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| Tuesday,
July 3, 2001, Chandigarh, India
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Toppers first on first day of
admissions Chandigarh, July 2 All colleges admitted fresh students to first-year BA and B.Sc courses. Students of arts sought admission to psychology and public administration mostly, while most science students wanted to study computer science. Today, colleges admitted only those who had high scores in the qualifying examinations. In most colleges one-third of the total seats in first-year BA courses were filled. Half of the seats in various vocational courses were also filled. In most colleges, old students were merely trickling for admissions as they normally arrive when the last day of admission was near. The admission close on July 14 this year. After days of inactivity, the colleges were abuzz with life today with full staff involved in helping out students with the admission process. Till about 3 in the afternoon, the admission process continued, with students queuning up to pay the fee and get their roll-number cards. In the Sector 10 DAV College more than 120 students joined the first-year arts and Science courses. Admissions to the B.Sc computer science course will begin later. In the Sector 45, Dev Samaj College the BA first-year admissions began. Students also joined the vocational course in office management and secretarial practices. In the Sector 46 Government College, the first student who was admitted to the BA first-year course had got 84.9 per cent marks in class XII examinations. Admissions to the old classes and vocational courses in advertising, sales promotion and management were also held. In the Sector 32 GGDSD College, almost all old students got admissions second-year and third-year to the BBA and BCA courses today. Only those freshers were taken in who had more than 70 per cent marks in Class XII examinations. For B.Sc medical and non-medical courses students who had more than 50 per cent marks in Class XII tests were considered for admission today. The seats in Biotechnology course were filled and those in computer applications course got almost full. Seats in courses like advertising, sales promotion and management; and communicative-functional English are yet to be filled. Admissions to the vocational course in industrial chemistry will begin on July 10. In the Sector 42 Government College and GCG 11, many aspirants demanded a week’s time for paying the fee as they were considering other options as well. In GCG-42, since admissions to the hostel were not taking place simultaneously, many students decided to return after three days when these admissions would begin. In the Sector 26 SGGS College, more than 150 students joined the vocational course in electronic equipment and
maintenance. In the GGS College for Women, admissions to the BA first-year and old classes began. The MCM DAV College in Sector 36 saw a great rush for admissions to the BA classes and, by the end of the day, all seats the vocational courses in functional English and office management and secretarial practices were filled. In the PU, despite the university’s order to begin teaching from today, most of the departments did not receive many of their old students for admissions. The Department of History has reportedly admitted 20 of its old students. Admissions to hostels of the university also took place today. It was also the last date for receiving applications for seeking admissions to various postgraduate courses of the university. However, most of the departments have reported a 50 per cent decline this year in the number of applications, compared to the past year. |
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Glaring errors by computers in result
preparations SAS Nagar, July 2 The exercise of checking the result sheets for mistakes would mean less mistakes and certainly save the candidates from harassment. It has certainly raised questions about the costly exercise of shifting from manual to computerised process of preparation of the results. A large number of cases of Result Late (RL) have been reported by different sections in the examination cell — the total work of the examination in the board being divided in to 120 sections. Sources in the board said the computer firm concerned has intimated the board authorities about a large number of RL cases due to one or the other reason. It could, however, not be ascertained whether the computer was unable to the punch the awards of certain candidates or the officials concerned of the board failed to provide the awards of the candidates in the manner sought by the computer firm. A spokesman of the board today said that no award list of any examination had been left in any way in the board office, in the transit or in the office of the computer firm. All award lists were despatched and received through challans and the due acknowledgement was obtained. By rough estimates, at least 300 cases of Result Late have been reported from each of the section. Sources confirmed such cases in Bathinda, Ferozepore, Ropar and Fatehgarh districts. Enquiries reveal that after the “error- ridden” computerised result sheets were brought from the computer firms about 10 days back, the incharge of the sections had been asked to compare the result sheets with the original award lists to single out the mistakes. On last Friday the employee was called back at 9 p.m and left at around 12.30 p.m. Locks of certain almirahs had to be broken as the original records of the marks was lying there. Certain mistakes like repetition of roll numbers and marks against name of candidates in a serial order have also been reported. Employees of the board question the exercise of paying lakhs of rupee to computer firms if the results had to be manually checked to remove the mistakes. |
