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September 24, 2001, Chandigarh, India
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Woman found dead;
husband suspect SAS Nagar, September 23 The husband of the woman, Mohan, who had severely beaten her past night, has absconded. A neighbour, Madan Lal, a mason, said Mohan used to beat Mira regularly, but no one had heard any shrieks from the house past night. The suspect was seen going to work at about 7 am today. Mira’s daughter Guddi (11), eldest of her six children, said, “My father had beaten my mother yesterday and she had been vomiting today. My father said he was going to call a doctor, but he did not turn up. Then, I called my neighbours for help, but, it was too late by then.” After the autopsy, sources in the police said the woman had passed stool before her death as she had not been able to move due to the injuries. According to the second theory of the police, the woman was suffocated, making her pass stool in fear before death. Mira was the second wife of the suspect, Mohan. Guddi is from Mohan’s first marriage. His son Karan and daughters Durga, Shabnam, Rinki and Pinki are from the second marriage. The old and blind mother of the suspect, Gauri Devi, also lived in the one-room tenement with the family. Neighbours said, “Mira was not allowed to move out of the house and, on more than two occasions, we had to intervene to save her from her husband.”
The police has registered a case under Section 302 of the IPC. |
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Cultural mela successful, claims PTDC Chandigarh, September 23 ‘‘Raising the price of the entry ticket for the last two days was already planned and approved by board of directors,’’ a source from the organiser, the Punjab Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), told The Tribune here today on the final day of the mela. The PTDC sources said,
‘‘We had to create repeat value initially for the mela and allowed students from the city and satellite towns to visit it without charge’’. They said that the PTDC allowed certain artisans toll-free space apart from giving them their daily remuneration, free lodging and boarding to create a cultural kaleidoscope. Tickets, commercial space and request for charge from those stalls, which had roaring sale now, may bring the break-even point. The PTDC thought the mela to be a successful venture as it was likely to give tourism in the state a boost if distribution of its brochures were any indication. The sources said, ‘‘Around 50,000 brochures were kept in the PTDC stall and and more than 99 per cent were distributed’’. The response was overwhelming, strengthening the possibility of the mela having a repeat next year and also getting sponsors, who this time were not forthcoming, sources said. They said that the PTDC and the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to become each others’ agents for promoting tourism in each others’ states along with their own. The tourism in Punjab, which needs promotion on a self-sustaining basis without grants from the state government, would now go ahead focussing on religio-cultural, highway and eco-tourism, the sources said. The next mela could be organised showcasing cultural strength of most of country’s states, they said. The department was also mooting the Gujarat experiment of building a heritage village where life of a Punjab village would be replicated. Gujarat had built such a village that was drawing a lot of people and earning the department a lot, the sources said. Though business volume of shopkeepers was not yet ascertained, they were estimated to have done fairly well, the sources said. |
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Heavy bargaining as mela concludes Chandigarh, September 23 People had another opportunity to dance on DJ music, ending 10-day long cultural evenings showcasing dance and culture of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana besides Sufi, pop and qawwali singing. The last two days drew large crowds with yesterday being the heaviest at 54,000, if gone by ticket sale. The last day witnessed those shopkeepers increasing the rates of their products who had seen good sales during the mela period. People were seen bargaining with shopkeepers for extracting a cheap buy, anticipating shopkeepers would like to dispose of their products to save transportation cost. Shopkeepers said they saw tremendous response from the people in terms of enquiries but those necessarily did not result in actual sale. Certain visitors told The Tribune that the fair brought them face-to-face with the craftsmanship of Indian artisans. The Managing Director of the Punjab Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), and the organiser of the fair, Mr Sanjay Kumar, said the public response had been very encouraging. He said estimates of sales and business could only be available tomorrow as collection of individual data would be worked out late tonight. Mr Kumar said he got information that a furniture shop from Saharanpur seemed to have done a good business. Many shopkeepers, however, said they could not make the maximum out of it and the initial two days were very lean. The 10-day cultural evenings drew admiration of a large number of people. Mr Kumar said the day when Vengaboys came to the city, the mela drew a crowd of 35,000, showing city’s hunger for traditional culture. The Amritsari food, Lukhnawi biryani and Dal Bati Choorma of Rajasthan were the favourites among people. |
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Showroom looted in
Panchkula Panchkula, September 23 The miscreants walked away with new clothes though the exact estimate of the loss in kind could not be ascertained as the shop owner was still to take note of the missing stock.
