developments.”

General Jacob interacted with the students. Students demanded that facilities be upgraded. The students complained that water supply in the hostel was inadequate. They were no medical facilities available on the campus.

The Administrator said he was visiting the campus to explore the possibility of upgrading this institute to the degree level and Punjab Engineering College to the deemed university level. He said he was instructing the Chief Engineer to prepare a plan for proper maintenance of this polytechnic.

The Governor said he would explore the possibilities of arranging more computers for the college and he asked the Principal to open a cyber café in the college. He asked the Home Secretary to club this polytechnic in the computer education scheme. He said students of the hostel should be clubbed in one block and that block of hostels would be well maintained. He also instructed that the common room of the hostel be well equipped and facilities for indoor games be supplied to the students.

COURTS

HIGH COURT
Detained SI let off on W.O’s intervention
Tribune News Service

The police told him that Budh Singh had entered the police station just a few minutes before him to meet the Station House Officer as the two were colleagues, the warrant officer had added.

Minister admits giving chits

Punjab Minister, Mr Ajit Singh Kohar, asked by the High Court to explain if it was right for him to send slips for the supply of sand and seek obligation from a contractor, today admitted issuing a chit but insisted it was not addressed to the petitioner.

In an affidavit submitted before Mr Justice Jawahar Lal Gupta and Mr Justice N.K. Sud of the High Court, Mr Kohar stated that the chit, handed over to a relative, had apparently been misused. Getting sand free of cost was not the intention, the minister added.

He also claimed that the second chit, said to have been issued by his personal assistant, was not handed over on his directions. The minister added that he was willing to apologise if the High Court was of the view that there was some lapse on his part.

In his petition, Mr Amarjit Singh had stated that he was receiving written directions against charging certain persons fees. Two slips were also enclosed by him along with the petition in an attempt to substantiate the allegations.

SSP summoned in harassment case

On a petition filed by a housewife seeking cancellation of the bail granted to her in-laws and certain other respondents, Mr Justice S.S. Nijjar of the High Court today asked Ropar’s Senior Superintendent of Police to be present in the court on April 26.

The court had earlier asked him to get a probe conducted into allegations of harassment by a police official investigating the case. The SSP was asked to submit his report within 14 days. Mr. Justice Nijjar had observed that it would be proper to hand over investigation to the higher authorities in view of the allegations made against the police official conducting the investigation.

Seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted by the Sessions Court to the respondents, the petitioner had alleged that she, along with her parents, was being pressurised. In an affidavit filed along with the petition, an ex-sarpanch had stated that the police was harassing the family as a relative of the father-in-law was posted at the SSP’s Ropar office.

BHATNAGAR CASE
Focus on accused’s promotion
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 20
The general court martial trying Major Maneesh Bhatnagar on charges of dereliction of duty today witnessed arguments focused on the accused officer’s promotion and appointments prior to the Kargil operations.

The defence suggestion to the Commanding Officer of 5 Para, Col A.K. Srivastava, that the accused was removed from the posts of Company Commander and the battalion’s Quarter Master when he had taken over command of the battalion, was disallowed by the court.

To the defence’s suggestion that the accused was made the second-in-command of a company — a post held by a Captain — even though he was promoted acting Major in April, 1998, the CO replied that there was no post vacant in the battalion for a Major.

When asked about the objective of the promotion, Colonel Srivastava replied that it was to give the accused financial benefits. The defence, in view of the above statement, then asked the witness the reason for appointing him Company Commander during Operation Vijay, to which the witness replied that the step was taken in view of the accused having commanded a company earlier.

The defence also asked whether Major Bhatnagar had ever been appointed Officer Commanding (OC) of the Siachen Battle School (SBS) or whether he had accompanied the witness on recce in Siachen in February-March, 1998. The witness replied that as far as he remembered, Major Bhatnagar underwent training at the SBS for a month and he did not go on recce with him during that period. The witness added that it was possible that another officer of his unit, Major Luv Verma, might have been the OC of the SBS during that period. The court also disallowed the defence submission that the court was interfering in the cross-examination and repeatedly disallowing questions or suggestions put to the witness. 

Hundal is Bar body chief
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 20
The results of the District Bar Association elections was declared in the District Courts here tonight. Mr Hardial Singh Hundal was elected president. He defeated Mr Virinder Issar by 85 votes.

Mr Ashok Chauhan was elected vice-president, Mr Devender Singh secretary and Mr Vinod Kumar Verma treasurer. Ms Balwinder Kaur had been elected joint secretary unanimously.

A total of 1578 voters from the District Courts and High Courts had cast their votes for various posts of the association. A total of 31 candidates contested the elections for various posts of the association.

The candidates for the post of president were Mr Virinder Issar, Mr Hardial Singh Hundal, Mr H.C. Gupta and Mr Yash Pal Singla. For the post of vice-president, Mr Pawan Kumar Sharma, Mr Ashok Chauhan, Mr Rajesh K. Sharma, Mr Naveen Malik and Mr P. Rai were the contestants. Mr Anil Malhotra, Mr Devender Singh and Mr Satish Bhardwaj were in the fray for the post of secretary. The candidates for the post of treasurer were Mr Vinod Kumar Verma, Mr Rakesh Mohan Jain and Mr Naender Pal Singh. Fifteen candidates were contesting for the posts of executive members.

Lok adalat today
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 20
The UT Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Sant Parkash, today allowed three days’ police remand to the employees of Municipal Corporation, Kashmira Singh and others, held by the CBI yesterday on the charge of taking bribes.

CULTURE

Bonds of poor highlighted
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 20
The struggle of poor develops bonds. This was the message of the play “Oonay te Sakhne” (Poor and the Destitutes), staged at Punjab Kala Bhawan in Sector 16 here on Thursday.

Mahendra, a migrant labourer, works in the field of a debt-ridden farmer, Dharam Singh.

The two begin to understand one another’s problems.

As the play unfolds one learns about the emotional problems Mahendra faces in an alien culture.

As he comes to terms with Punjabi culture Mahendra gets a letter from his wife seeking Rs 2,000 for his sister’s marriage. Dharam Singh helps him out.

The play directed by Gurshran Singh had Suleman Bhatt as the narrator, Bashir Ali as Mahindra, Dildar Sidhu as Dharam Singh and Jaspal Deol as Mahindra’s wife.

The play was based on a short story “Unne” written by Gurmeet Karyalvi.