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No trace of
Ahmedabad jeweller Chandigarh, July 2 According to information available, the jeweller, Sanjay Bhai, an employee of Sri Vikram Jewellery Shop, Ahmedabad, had come here in order to sell the gold. On June 30, he visited a jeweller in Sector 22. A deal was struck for buying the gold and the latter gave him a bank draft for Rs 1.5 lakh in the name of his firm. It is learnt that the local jeweller, who had been contacted by Sanjay Bhai, had himself gone to drop the latter at the ISBT, Sector 17. However, since then there is no knowledge of the whereabouts of Sanjay Bhai, the gold or the bank draft. When he failed to reach Ahmedabad, the owner of firm, Manish Madhu Sudan, lodged a complaint with the police there. He visited the city today and urged upon the senior police officials to help locate Sanjay Bhai. |
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5 cr for double-laning of Dakshin
Marg Chandigarh, July 2 Out of the sanctioned sum Rs 1.5 crore has already been passed onto the Chandigarh Administration which is in the process of inviting tenders as per MOST guidelines. A decision to double-lane the outer Dakshin Marg was taken last week during a review of the National Highway and Central Road funds chaired by Mr Ashok Joshi, Secretary Ministry of Road Transport. Under this scheme a three-lane road adjoining the existing outer Dakshin Marg will be constructed. Interestingly, MOST has stressed that allocation of funds will depend upon quicker utilisation of first installment. Steps will be taken to quicken the pace of the work, sources said, as MOST is serious about road safety and the outer Dakshin Marg is getting crowded. Importantly, MOST has asked the Chandigarh Administration to submit another estimate to double-lane the road between sectors 43 and 44 and passing in front of the marble market to join it with the eight-lane road dividing phase VII and VIII in SAS Nagar. It has been agreed to take up this road under the Centrally sponsored scheme of inter state economic importance. The estimate will be sent to the Government of India in one week’s time, said well placed sources. Actually the Punjab Government had requested the Chandigarh Administration to construct the road with a high-level bridge to connect important areas of Chandigarh with SAS Nagar. Besides this there is a proposal to convert the Chandigarh-Kalka road from the Transport Area traffic light point to Manimjara from the existing 6 lane to 8 lanes highway. A sum of Rs 3.2 crore under the central road fund is all set to be approved by MOST, said sources. At the local level the Chandigarh Administration has set a target of December to complete the missing link across a khud in sector 47-B. Work on the road dividing Sectors 48 and 49 to connect with phase X and XI of SAS Nagar is also on in full swing. |
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It is school time
now Chandigarh, July 2 All the government schools along with some private schools reopened here today. Tiny tots and seniors alike were witnessed rushing to schools all over the city. Some of the students were excited to come back to school whereas some were yet in the holiday mood. Dressed up in school uniforms, children could be seen early morning waiting for their school buses at bus stops while others were cycling their way to beat the opening bell. Teachers, too, appeared eager to see their students back in the classrooms. The former too kept the workload light keeping in view the holiday hangover. Geetika , a student of tenth class, remarked: “It is really nice to be back since I missed my friends during the vacations.” Anubhav, a student of DAV Public School, Sector 8, on the other hand was not that happy to join back. He said “Holidays are fun and should not end up soon. The day was quite boring for me today”. Sameer and Umesh, both plus one students said, “Initially, we were in a holiday mood. Getting up early in the morning was not that easy for us today. But school is an unescapable reality,” he lamented. Few students grumbled that too much of holiday homework did not give them ample time to freak out. Whereas some of them utilised the vacations in doing something creative. Payal, a student of Government Model, Sector 35, said: “There were a lot of summer workshops being run in the city. I learnt fabric painting, glass painting and a little bit of embroidery at hobby classes .” Manavi, a student of tenth class, said “the strength in the class was quite weak as the holiday mood was yet not over for some of the fellow classmates. She remarked that we are back to the same old routine.” A cross-section of teachers disclosed that it was refreshing as well as tiring. Monica and Anshu , both teachers said, “excitement is in the air. Students are in a joyous mood. We enquired about how students spent their vacations. Manoj and Sunita, teachers of another school , said that it was nice to be back with the students and to listen to there experiences. Rahul Gupta, a student of second class, felt that the vacations should have been extended. He felt that if he could get more time to enjoy and be away with his family. Tarika Sethi, a student, was thrilled to join back and see her friends. She remarked it was very boring sitting idle at house during the vacations and was waiting for the school to
reopen.