‘‘We are not allowed to touch the scattered belongings till the police has completed all investigation. We will be able to give an estimate only after we can compare this with the list of stock in our possession,’’ owner Ashok Aggarwal said. Police sources said that the thieves removed a window pane to gain entry into the shop on the first floor of a corner plot in the commercial area. Once inside, they broke open the lock on the cupboard and took out the locker. The thieves broke it open and took out the cash. The owner said that while all cash on account of sale till 8 pm had been taken away, Rs 1,5000 was collected through sale of various articles between 8 pm and 9 pm, which was later stolen. The miscreants ransacked the clothes and slippers’ counters. Two bottles of half finished juices and two lids were found, lending substance to the fact that there were more than two thieves. Also, the police found a shirt left behind by the thieves, the pocket of the shirt contained red chilly powder. The owner said on last Sunday also, thieves had attempted to break open the lock of the shop but were nabbed after a watchman of an adjoining bank heard strange noises and informed the police. Two persons were arrested that night and were reportedly in police custody, he added. Electronic gadgets worth Rs 1 lakh comprising computer parts, compact discs and other such items were stolen from another showroom in the same block on the night of September 22. |
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Hours of reckoning: teachers not
serious Chandigarh, September 23 Recommendations of a committee constituted by the PU Vice-Chancellor to enforce this rule are to be discussed in the coming meeting of the Senate. The debate on this issue is expected to be heated because the university is adamant on implementing the UGC regulations and teachers are resisting the move. The UGC had asked the PU to ensure that its rules were enforced in the university. These rules relate to autonomy, accreditation, code of ethics, teaching and research, performance appraisal system, punctuality and accountability etc. The committee constituted by the VC had reported that, though the attendance rule was being followed to an extent, all faculty members should be physically present for at least forty hours a week in their departments. This is a rule that apparently no one wants to follow. Teachers don’t want to be controlled or accountable in any way and say that the rule brings them down to the level of clerks. However, even some of the “dedicated” teachers have rejected this rule as non-practical. “The forty-hour rule is fine, but it will not help the university quantify or determine the quality of the work of teachers. The work of a teacher is too complicated to be determined by a simple count of the number of hours spent at a place. A more complex system of control is required. However, teachers will have to be accountable for teaching, research and attendance,” says Dr M. Rajiv Lochan, Reader in the Department of History. There are many other who agree with what he says. “University teachers are already working for more than the stipulated 40 hours. If one counts the amount of time a university teacher spends out of classroom in guiding researchers, correcting assignments, preparing lectures, doing research, attending seminars and refresher courses and library reading, it turns out to be more than 40 work-hours a week. Therefore, the rule does not make any sense. Lazy teachers will not work even if the 40-hour rule is enforced. The university has an in-built system, where those who work excel and those who don’t remain where they began.” says Dr Shelley Walia of the PU Department of English. Prof R.S. Chaudhry of the Department of Geology, says that the 40-hour rule is acceptable, but Prof Bhupinder Brar of the Department of Political Science says that the rule will prove to be useless. “Teachers should be accountable, but this rule will not serve the purpose. The UGC should instead devise an alternative system of accountability like a three-yearly assessment on the basis of some well-laid-down criteria,” he says. |
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No takers for undeclared
