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| Wednesday,
January 30, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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Major Mahal cremated Chandigarh, January 29 A guard of honour was presented by a contingent from the Western Command Signals Regiment. Wreaths were laid on behalf of the Governor of Punjab, the Chief of the Army Staff, the GOC-in-C, Western Command, the Adviser to the UT Administrator, the GOC, 14 Corps, the Additional Director-General, Army Aviation, and the Commanding Officer of 666 R&O Squadron. Among those who paid floral tributes to the departed soul were the UT Home Secretary, Mr R S Gujral, Brig Surjt Singh from Western Command, the UT Deputy Commissioner, Mr M Ramsekhar, the Commander N-Area, Col Sanjeev Sood, Col Mahesh Kumar, Officiating Station Commander, Chandi Mandir, and the Zila Sainik Welfare Officer, Col G S Dhillon. The pyre was lit by Major Mahal’s father, Col O.S. Mahal (retd), in the presence of family members and a large number of relatives, well-wishers, service officers and civilian dignitaries. |
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Biodegradable
plastic bags for eating joints, hotels soon Chandigarh, January 29 The Adviser to the UT Administrator, Ms Neeru Nanda, will personally speak to representatives of various eating joints in Chandigarh and the Hotel and Restaurant Association, CITCO, Food Crafts Institute, Institute of Hotel Management etc to persuade them to discourage the use of polythene bags and to promote biodegradable plastic bags. A meeting of all manufacturers of polythene bags in Chandigarh will be held with the manufacturers of biodegradable polythene bags and to promote the biodegradable plastic bags in adjoining states. A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting chaired by the Adviser to the Administrator today to review the progress of implementation of the ban on polythene bags. During the meeting, area SDMs informed that they had conducted regular raids along with the health inspectors and food inspectors to various markets, restaurants and Grain Market, Sector 26. While reviewing the progress, Ms Nanda emphasised on the need to strengthen the enforcement machinery to conduct regular inspections/raids and to take appropriate action against the offenders. The Assistant Commissioner, Municipal Corporation informed that the municipal bylaws regarding the ban on polythene bags had already been notified and objections had been invited. It was decided that sanitary inspectors of Municipal Corporation, food inspectors of the Health Department, inspectors of Food and Supplies Department and employees of the Market Committee, Chandigarh will be authorised under the municipal bylaws to take cognizance of the offence on the use of banned polythene bags. The Member Secretary, Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee was directed to send a copy of procedure to be followed for taking samples as well as a list of environmental laboratories for getting the samples of polythene bags tested to enable the authorities to prosecute the offenders. This list is to be sent to all three SDMs to strengthen the enforcement process. It was further decided that nine more micro-meters for measuring the gauge of polythene bags would be purchased by the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee, Municipal Corporation and the Health Department, Chandigarh. |
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Admn notifies colour scheme of registration plates Chandigarh, January 29 According to a notification of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the letters of the registration marks of the vehicles shall be in English and the figures in Arabic numerals. The commercial vehicles shall have registration marks in black colour on yellow background on or before February 1, 2002, whereas private vehicles shall have registration marks in black colour on white background on or before July 1, 2002, the notification says. The notification further says that the registration marks of the trailers shall be exhibited in black colour on yellow background on the left hand side. In addition, the drawing vehicles shall also exhibit registration marks on trailer. This shall be done on the rear right hand side of the trailer or the last trailer as the case may be, in black colour on retro-reflective tyre yellow background. |
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Cong threatens stir on power, water tariff hike Chandigarh, January 29 “We are being forced to agitate after several personal entreaties to the Administrator, Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd), failing to rationalise tariff and minimum charges which put a burden of Rs 1,400 on an average consumer,” local Congress MP Pawan Bansal told at a press conference. Terming the Architecture Department of the city as modern Tughlak, he said villagers were not being given connections, no policy was being formulated for roadside footpath workers, building bye-laws had not yet been changed to reflect new realities, and commercial rates were being slapped on PCO owners for electricity if they used only a part of his premises. It also suddenly woke up to remove encroachments after thousands of people had done it after having kept a closed