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President’s rule favoured in Tamil
Nadu Chandigarh July 2 Mr Jitender Sharma, a Sector 37 trader, says whatever the cases of corruption against Mr Karunanidhi should continue , however, the manner in which he was picked up from his home and manhandled was undemocratic. He pointed towards the statements made by Ms J. Jayalalitha when she was arrested in corruption cases. She had then boasted that once she is in power, Mr Karunanidhi would be behind the same bars. She is misusing the Constitution to humiliate Mr Karunanidhi and the two Union ministers. A Sector 48 resident, Mr Kehar Singh Koundel, says “Ms Fatima Beevi, also acted in an arbitrary manner, where she was supposed to protect the Constitution”. The police picked up the former CM at 2 a.m. from his house. He could have been arrested in the morning. He was handled like a hardcore criminal. Mr Koundel likened this to Hitler’s rule. Terming Tamil Nadu Government ‘s action as a direct challenge to the federal structure of the country, Mr Satya Pal Jain, a former MP and a senior advocate, demanded the imposition of President’s rule in the state so that the state administration could be run in a constitutional manner and such “shameful” incidents were not repeated. Throwing constitutional norms to winds, the Jayalalitha Government ordered the arrest of two Central ministers, holding constitutional posts, besides Mr Karunanidhi, an MLA, adding that the incident smacked of “vindictiveness” and had been taken at the behest of a person who had faced corruption charges in the past. Welcoming the resignation of the Tamil Nadu Governor, Ms Punam Sharma, came down heavily on Ms Jayalalita, who acted in a “vindictive and undignified manner” against her political rivals. You could have difference of opinion in a democracy but that does not mean that you act in a “dictatorial” manner, she said, adding that law should be allowed to take its own course. If this was the plight of the VIPs, one can imagine the fate of common man, who was at the receiving end, she added. “The incident seems a bit unfortunate as ordering arrests for personal vengeance in politics is bad” said Air Marshal R.S. Bedi (retd) a councillor. He added that the police, which still has a mindset dating back to the Raj, should not be crude in handling such situations. Commenting that the Centre had the power to remove the Governor and it has done so in its wisdom, Arun Bansal, a laywer, was of the opinion that the developments were not likely to have any adverse effect on the Centre-state relations as Jayalalitha was not supporting the alliance at the Centre. On the issue of police action, Mr Bansal felt that a VIP had been subjected to behaviour which is routinely borne by the common man. “Though the police behaviour was harsh, if the common man has to face it everyday why should VIPs be a privileged lot,” he remarked. |
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Govt-run NIIFT lacks own
building SAS Nagar, July 2 Apart from its locational disadvantage, the institute building is too small to provide the required facilities. Although the authorities have expanded the accommodation by constructing a few rooms on the first floor at a cost of Rs 18 lakh, still the space is inadequate. The institute has 225 students in three courses. During the past years, say the authorities, there has been 100 per cent placement of those who had cleared the courses. The Punjab Chief Minister had made an announcement on May 22 last year that 3 acres would be allotted to the institute and the state government would be giving Rs 1 crore for constructing the building. Members of the NIIFT staff say that the announcement implied that the land would be provided “free of cost”. However, PUDA has placed the institute in the category of autonomous, semi-government or funded bodies, which are not entitled to land free of cost, and asked NIIFT to purchase a plot at the rate of Rs 1,602 per sq yd. This is not possible for the institute which at present incurs an annual expenditure of about Rs 80 lakh against an income of about Rs 62 lakh. A sum of Rs 35,000 per month is being wasted on the payment of rent. For almost six months a class had to be held in a building adjacent to the institute as it was short of classrooms. In January this year another course (knitwear) was introduced adding to the problem of space shortage. The staff say the institute requires about 50,000 sq ft of covered area but at present the area was only about 20,000 sq ft. In spite of making additional construction in the rented building the institute still needs one construction of laboratory and another one for making designs, a common room, a playground and an auditorium. At present the authorities have to hire an auditorium on the CEDTI premises to enable students to make their presentations. Temporary arrangements have been made in the building to accommodate the administrative