results Chandigarh, September 23 The PU has decided to give two years at most for the deposit of this fee, failing which, results of defaulting candidates shall be cancelled. The issue will come up for discussion in the coming meeting of the Senate, according to sources. When contacted, sources in the PU Examination Branch said the issue had come up for discussion at the senior level recently. It was decided that candidates would be asked to deposit the fee within a certain time. Sources said, “A large number of candidates do not pay the full examination fee, including the late fee, at the time of submission of forms. The dues include several funds that students have to pay in addition to the examination fee.” The Fee Section sends letters to the defaulting candidates, followed by reminders. In spite of this, a number of students continue to be defaulters for years. A large number of such defaulters include students who have failed in examinations. Sources said the Vice-Chancellor had recently called a meeting of his senior officials to discuss this “serious problem”. It was decided that there should be a lasting solution to the problem, preferably, a two-year limit for claiming the results. Officials recommended that all cases under the head Result Later (Fee) pending upto supplementary examinations of September-October 1999 should be settled immediately. It has been suggested that university should immediately issue notices and advertisements in newspapers in this regard. In the advertisements, the PU should ask defaulting candidates to pay the examination fee in full, besides the other dues, within three months. If students do not respond, their candidature shall be cancelled without informing them and no further communication shall be entertained. It was decided that the two-year limit for paying the fee should be extended to candidates who had appeared for all examinations after the supplementary examinations of September 1999. |
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Blend of comedy and
sarcasm Chandigarh, September 23 With the help of two characters, Prakash (played by Amar Babaria) and Madhavi (Bhavana Balsaver), Shatrughan in the role of a narrator showed in a subtle, yet funny, way that anger and ego are reasons enough for the breakdown of a marriage. The story unfolded with Prakash falling in love with Madhavi, who is a distant relative of Shatrughan Verma, the bank clerk and the dreamer who steered the relationship between these young lovebirds right from the beginning. It was not much of a hard work for this happy-go-lucky Shatrubhai to unite these two into the holy bond of marriage as both were equally eager and willing to tie the knot. Trouble makes way in their paradise soon after marriage which leads to a temporary separation. However, it were the counselling sessions by Shatrubhai that somehow manage to sort out their differences and the play ends with a happy note. Though the story lacked in content, the powerful presence of Shatrughan Sinha did just more than making up. The dialogues laced with heavy dose of sarcasm and coated with comedy proved highly entertaining. Bhavana Balsaver, already an established TV artiste, and Rakesh Bedi did full justice to their roles. The play was directed by well-known Bollywood director Ramesh Talwar and produced by Sanjay
Goradia. The play was based on a story written by Manohar Katdhare. The sets erected by Subhash Asar complemented the theme of the story.
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New traffic plan at lake leaves people
fuming Chandigarh, September 23 A visit to the spot today showed that as against people scurrying away on a part of the Uttar Marg in front of the lake to avoid accidents with a sea of vehicles, the visitors were seen moving leisurely. However, the traffic diversions by the everso ready Chandigarh Traffic Police at the Uttar Marg were a scene of utter chaos today. It may be noted that the proposal was mooted to seal about 100 metres of road stretch near the Sukhna lake for vehicular traffic on Saturdays and Sundays in order to make it an accident-free zone. The plan was brought into force from September 22, but with thousands of people swarming the lake today, it was the litmus test for the success of the new plan. According to the information available, the road segment of Uttar Marg and Sarovar Path (between the roundabout of Sectors 5,6,7 and 8 and the outer limits of parking areas of the MCC and Lake Club) would be a vehicle-free zone on Saturdays and Sundays between 4 pm and 8.30 pm. The lake, being one of the most important recreational spots, witnesses a lot of rush in the evening hours on holidays. Motorised traffic during such period poses serious threat to the safety of the road users. The lake-bound traffic from southern and eastern parts of the city coming via the roundabout of Sectors 5, 6, 7 and 8 was advised to take the Vigyan Path up to Sectors 8, 9, 4 and 5 roundabout and then turn right to reach Uttar Marg and then turn right towards the parking areas. Road users from the High Court, Chandigarh Club and the Punjab Secretariat bound for southern or easter side of the city via Uttar Marg have been asked to take Jan Marg or Himalaya Marg for Vigyan Path. |
