EDUCATION

Students remember Devi Lal
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, September 24
A morning procession followed by speeches eulogising a former Deputy Prime Minister of India, Devi Lal, marked the beginning of the ‘Jan Chetna Saptah’ at a programme organised by the district administration here today.

The rally that was flagged off by the Deputy Commissioner, Ms Jyoti Arora, from Yavnika, saw a participation of about 2,000 schoolchildren. All through the rally before it concluded in the Sector 16 Aggarwal Bhavan, children raised slogans in praise of the Jat leader.

Later, painting, declamation, ‘sanjhi’ and group-song contests were held in the Sector 15 Bal Bhavan to mark the birth anniversary of the Jat leader. At the function, Ms Jyoti Arora said, “Chaudhary Devi Lal was not only a politician, but also a freedom fighter, visionary and leader of farmers.”

Schoolchildren, who had come here from all over the district, highlighted in their speeches the role of the Jat leader in uplift of the downtrodden, educating the illiterate and introducing benefit schemes for families of the Scheduled Castes.

Ms Arora and the other officials of the administration paid floral tributes to the leader. She gave away prizes to the winners of various contests. The prize-winners were as follows: ‘Sanjhi’ — Ms Sarla (1), Pratibha (2), Mamta Rani and Rubi (3) received cash awards of Rs 1,500, Rs 1,000 and Rs 750, respectively; declamation — Dipti Sharma of Little Flower (1), Abhinav Sharma of GSSS-Kalka (2) and Amandeep of GSSS-Pinjore (3) received Rs 300, Rs 200 and Rs 100, respectively.

Painting: Malika Gupta of Little Flower (1), Abhinav Dev Sharma of GSSS-19 (2), Prem Chand of GSSS-6 (3) received cash awards of Rs 300, Rs 200 and Rs 100, respectively. The 15 children of Pinjore’s Anganwari Centre who presented a song in praise of Chaudhary Devi Lal received Rs 100 each.

NSS camps in city colleges
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24
The idea of saving environment from further degradation marked the opening session of the ten-day NSS camp organised at the MCM DAV College here today. As many as 80 students participated in the session.

Dr P.D. Sharma of the Department of Pharmaceutical Studies, Panjab University, along with Ms Nahid and Dr Nagma Sharma enlightened the students on the growing menace of environmental imbalance.

At the 10-day ongoing camp at the Government College for Education, Sector 20, the NSS campers were addressed by Dr Ashish Bhalla, senior lecturer, Government Medical College, Sector 32, on management of diarrhoea. He informed the students about the causes of the disease and suggested the various means and precautions which can avoid the occurrence of diarrhoea.

In the afternoon session, Dr Rakesh Giri, state yoga organiser, delivered a talk along with a demonstration of yogic asanas. Later a cultural programme was also held.

A personality development programme was organised today at the GGDSD College, Sector 32, as part of the ongoing ten-day NSS camp. The programme included the interaction of students with Ms Madhu Sharma, senior lecturer, in the Department of English of the college. The students were also given some useful tips to improve their personality and general behaviour. The role of the effective communication to enhance individual personality was also highlighted.

Dr Safri Lal and Ms Suman Sharma, NSS programmes officers, appealed to the students to prove useful to the nation with positive activities.

PCCTU to intensify struggle
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24
The Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) has decided to step up its struggle for revoking the suspension of Mrs Harbans Kaur, lecturer, Dev Samaj College for Women, Ferozepore. Prof K.B.S. Sodhi, president, PCCTU, declared that a protest dharna would be held outside the Senate Hall of the PU on the day of the Senate meeting on September 30.

The PCCTU is demanding action against the college principal, Ms Madhu Prashar, for allegedly violating the university statute. The PCCTU has also decided to hold a flag march on October 5 in the constituency of Mr Janmeja Singh Sekhon, an Akali minister, who is allegedly supporting Ms Prashar.

PU admissions
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24
Panjab University in a press note has stated that admission to various courses run by the Department of Correspondence Studies for the 2001-2002 session will be made on the spot at the PU extension library, Ludhiana, and at HM DAV Senior Secondary School, Daryaganj, New Delhi, on September 26, 27 and 28.

COURTS

HIGH COURT
Give details of cases withdrawn, Haryana told
Tribune News Service

The case will come up for hearing on November 7.

Ruling on land of Hindu trust

Allowing a revision petition, Mr Justice M.L. Singhal of the High Court today directed that six kanals in Raikot sub-division in Ludhiana district “shall continue to belong to the Hindu community meant to be used for holding religious congregations”.

Issuing the directions, Mr Justice Singhal also directed: “No member of the Hindu community shall be entitled to appropriate it for his own purpose. The property shall be managed by a trust, comprising the Hindu community of Raikot, to be constituted by the Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner so that the intention of the property donor through gift deed dated August 25, 1911, was not frustrated.

Notice to Sikh judicial panel

On a petition for quashing the orders passed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee terminating the services of certain employees in view of an order passed by the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission, the High Court on Monday issued notice of motion to the respondents for October 28.