staff. As the institute is located in the industrial area it faces additional problems such as power cuts and pollution. Complaints were made to the Pollution Control Board, which conducted a check and found the noise levels above the permissible limits. The board asked the industrial units concerned to reduce the noise pollution and also told NIIFT that the tolerance level in the industrial area had to be higher than those in the residential areas. The staff say that students at times work late at night on their projects. As the institute is located in a secluded area, it leads to problems, including that of transport, particularly in the case of girl students. Mrs Vijay Sharma, Director of the institute, says the gap between the expenditure and income can be bridged if some short term courses are introduced. However, she feels these may not attract adequate number of students as the institute is located at an inconvenient distance from Chandigarh and the local bus service is not available. |
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SECTOR SCAN Chandigarh This sector, which houses several public dealing offices such as the UT Secretariat, the UT Police Headquarters, the Chandigarh Housing Board, the Punjab Police Headquarters, the Punjab Mini Secretariat and Kendriya Sadan which houses several Central Government offices, faces several problems. Though the residential area enjoys amenities on a scale better than many other sectors, the commercial area, particularly the one that lies along Madhya Marg, cries for attention. Allottees of commercial property have always been alleging step-motherly treatment. The roads are mostly in good condition. The supply of water and electricity is normal. Streetlights function reasonably. However, a worrisome aspect of the sector, which houses several eminent persons from different walks of life including Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Punjab Finance Minister, Mr Harmohan Dhawan, a former Union Minister, former Judges, lawyers and businessmen, is the growth of wild vegetation in its open spaces. Congress grass has started growing profusely, exposing the residents to health hazards. Even certain parks are not being taken care of by the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC), in sharp contrast to the well-maintained lawns in private bungalows. Garbage disposal is also poor, as is evident from garbage heaps at certain places. Security tents pitched outside the houses of certain VIPs give the sector a shabby look. But parking remains the most critical problem of this sector. Though parking lots have been built at the back of the UT Secretariat along Jan Marg, yet these are not fully utilised by the public. The UT Police Headquarters also faces this problem and vehicles remain parked outside the headquarters in a no parking zone. The confusion is the worst in the commercial area on Madhya Marg. This area houses several banks and other offices and the limited parking space always remains crowded. “To top it all, haphazard parking makes it virtually impossible to take out your car at any time of the day”, complained Mr H.K. Sharma, an executive in a firm. The virtual absence of any parking lot in the newly-developed commercial area near the CITCO petrol station, is also a cause of concern. The allottees complain that they have spent crores of rupees to purchase the plots and raise the buildings, but development of the area seems to be last on the agenda of the authorities concerned. An allottee who did not want to be named said the authorities should ensure that basic infrastructural facilities such as roads, streetlights, sewerage and parking lots were put in place before auctioning the commercial sites. |
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TRIBUNE
IMPACT Chandigarh, July 2 Another source said senior officials took serious view of Chandigarh Tribune story appearing on July 1. The matter was discussed at length at the officers meeting this morning. Matters like alleged encroachment of 5.17 acres of prime land by the Chandigarh Club, illegal construction, if any, by either of the two club managements and pending payments will be looked into in detail. In the case of the Golf Club some of the additional construction had been approved by the Architecture Department, sources said and added that no timeframe had been fixed for the investigation, but all files were being fished out to bring out the details. |