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Girl raped in cremation ground Chandigarh, September 23 An FIR has been registered under Sections 341, 376 and 506 of the IPC in this connection. It is learnt that the girl was a resident of Janata Colony, Sector 25, and was reportedly suffering from diarrhoea. According to information, on September 19, the girl had gone to the Sector 25 cremation ground at 2 in the afternoon. It was there that she was stalked by four men living in her neighbourhood — Sanjay Kumar, Ravinder Kumar, alias Narsingha, Pal and Surinder, alias Chinda. The father of the victim alleged that his daughter was raped by Sanjay Kumar and Ravinder Kumar. Two other accused — Pal and Surinder alias Chinda — kept a close watch on their accomplices. After the rape she was threatened by the accused with dire consequences. The accused threatened to physically eliminate her father and brother, if the matter was reported. Thus the victim did not reveal the incident to her family on the same day. Police officials informed that the victim kept the things to herself, but remained very quite and terrorised. It was only after she was coerced by her family members for almost three days that she reported the incident. Subsequently, the police was informed and a case was registered. The police said the victim was medically examined at the General Hospital yesterday. |
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NIPER student found dead in
hostel SAS Nagar, September 23 Sources in the police said the victim along with three of his friends had gone outside to have dinner as it was the last day of their examination. They had liquor in their hostel and the victim had insisted for more drinks — a fact which could not be confirmed from the authorities of the institute. A few days back the victim had got one of his arm fractured after he fell from a scooter. The victim was found dead in his hostel room at around 11 am. He had recently gone to Canada in connection with his doctorate degree. |
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CHANDIGARH CALLING Faujis in the region have something to celebrate. A few days ago they got the rightful control over the sprawling Defence Services Officers Institute (DSOI) in Sector 36. This came about after six years of legal and administrative battles with the Chandigarh Administration. In fauj parlance the DSOI has been truly “liberated”. With Chandigarh and its surrounding townships of Panchkula and SAS Nagar having thousands of retired defence personnel, the DSOI has become an important social hub for these men who have served the country in their youth. In 1992 the administration, out of design or by accident, had handed over the plot to a private club floated by a few retired armymen and Punjab bureaucrats. Legal proceedings carried on and a compromise was reached in February which empowered the Governor of Punjab, Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd), to give a final decision. The Governor, like a true fauji, took a decision to give major control of the DSOI to the Western Command Headquarters located in Chandimandir. Sources said the Governor was greatly helped in his task by one of his official aides. The aide in question is said to have actually used his long administrative experience to pen down the nittygritty of actual handing over of the DSOI to the Army. Slum hazard The policy of the Chandigarh Administration to rehabilitate slum dwellers is causing social harm to residents of neighbouring SAS Nagar. With the proliferation of slums the jhuggis now extend virtually up to the doors of people in SAS Nagar located just south of the city. Thanks to official encouragement for slums in Chandigarh, open defecation and urination are a common sight for people in several residential areas of SAS Nagar. Protests by people have had no effect on the bureaucracy-laden Chandigarh Administration which lives, functions and breathes in the cleaner northern sectors. Last week the issue was officially raised at a meeting between Chandigarh and Punjab authorities to decide upon joint development of border area of Chandigarh and SAS Nagar. The team from Punjab led by a senior bureaucrat protested over the proliferation of slums and wanted them removed from places where they face houses in SAS Nagar. Though the Chandigarh team led by its UT cadre IAS officer Ms Neeru Nanda was red faced , nothing will happen, say keen watchers of the scene.
Noble gesture Adviser to UT Administrator Ms Neeru Nanda is quite a favourite with all the artistes who visit Chandigarh. Reasons are not far to seek. The lady has a fair vision and knows how to respect great artistes visiting her city. The other day renowned kathak exponent Shovana Narayan was in town on an invitation from SPICMACAY to perform under its famous Virasat series. The venue was St. Xavier’s school in Sector 44-C. As always, the school authorities called upon the Adviser to the stage first of all and presented her with the first bouquet of the day. The Adviser ascended the stage and won over the gathering with her noble gesture. She said: “The chief guest of this evening is not the Adviser, but the artiste. So I call upon Ms Shovana Narayan to receive the first bouquet of the day, on behalf of all the city residents”.