eye when took place, he said. Mr Bansal favoured providing alternative places for those educational institutions and guest houses which had been removed under a high court direction. He said while illegal activities like ‘kundi’ connections and roadside hawkers and vendors were being allowed through corrupt means but the Administration would not regularise them. Mr Bansal showing bills of two consumers said a person who consumed only 82 units, got a bill of Rs 1,500 and another who consumed 166 units, also got a bill of Rs 1,500. He said when water and electricity charges and tariff were increased, there was no public notice and people only came to know of it when they got inflated bills. Mr Bansal said the Administration had not been able to constitute a State Tariff Commission nor had it referred this matter to any neighbouring state’s tariff commission to provide consumer an opportunity to have a say in the fixation of charges. The imposition of higher charges went contrary to the slogan of ‘’a unit of energy saved is a unit generated’’ as the consumer was being forced to consume more units in a slab, he said. |
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MCC plans to install hydraulic lifts Chandigarh, January 29 The decision to install the lifts, similar to the ones already existing in Kolkata and the air-conditioned market in Ludhiana, is significant as the giant machines will help easing traffic congestion caused due to haphazard parking in front of the shopping arcades with little or no space for leaving behind the vehicles. This is not all. “Minor mishaps” and “scratching of paint” while moving in and out of the parking lots was being regularly reported to the police. According to a senior corporation official, a letter, seeking details regarding the installation of such lifts and the expenses involved in the process, has already been written to officials of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and “the response was eagerly awaited”. The official added that the setting up of such lifts would “not only go a long way in solving the parking problem in the city caused due to paucity of space, but would also prevent scratching and other damages to the vehicles”. The drivers too would be saved the inconvenience of repeatedly shifting the gears while moving the car backward and forward in an attempt to find parking space. “Such a facility”, the officer asserted, “would not be free of costs, but sincere efforts would be made to keep the parking fee as low as possible, well within the reach of the daily commuters”. The corporation, in an attempt to solve the problem, has already introduced the system of paid parking in Sector 17 and in Sector 8. The possibility of extending the system to other congested markets including Sectors 22, 34 and 35, besides the Punjab and Haryana High Court, was also under active consideration, as per sources in the corporation. The Chandigarh police has already rejected the proposal for constructing multi-storey parking lots in the city and has recommended that some of the commercial sectors should be declared “car-free zones”. The cars, under the proposed scheme, would be parked in the peripheries of “busy sectors”. The two-wheelers would, however, be permitted to pierce through the crowd for reaching the heart of the shopping complexes. The proposal for setting up multi-storey parkings was mooted by architects and town planners during seminars and discussions on solving parking problems held from time to time in the city. Multi-storey parkings, they had claimed, were the “only solution” as “almost 100 vehicles were added to the existing everyday”. The police was, however, of the opinion that “the existing parking lots were enough to accommodate the vehicles even during the rush hours once the cars were not allowed to move in”. |
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Cops close in on hacker SAS Nagar, January 29 The IPN number belongs to a resident of New York city, Adam Smith, said a police official. But the police is finding it difficult to track down the hacker, suspected to be harbouring anti-national feelings. It is being suspected that the hacker used the space sold by the IPN holder to break into the web pages of HFCL Infotel Ltd. The police was able to get the IPN number from the BSNL, a gateway service provider. According to the information, the web server of the company was hacked on January 6 and remained inaccessible till January 7, when it was restored by professionals. The Assistant Superintendent of Police, Ms Kalpana
Nayak, said the police was trying to get in contact with the IPN holder whose space used by the hackers to tamper with the information of the web pages. A case under Section 66 (2) of the Information Technology Act was being registered by the police. |
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Nursing
homes get one more year Chandigarh, January 29 The permission was given, following the demand of owners of private nursing homes for more time. The Administration has already allowed owners of nursing homes to operate from residential areas, with some conditions. However, their demand that the conversion charges be reduced has been rejected. Nursing homes are allowed to be regularised, for which, conversion charges are Rs 2,000 per square yard for covered area and Rs 500 per square yard for open area. Besides, Rs 20,000 have to be paid as the annual fee for each