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Curb female foeticide: Jacob Chandigarh, July 2 Presiding over the annual general body meeting of the Puinjab Child Welfare Council, Lt-Gen Jacob said that selective killing of a female foetus will have a long-term impact on society and collective efforts must be made to curb this practice. For this, the Health Department must make periodic check on the ultrasound laboratories involved in this practice and take action against them under relavent provisions of law, he added. Emphasising on the need for launching a campaign to educate the public towards the need for proper education of the girl child, the Governor said that it was the right of every girl child. For this he also asked the education department to check the drop-out rate of under-priveleged children in Punjab. He said that each district must have more schools for the slum children. Stressing upon the need for increasing the health cover in the rural areas of Punjab, the Governor said the spread of tuberculosis in children must be checked. He also expressed his concern over detection of polio cases in Chandigarh despite a dedicated polio drive. The Health Department must make thorough checks in the the rural areas to ensure that polio is eradicated from the country in the next two years. He said that the dental health cover in rural areas was not adequate. More than 65 per cent of people were suffering from dental ailments there. The Director Health informed the Governor that Rs 2 crore had been sanctioned to purchase mobile health vans for the rural areas. Lt-Gen Jacob also asked the Child Welfare Council to explore the possibilities of enhancing scholarships being given to the handicapped children. Earlier, Ms Uma Ratra gave an overview of activities of the Child Welfare Council. The Governor honoured Jalandhar and Kapurthala districts which got the top prizes. Patiala got the second prize and Faridkot and Moga got the third prize. |
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Mystery shrouds death of Nepali worker Chandigarh, July 2 It is alleged that Zidraj died on the spot, while he was trying to draw power through a kundi connection on the evening of June 28. It is also alleged that the kundi connection was needed to run the motor for watering the plants in the nursery, where he was employed. It is learnt that the victim had come from Nepal along with his family recently in the hope for a better future here. His sister-in-law and her husband were employed as help at Ajay Farm in Kishangarh. The victim, too, got a job at the said farm with the help of his relatives. The victim was also given accommodation at the farm. He had reportedly been working here for less than a week, when the accident took place. According to labourers working in a nearby farm , the duty of the victim was to draw electricity for running one of the two motors through a kundi connection. A woman labourer, who witnessed the accident, revealed that since the victim was new to the job, he was electrocuted. On condition of anonymity, the woman said that she saw the victim’s body first going stiff after he was electrocuted and then fell down on the motor. Another young boy, who witnessed the scene, said that as soon as the victim’s body fell down, his eight-year- old son rushed towards him.” Soon, the victim’s wife and other children and the other farm hands rushed there and saw that Zidraj was dead. However, the owner of the farm, Mr. Ajay Johal, when informed of the accident, rushed the victim to some doctor. After, about an hour, he came back and packed Zidraj’s family in his car and also took them away to an unknown destination in order to hush up the case, “ he informed. It is learnt that the body was taken to a few relatives of the victim in Makhan Majra and quietly cremated within a few hours of the accident. Labourers working at the farm, when contacted by TNS today preferred to maintain silence. They claimed that they did not know the name of the victim or the circumstances leading to his death. They also refused to divulge the whereabouts of the victim’s family. However, the Mani Majra police when contacted, said that the man had died of an epilepsy attack. The Station House Officer of the Mani Majra police station, Mr Nanhe Ram, when contacted by TNS said that the police received the information only a day after the incident . “We had gone there and investigated the case. We found that the victim was suffering from epilepsy and suffered numerous attacks each day. It was with the purpose of getting better medical treatment that he had come to the city. On the fateful day while working at the farm, he suffered an epileptic attack and died,” he asserted. |
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The mummy ‘returns’ Chandigarh, July 2 The study is based on investigations by a team comprising a senior pathologist, a radiologist and two anatomists who examined the mummified body of a man who had died here. The autopsy report of the case included results of extensive radiological and clinical examinations of various organs and tissues of the body. It was published in an Irish forensic science journal recently and is the first detailed autopsy report on a mummified body in India. The mummification of the body of a middle-aged man was a big news here about 15 years go. The man, who belonged to an educated middle-class family of the city, had developed an abscess on his back. His family, under