Nameless cops If you dial the number of a police station, the cordial voice of a cop mutters: “Jai Hind, sir, what can I do for you?” “Wow”, you think, “The Chandigarh Police has turned polite ever since Mr B.S. Bassi took over as the Inspector General of Chandigarh Police”. The illusion, however, ends as soon as you encounter a cop on the street. The way he behaves, or rather misbehaves, leaves the commuter with a feeling of humiliation. At least this is how a city resident felt when a constable, deployed outside the Central Administrative Tribunal on Saturday, shouted at him for his genuine inability to see a rope tied across the road in an attempt to manage traffic. “The constable, who was not wearing a nameplate, kept on shouting at me even though I managed to stop my bike at least three feet before the rope. In any case, I told him again and again that I had failed to notice the rope as the sun was against it, but he was not willing to listen”, the resident explains. Mr Bassi, can you please ensure that the cops at least wear their nameplates so that they cannot get away after behaving rudely! Otherwise also, wearing nameplates is a must as per the Supreme Court directions in the State-versus D.K. Basu case.
Prized venue This was perhaps the first time in the history of Chandigarh that an event as big as the concert by international pop stars Vengaboys was held in the Circus Grounds instead of the Parade Grounds in Sector 17. Looking back, one can see that all the important events like the shows by Daler Mehndi and Jasbir Jassi have been held in Parade Grounds. Despite best efforts, the organisers of Vengaboys concert had to finally settle for the much-less glamorous Circus Ground venue, because the Punjab Cultural Fair was underway at the Parade Grounds and attracting huge crowds. The Punjab Tourism Development Corporation thus had the cake and ate it too when its Food Craft and Cultural Mela literally hijacked the prized Parade Grounds venue.
Well managed Professionalism may not be the forte of the government departments, but the organisation of the Food, Crafts and Cultural Mela at the Parade Ground in Sector 17 by the Punjab Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) seems to be an exception. Professionally managed, the mela showcased the rich traditional handicrafts of various states besides a host of household products. Mouth-watering cuisines and cultural troupes from different states virtually turned the venue, visited by thousands of persons everyday, into a “Mini India’. Chandigarh, it seems, has finally found the alternative to the much-acclaimed Surajkund Mela. Sentinel only hopes that the mela will become an annual affair so that the people of City Beautiful, often dubbed as city without soul, can feel the pulse of the real “Bharat”.
It that asking for too much from the PTDC?
Green profession The vegetable and fruit vendors at Bajwara market really play smart with customers. Visit any vendor and he will quote a different price for the said fruit and vegetable, thus driving you crazy. So by the time you are out of the market, you don’t really know what is the actual price of the vegetable you just bought. You finally have to go to the Sector 26 grain market to clear this confusion. And as far as arguing with vendors at Bajwara is concerned, you better not, for they will plainly ignore you, saying: “koi baat nahi, aap vahaan se le lijiye jahaan pe sasta hai.” Reports have it that many vegetable and fruit vendors of Bajwara are richer than an average serviceman of Chandigarh. And they don’t even have any qualms about admitting the same. Theirs is a green and prosperous profession, after all!
ISO certification The Central Instruments Organisation (CSIO) here has recently been awarded the ISO - 9002 Certificate by the Ministry of Information Technology’s STQC Directorate for maintaining quality system in its major thrust areas. The certification, which is valid uptill December 2003, is for fabrication of mechanical components of assemblies, systems and sub-systems for scientific instruments, imparting technical training in the field of instruments technology die and mould making, industrial electronics and mechatronics, and, calibration services. The certification covers Indo-Swiss Training Centre, which provides technical training for industrial workers at the diploma level, as well as calibration of scientific instruments and central mechanical workshops. More areas are also proposed by CSIO for ISO certification.