In their petition, Satwinder Singh of Dhianpur and four other employees of the SGPC had earlier alleged as many as 489 appointees had been affected. Giving details, counsel for the petitioners had submitted that the directions, staying the implementation of appointment orders, were issued by the judicial commission soon after Bibi Jagir Kaur stepped down as the SGPC President.

The respondents were also restrained from making payment to the appointees.

The employees, on the other hand, were also stopped from marking their attendance, the petitioners had added. Their counsel had claimed that the orders were in violation of the provisions of the Sikh Gurdwara Act as the judicial commission had no jurisdiction to hear service matters.

Teachers’ pleas on pay option allowed

Our Correspondent adds: Allowing seven writ petitions filed masters, headmasters and head teachers, Mr Justice S.S. Sudhalkar and Mr Justice A.K. Goel of the High Court today permitted the petitioners to give fresh options with regard to the grades in Rs 525-1050 pay scale introduced with effect from April 1, 1979 and in the pay scale of Rs 1400-2600 introduced with effect from January 1, 1986, instead of their previous options.

The Judges also directed the petitioners to give fresh options within a month from today. They added that if fresh options were given, the government would revise their pay scales. The arrears to be paid to the petitioners would be limited to three years and two months prior to the date of filing the writ petition.

Jerath gets interim anticipatory bail
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24
Chandigarh's former Chief Engineer K.K. Jerath, accused of misusing an official vehicle, was today granted interim anticipatory bail in yet another case by Mr Justice K.S. Garewal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Pronouncing the order, Mr Justice Garewal observed: "The petitioner was admitted to bail by this court on September 14. The petitioner is now sought to be arrested in FIR 2 of July 8, 2000, registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly misusing the official vehicle".

The judge added: "The order of this court of September 14 reveals that the petitioner has been admitted to bail in all the cases in which he was named as an accused barring the present case in which he has not so far been arrested. The cases in which he has been released on bail are far more serious than the present case. Therefore, the petitioner is admitted to interim anticipatory bail".

The judge concluded: "He shall surrender before the investigating officer as per the directions contained in an annexure and shall, in the event of his arrest, be admitted to interim anticipatory bail to the satisfaction of the investigating officer. Further, the petitioner shall not try to win over the witnesses and shall not leave the country".

DISTRICT COURTS
Judicial remand in contract killing case
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, September 24
The main accused in the alleged contract killing case, Balwant Rai (Chumma), was sent on judicial remand till October 8 by the UT Judicial Magistrate (First Class) here today. The magistrate also accepted the application moved by the accused to provide a B-class facility to him at the Model Burail Jail.

The accused was reportedly arrested by the Mumbai police on September 18 when he was trying to slip away to Dubai. It was alleged that Balwant Rai Vashisht had hired men to kill a timber merchant, Harjinder Singh. The complainant had filed a case under Section 115, IPC, on August 4 against the accused and others.

One remanded

A local court today sent Babbar Singh, the accused in Sector 35 robbery case, on judicial remand till October 10. It was alleged that five persons, including an employee of the victim, attempted robbery at his Sector 35-A residence on the morning of August 31.

The accused was arrested by the city police from the ISBT on September 21 and was sent on two- day police remand by the local court. The police had registered an FIR under Sections 455, 397, 342 and 34 of the IPC against the accused and others.

Murder accused remanded

All the three accused, involved in the murder case in the Modern Housing Complex were sent on judicial remand till October 8 here today. It was alleged that the three accused — Baljinder Singh, Rajbir Singh, and Babli — had murdered the deceased, Ajmer Singh, on September 21 night.

It was also alleged that the body of the deceased was later dumped in a gutter in Sector 12, Panchkula, by the accused.

CULTURE

Shobha to perform tomorrow
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, September 24
Years of practice and experience have brought maturity in my dance form, said Shobha Koser, a noted exponent of Jaipur Gharana of kathak, addressing mediapersons at the Pracheen Kala Kendra in Sector 35 here today.

Shobha, who talked about her forthcoming performance at Tagore Theatre on Wednesday, said she had graduated from vigorous kathak form to more subtle kind which only the total understanding and maturity of ‘bhav’ can bring into one’s style.

Talking at length about dances of India, various styles and developments in dance forms , Shobha said purity of different gharanas were slowly diminishing and were in the need of preservation. In a haste to take the shortcut to fame, the younger generation was modifying the existing gharanas by mixing different ‘mudras’ of different gharanas to spice up their particular dance form, she added.

Maintaining that not only the future of Indian classical dances was at stake, but the whole culture of Punjab was heading towards the pits day by day. Shobha said the Punjabi folk music scenario was going through the worst phase with more and more singers going into the pop world.

“Let Punjab be remembered as a land of the soulful music of “Heer-Ranjha”, “Sassi-Pannu”, “Mirza-Sahiban”, “Shireen-Farhad”, “Sohni-Mahiwal”, and many more,” said Shobha. “Though pop albums can bring instant fame and money in life, Punjabi singers should not forget their roots,” she added.

Shobha, who will be performing in Chandigarh after a gap of two years, has included “Ganesh vandana”, “Thumri”, “Shola Shinger” and “Jatayu Moksh” in her agenda. Earlier this year, Shobha performed in Russia, Agra, Delhi, Kolkota and Assam.