the influence of a ‘tantrik’ who claimed to have magical powers, did not give him food and water for several days. His condition worsened and he died soon after due to dehydration and starvation. The ‘tantrik’, then, told the family that the man would return to life if he was kept in a hot and dry room. The body was kept like this for 22 months. In May 1987, the family’s neighbours detected a foul sell and informed the police who, then, seized the body and cremated it after a post mortem in the PGI. Cases were registered against the man’s wife and the ‘tantrik’ for causing death due to negligence. However, they were, later, acquitted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. According to the PGI doctors, whereas, a lot of literature is available on artificial mummification, particularly the Egyptian mummies, natural mummification is rare. It usually occurs in desert-like conditions, where the absence of humidity and continuous hot and dry air currents prevents a body from undergoing desiccation and shrivelling. The skin becomes tough like leather and attains a brownish-black colour. The internal organs get converted into dried shrivelled up masses and even disappear in most cases. The research team says that these conditions were created artificially in the case of the mummy that had been found here. Dehydration commences before purification of the body. The man had been dehydrated and starved in June, which was a hot and dry month, during the illness, which had created ideal conditions for natural mummification. A well-preserved mummy provides forensic-science experts with a good opportunity for an interesting case study because the injuries can be identified and the cause of death can be ascertained even after thousands of years of a person’s death. Experimentally produced mummification cannot be compared with the natural process like in the present case. Pieces of the stomach, the heart, the right kidney, the liver, dried up brain matter, the nails and a small bunch of hair, when examined, showed that the person had indeed not been poisoned. No trace of arsenic was detected in either the nails or the hair. The tissues had disintegrated with a total loss of intercellular cohesion, which made it difficult to find the exact cause of death. Death due to a chronic liver, kidney disease or a cardiac arrest also seemed unlikely. Forensic scientists, then, zeroed down to the possibility of acute renal shutdown because of dehydration, as indicated by the events leading to the death. |
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Pensioners of power board meet Panchkula, July 2 Apart from the routine business of approving the expenditure, a distinctive feature of the AGM was the thrust imparted to the concept of ‘welfare’ aspect of the activities of the association, which was comprehensively articulated by Mr Gopi Chand Sharma, retired Chief Accounts Officer of the Haryana State Electricity Board. Without laying undue emphasis on the demands of the pensioners, the association resolved to intensify efforts to look after the welfare of all pensioners, family pensioners and retired employees’ families with greater zeal, dedication and preserving diligence. The association aimed at promoting welfare of the pensioners, including family pensioners, to inculcate the spirit of fellow-feeling and fraternity amongst the pensioners, as also to secure, protect, promote and safeguard the interests of the pensioners of the HSEB and organising talks, conventions and meetings. By general consensus, it was decided at the AGM that the association shall launch a special drive for the collection of funds, to create a sizeable corpus for undertaking ‘welfare’ activities for the retired senior citizens of the Haryana power utilities, and the members attending the AGM enthusiastically responded promising to make generous contributions. |
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FENG SHUI TIPS Create solid foundations The Feng Shui of your floor relates to the foundation of your life. This principle has important Feng Shui connotations. There are some ground rules on carpets that can be incorporated to have proper décor. Every one has either good flooring or carpets. People having rented houses cannot change their floor. So they spread carpets into their rooms. Rooms with carpets give a warm and cosy feeling. Carpets come in different colours and shapes. The general rule one has to observe is this: Let your carpet blend with the elements of the room where they are placed. This depends on the direction the particular room has where one is planning to place the carpet. After seeing the element, it becomes easier to choose the colour, shape and combination of the carpet. Secondly, if one is not sure of the direction of the room where one is planning to place the carpet, there is no need to get worried. Let all your carpets reflect the general shape of the room. This creates balance and harmony.