Looking at America If you want to savour the resplendent glory of sky-kissing twin trade towers before they were brought down by the crashing planes on September 11, log on to the Internet site http://www.newyork.com. Just by clicking and moving the mouse you can travel through the floors of the two skyscrapers and reach the top, right where the television tower once stood as a proud symbol of capitalism. This is not all. Just by pressing a key on the board you can zoom in and have a closer look at the past. The effect is realistic as if you are scanning New York’s skyline with a pair of binoculars while actually standing atop one of the towers. The site also offers information on terror, anger and tears of suffering Americans, besides details of the latest developments, along with the list of the surviving victims and the hospitals they are admitted in. You can even send messages to the ones you love.
Cable monopoly Cable subscribers in the city seem to be at the receiving end, courtesy monopoly on providing connection in certain sectors. Complaints to improve the service some time lead to disconnection, a woman from Sector 21, said requesting anonymity to avoid harassment. And, behaviour of the cablewallahs seems a far cry from the market mantra of serving the consumer to the satisfaction — that too in the service sector, she said. The woman said she recently shifted from some other sector where there were two cable operators and the service was excellent. Her observation was that there are at least 10 more houses in her vicinity who are facing the same problem and all of them want another cable operator in the sector. The ugly face of monopoly has come after cablewallahs have already increased service charges during the last two months. The woman said attempts by other cable operators to provide service in the sector have been leading to clashes between them in a bid by the monopolisor to maintain his foothold.
Tailpiece Overheard at the venue where the much-hyped Vengaboys show was in progress: “What is all this about? The Vengaboys, who are renowned for live performances, are only lipsynching here. We did not pay Rs 250 per ticket to hear tracks being played on stage and some pop stars dancing away on them. Pepsi should return our money!” Well, the performance was not live, indeed! — Sentinel |
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Interactive Chandigarh, September 23 Question: What have been your achievements during the term? Answer: All V-5 and V-6 roads in Burail village and the road dividing the village and Sector 45-C were recarpeted. All V-6 roads of Sector 45 were strengthened along with the V-5 road between Burail and Sector 45-B. The recarpeting of colony no: 5 main road and work for K-block is under progress. A community centre in Sector 45 C stands sanctioned. Among the public health wing works, drainage and sewerage system has been laid in Kesho Ram complex, village Burail; two new water boosters have been installed in Sector 45 and Burail village. The civil dispensary in Sector 45 has been upgraded to a polyclinic. Mercury lights have been provided on the V-5 road in Sectors 45-C and, while street-lights in the Kesho Ram complex have been sanctioned The sewerage work in Ravidas Mohalla in Burail village and open drainage system work has been completed in Kumhar mohalla and other left-out parts of the village. The work to provide drainage system around village Burail and Sector 45 is under progress. Besides, 10 mobile toilet vans, electric connections, drinking water and ration cards were provided in Colony No: 5. A sulabh shuchalaya has also been constructed in K- block in colony no: 5. Parks have been developed in Sectors 45 — twelve parks in 45-A, two in 45-B, 5 in 45-C and and nine in 45-D. A green belt has also been developed along Sector 45-C and D dividing road. Question: What do you think you could not do for the electorate and why? Answer: I wanted to make the only village in my ward ( Burail village) a modern village, but in the absence of building byelaws I was unable to do so. In fact, this has led to a lot of haphazard construction in the village. But I will go on to accomplish my unfinished tasks within a short span. Question: How did you use the corporation forum to redress the grievances of the people? Answer: I pursued public matters till their solution and also got certain vital matters included in the agenda of the concerned sub-committee, F and CC or the House for the required approvals and sanctions. Question: What did you promise the voter during your election campaign? Answer: I had promised to work with honesty and sincerity to provide them basis civic amenities such as clean drinking water, electricity, properly developed green belts and toilets in Burail village and colony no: 5. Question: How responsive has been your party towards electorate’s grievances? Answer: The support of the party was always with me. Question: How supportive has been the bureaucracy in your role as a councillor? Answer: Very supportive and cooperative. Question: Would you like to recontest the election in view of your performance? Answer: If the party directs me to do so. Question: What will you suggest to your successor, if you do not contest this time? What he must do for the electorate overcoming party and bureaucratic hurdles? Answer: I will help him by sharing my experiences. Question: Why should the voter vote for you? Answer: on the basis of my honesty, simplicity and hard work. Question: What have you gained personally on being a councillor? Answer: The affection of the people, especially the poor. |
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Question your councillor The five-year term of the Municipal Corporation is drawing to a close. It is time for stock-taking. What did the councillors promise at the time of elections? And, what has been their performance? Have they been able to deliver? Have they been able to come up to your expectations? Today, we publish tenth interview in the series Interactive in which a councillor has been questioned as regards his promises vs performance. You are invited to question your councillor by 8 p.m. on Wednesday either through e-mail: question_tribune@yahoo.com or at phone number 680345 for one-and-a-half minutes of recording on the Tribune interactive voice response system (IVRS). Editor
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Govt to enact law to ban tobacco:
minister Panchkula, September 23 Addressing a press conference, the Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Mr Vallabhbhai Katheria, said the government would enact a law to ban tobacco, as the incidence of oral cancer were highest in the country. “Also, for treatment of cancer, we would like to invite private parties to invest in the field to enable extending this facility to as many places as possible. The NGOs would also be asked to help out and extend all possible support in setting up of hospice and creating cancer awareness amongst the masses,’’ he added. The Commissioner and secretary, Health and Medical Education, Mr G. Madhavan, said the Haryana Government was attempting to create District Cancer Control Societies in all districts while health camps would be organised to create awareness in rural and urban areas. He added that the facility of radiotherapy would be extended to various districts of the state under which the Central Government was also giving a grant. These districts include Kurukshetra, Ambala and Sirsa while one such project was already underway in Bhiwani. The Secretary, Indian Association of Surgical Oncology, Dr Ravi Kant, said the conference aimed at updating doctors from various colleges and hospitals from all over the country and abroad. “The thrust areas during the three-day conference was the early detection of cancer and reducing treatment time and cost by cutting down on unnecessary tests which can be avoided,’’ he said. The most deliberated subjects at the conference included cancer of the cervix, uterine and breast cancer. Experts from India and abroad presented the latest techniques being used in their country. From the Tata Memorial, Mumbai, Dr S.H. Advani, lectured on cancer of lymph glands while Dr James Rucinsky spoke on the importance of the sentinel gland in cancer of the large intestine. The technique of endoscopic visualisation of upper passage of respiratory tract and food pipe was demonstrated. During the conference, a quiz contest on questions pertaining to cancer surgery was conducted by Dr Somesh Chandra from the cancer hospital in Ahmedabad. |
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And now betting on
war! Chandigarh, September 23 Sources say that at present bets running into several crores of rupees are being made. While the war still remains a guess, sources in betting circles spread over Punjab, Chandigarh, parts of Haryana and in Jammu, say there is a tremendous response. It is learnt that bids have already been invited by bookies. With no cricketing series going on at present punters had been waiting for an opportunity to rake in money. However, in the ongoing betting, the bids opened at 1:10 in favour of war. That is, if someone places a bet of Rs 100 in favour of the USA attacking Afghanistan , which seems a probability, he will get Rs 110 in return. And those who place a bet on the USA not attacking Afghanistan will get Rs 1000 in return. Commission of 1 per cent from the winner and 2 per cent from every bet is received by the bookie. It is learnt that at present the minimum bid being accepted is of one peti ( Rs 1 lakh). From top-notch business men in the region to politicians in certain cases and even cops, each one is getting hooked. The element of uncertainty has added to the of interest. Reports from leading betting centres in the region — Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Jalandhar , Ferozepore, Bathinda, Hisar, Sirsa, Gurgaon and Jammu — indicate that hectic activity is on over the possibility of US retaliatory attacks on Afghanistan. Since the betting network is the same as in cricket, punters are being contacted in the entire region. As time slips by, the uncertainty increases. Bets are being made on when the Americans will strike, if China will jump in and if India will come out openly in support of the USA against the Taliban. Sources say that initially the bookies were reluctant to invite bids for or against war, but with the changing situation worldwide, they jumped in. However, the punters are now demanding that a time limit should be set for the start of the war. |