Harshna Address your Feng Shui queries to: |
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Forest Dept sets target of planting Chandigarh, July 2 Mr Singh said that protecting the existing regulation and trees and improving its quality and density, it is important to plant and maintain new saplings in order to make protection aspect more effective, Chandigarh Administration in this regard is considering to modify the “Chandigarh Tree Preservation Order 1952”. He said that plantation target had been set for various government organisations. The Forest Department has fixed the target for planting 50,000 saplings, out of which 46,000 will be trees and 4000 shrubs. Municipal Corporation has also fixed the target for planting 18,254 saplings out of which 11,890 trees and 6355 shrubs, Engineering Department (Horticulture Division, Chandigarh Administration) has a target for planting 5704 saplings, out of which 1149 trees and 4555 shrubs, Central Public Works Deptt (Horticulture Division) Government of India has a target of planting 37320 saplings out of which 5320 trees and 32000 shrubs. While giving details, Director, Environment, said that the MC is managing about 1900 small and big parks in the city. About 1,600 parks have already been developed and rest are the process of development. Mr Singh said Department of of Forests and Wildlife, Chandigarh has a plantation target of 2 lakh saplings during the year 2001-2002. He said that in Nepli range 1. 20 lakh saplings and in the Kansal range 80,000 saplings would be planted, respectively. To prevent silt from coming into the Sukhna lake, 2 lakh ‘patch sowing’ (seed sowing) will be carried out in the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary. |
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The agony of climbing stairs Panchkula, July 2 Then there is the public watching his agony as he pushes ahead to come out on top amidst staring eyes and an indifferent public around. And yes, it manifests itself in embarrassment and a feeling of guilt for being unable to do something an ordinary man does so easily, ascend and descend the staircase of the three-storeyed building. But then, this is not about ordinary men. They are extraordinary as they take the bull by the horns and continue to live their lives. Only they expect a little help from the district authorities in the shape of a ramp or a lift to help their movement in the government building and it doesn’t seem to happen. Their war begins with their setting foot on the premises with even getting to the offices on the ground floor being no mean achievement given the constraints. The building being on an elevated platform, the three steps at the entry are the first obstacle to approaching an officer. Despite two offices of the City Magistrate and the SDM, where public dealing is the maximum, located on the ground floor, they are not spared of the trouble of living through the agony of climbing steps to reach them. Also, the office of the Red Cross, their lifeline as far as appealing for financial aid, machines and other needs is concerned, is housed on the first floor, climbing the steps being a marathon exercise. While the designing of the building is such that no thought went into making provisions for a ramp for the handicapped, the callous indifference to their need has presented itself in eliciting little response from the successive Deputy Commissioners. Since the inauguration of the Secretariat in April, 1998, a number of ambitious projects running into lakhs and crores have been launched and completed during the past three years. However, no thought has gone to the “children of the lesser God’’, they claim, with the administration till date unable to get the requisite funds for its construction from the government. When contacted, the Deputy Commissioner, Ms Jyoti Arora, said that she was aware of the problem being faced by the handicapped. “While the offices of the CTM and the SDM are already on the ground floor we are thinking of shifting the Red Cross office to the same floor as well. Meanwhile, a proposal for a lift in the Secretariat has been forwarded to the government for approval,’’ she added. Till the project for a lift in the district secretariat comes through, the handicapped will just have to cool their heels on the Secretariat premises and continue to wage war against their disability. |
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Firing victim succumbs to injuries Panchkula, July 2 Meanwhile, 11 persons involved in the firing incident over a land dispute were produced before the court of Ms Aradhna Sahni, Judicial Magistrate, here today. Three of them, Manjit Singh, Harjinder Singh and Vicky, were remanded in police custody till July 4, while eight anothers in judicial custody till July 13. The accused were arrested by the police yesterday. Seven persons of a family, including two women, were injured in a clash between two groups over a land dispute. A farmer accompanied by 35 armed persons fired upon the family members when they were working in the fields. The armed persons fired shots from .12-bore guns and also used daggers, sickles and lathis to beatup the persons. The arrested persons include Harjinder Singh, Jasbir Singh, Balwinder Singh, Manjit Singh, Bhupinder Singh, Vicky, Bhag Singh. Kharar, July 2 Mr Mittal talked about Maharaja Ajj Sarovar here which had a 100-year-old carving on its wall that said hunting was banned. He said he would urge Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Punjab, to release funds for the preservation of this ‘sarovar’. Mr Mittal announced a grant of Rs 50,000 for the community centre. Mr Mittal also inaugurated the construction work of a road and planted a tree on the bank of the ‘sarovar’. Mr Prem Singh, President of the SAD’s Kharar unit; Mr Om Parkash Aggarwal, President of the BJP’s Kharar unit; Mr Daljeet Singh Saini, Mr Tara Chand, Mr Zora Singh Bhullar and Mr Ashoke Sharma were among those who addressed the gathering.