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Mass-marriage ceremony SAS Nagar, September 23 Mr Phool Raj, president of the Punjabi Cultural Society, said a package of around 18 items worth Rs 20,000 were given to each of the couple. This was second such massmarriage ceremony organised by society. |
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Efforts needed to fight terrorism Chandigarh, September 23 The meeting which was held to mark the second death anniversary of the founder-president of the NUSC, Mr Paramjit Kumar, adopted a resolution pointing out that mere sentimentalism was not enough to tackle the global problem of terrorism. It would have to be dealt with in a planned and sustained manner. “Events have shown that it was wishful thinking on the part of the global community that terrorists based in Pakistan and other Islamic countries will never attack peace-loving nations. The attack on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon should serve as an eye-opener for everybody”. Mrs Monica B. Sood, chairperson of the NUSC, said she would soon write to the Prime Minister highlighting some of the grave problems facing the country, especially in the context of the situation that was developing in the region following the US build-up. Dr M.L. Saini, secretary-general of the NUSC, read out a report highlighting the fact that the western countries needed a war to rev-up their economies. |
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Law student
injured Chandigarh, September 23 Nand Lal was reportedly going on a scooter near Naya Gaon village when he was hit by a motor cycle (CH-01G-9795). It is learnt that the motor cycle was driven by constable Gurdial Singh. The accused constable reportedly fled. The injured student was immediately rushed to the PGI where his condition was stated to be stable. |
‘In-laws killed my son’ Chandigarh, September 23 Surinder’s grieving relatives alleged that, in spite of their urging the Saharanpur police to probe the reason for the death, no action had been taken. Surinder’s father, Kishore Kumar, said his son had visited him on September 20. “He said his mother-in-law was threatening to make her daughter divorce him, if he did not leave his parents and moved in with his in-laws. It was then that we permitted him to go to his in-laws,” he said. Mr Kishore said his son had married Poonam in November 2000 and the relations between the two had been cordial. However, Poonam was allegedly instigated by her mother to leave the house of her in-laws and join her family in Saharanpur. He also alleged that after Surinder had lost his job in Chaddha Transport here recently, his in-laws had been coercing him to join them at Saharanpur on the pretext that they had found him a job there. Yesterday the family received a call that their son had consumed poison and died. “We rushed to Saharanpur and found no sign of grief on anyone’s face. Surinder’s in-laws wanted that we should cremate the body at the earliest to avoid police action, but we wished otherwise and approached the police there. It seemed that the police, too, was in collusion with them, so, it did not take any action. We will cremate the body only after a postmortem is conducted here,” said Surinder’s father. |
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4 held for selling tickets in
black Chandigarh, September 23 It is learnt that Rekha, Jaswinder Singh, Manmohan Singh and Amresh Kumar were arrested for selling the upper stall tickets in black. Police sources said that the accused were selling the Rs 15 tickets for Rs 25 and Rs 30 ticket for Rs 50. The accused have been booked under the Punjab Cinema Act. |
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Man killed in road accident Chandigarh, September 23 According to an FIR registered under Sections 279 and 304-A of the IPC, the brother of the deceased, Mr Dharminder Kumar, has alleged that his brother, Mukesh Ram, was hit by a truck near the Pepsi godown. He died on the spot. Burglary:- Shirts worth Rs 3,500 were stolen from the shop of Harinder Singh in Sector 30-C. According to the FIR registered under Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC, 25 shirts were stolen after the miscreant (s) broke the windowpanes of the shop on the night of September 22. Woman assaulted:- Ms Beena was reportedly assaulted and threatened by Varkha, Rajesh, Raju and Lalit Parshad at her Vikash Nagar residence yesterday. A case under Sections 354, 323 and 506 of the IPC has been registered. Car stolen:- A car ( CH-03E- 3693) was stolen from outside Jalandhar Hotel in Sector 22 yesterday. A case under Section 379 of the IPC has been registered. One Arrested:-
Prem Kumar was arrested from the ISBT, Sector 17 and 12 bottles of White Hall and 22 bottles of Bagpiper whisky were seized from him. |
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