Chandigarh, July 2 |
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Finance panel’s meeting tomorrow Chandigarh, July 2
SAS Nagar, July 2 |
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Cable operators
hike fee SAS Nagar, July 2 |
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Training in food
preservation Chandigarh, July 2 Chandigarh, July 2 |
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A clarification In the news item, ‘PU faculty house, hostels raided’, published in these columns on June 25, 2001, it was stated that R. Godara, a student of the university, was caught by the police for misusing the faculty house. It is stated that the accused was Rohtash Godara.
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Labourer crushed to
death Dera Bassi, July 2 According to sources, deceased Ranjan Kumar Mandal was returning home along with four other labourers when the vehicle (HR-46-7310) knocked him down. His friends jumped into a ditch along the road and saved their lives, while Ranjan lost his life on the spot. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene. Interestingly, the vehicle got stuck on the Bhankharpur-Mubarikpur road. Ranjan’s friends, who were chasing the truck, informed the people in Bhankharpur. Residents gathered and pulled down the driver and beat him up. But the driver gave them the slip and fled. The police has impounded the vehicle. The body has been sent to the Rajpura hospital for post-mortem examination after registering a case. |
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3 cases of theft Chandigarh, July 2 A Kinetic Honda ( CH-01Z-3662) was stolen from the Sector 15 residence of Amarjit Walia yesterday. A Yamaha motor cycle (AP-10K-8108) was stolen from 3 BRD Station on June 30. In another case of theft, a stereo was stolen from a car parked near a food joint in Sector 17 yesterday. In all these cases, FIRs under Section 379 of the IPC have been registered. One arrested: Ramji Lal was arrested on charge of outraging the modesty of a woman in Bapu Dham Colony on the night of June 30. A case under Sections 447 and 354 of the IPC has been registered. One injured:
A pedestrian, Ravinder Kumar, was hit by a Lancer car (CH-03E-638) near the Sector 16 chowk last night. The car driver sped away. A case under Sections 279 and 337 of the IPC has been registered. |
Traders’ ask UT to withdraw ban Chandigarh, July 2 Talking to reporters, office-bearers of the association said the ban on plying of trucks on the Madya Marg from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. had seriously affected their business as the wholesale building materials market was finding it difficult to receive bulk materials from the region. Since the shops had to be closed by 7.30 p.m. as per the Shops Act, the unloading of trucks became difficult during night time, they said, alleging that the administration was discriminating with them as the trucks were allowed to enter the Sector 26 Grain Market. Condemning the high-handedness of the administration, they wondered why it had banned the entry of trucks for the day now when only restrictions for a few hours were sufficient. The trucks could be allowed from the back side of the showrooms of Sector 26 as there was no public traffic and there was hardly any chance of any accident. Since the showrooms were allotted for the wholesale sale of building materials, it was incumbent upon the administration to provide a route for the loading and unloading of the trucks carrying the building material. They warned the association would be left with no alternative except launch an agitation if their demands were not met. Prominent among those who spoke were Mr Nand Kishore, Adviser, Mr Subhash Sethi, president, Mr PN Khanna, Mr Satpal Garg and Mr Baldev Aggarwal, both vice-presidents. |
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