kanal. Owners of nursing homes had sought various exemptions, saying that the Administration had allowed doctors to run clinics in a 50-square-yard areas on residential premises. They wanted that much area for themselves, but the Administration rejected this demand. |
Tips on enhancing beauty Chandigarh, January 29 While applying make-up one has to keep particular details like bone structure, hairstyle and job profile in mind to make it complementary with one’s personality, said Ms Juneja, as she gave tips on skin care, make-up, hairstyle and hair care. Participants were also given a chance to interact on one-to-one basis for personal grooming. Ms Rita Juneja, a physio essentialist on aroma therapy, has been counselling beauty-related problems since last 21 years at various places like London, Paris, Germany and Malayasia. With a degree in beauty management course from the Post Graduate College of Dr. Arnold Tailor, London, Rita is more into serious aspects of beauty like aroma therapy for various ailments. Aroma therapy has been effectively used for treatment of depression, migraine, lethargy and pre and post- natal problems, said Ms Juneja. “Though slow in healing process, the therapy has a lasting effect and is completely natural without having any side effects,” she added. Talking about the status of the aroma therapy in India, Ms Juneja said though it has not been very popular, lately people are becoming more aware about it’s clinical values. “Now we have a clientele that ranges from 16 years to 60 years with various problems,” she added. Saying that beauty culture in India lacks proper hygiene and customer care, Ms. Juneja said Vandana Luthra’s clinics (VLCC) have introduced a proper customer care cell to hear the grievances of their customers. VLCC is also planning to open up a clinic in Patiala in the near future. |
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Seminar
on criminal judicial system Chandigarh, January 29 Speaking on the occasion, Mr Bassi said that investigating officers need to come out of the straitjacket approach while dealing with various cases. Saying that this approach was the basic weakness in investigations by the police, he said that officers need to comprehensively consider the “ingredients” of an incident while investigating. Stating that police investigation is the first step in the ladder of criminal justice, he stressed that all case files should be indexed in such a way to clearly demarcate the plan of action and course of investigation. In his address, the District Attorney, Mr M.S. Syal, said that as per his observations, most murder cases or heinous crime cases in Chandigarh have been based on circumstantial evidence rather than direct evidence. He asked the officers attending the seminar to be accurate and careful while completing documents and preparing their case. He also emphasised that evidence should be collected carefully and that case property should be preserved in the requisite manner. Earlier, while giving an overview of the purpose of the seminar, UT SSP Parag Jain said that procedural lapses in investigations are the major causes for the acquittals of accused. |
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Training
programme for farmers Zirakpur, January 29 Dr Rajesh Grover, a senior scientist from the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology, highlighted a scope to convert the biodegradable waste into organic manure through vermiculture biotechnology and vermicomposting. He clarified that the term vermiculture biotechnology denoted the use of earthworms as versatile natural bio-reactors for efficient biodegradation of organic solid wastes into a rich manure within 40 to 45 days under complete aerobic conditions. Mr A.K. Sharma from the KVIS highlighted the difference between modern and sustainable agriculture. In his address, Mr Ravinder Talwar, president of the Indian Council for Environmental Education, stressed on the need of sustainability of soil fertility and a gradual and steady increase in the crop productivity. He further stressed that modern crop production technology had considerably raised output but had created problems of land degradation, pesticide residues in farm produce, generation, atmospheric and water pollution. Around 100 progressive farmers from Zirakpur and its adjoining areas participated in this interactive training programme. While welcoming the delegates, Ms Meenakshi Sarang, principal of the school, stressed on the need of organic farming in the present scenario. |
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READERS WRITE IT is nice to hear about Traffic Safety Week. True, school students need to be educated and protected from mishaps on the road, but another vital group that needs to be educated, controlled and policed is that of rickshaw-pullers. There is no training, qualification or criteria for issuance of licence for anyone to take up the job of a rickshaw-puller, who may endanger the lives of innocent passengers, himself and the third party involved in the accident. Statistics prove that most of the road accidents within city limits involve a cycle-rickshaw, directly or indirectly. The reason being ignorance of traffic rules and a total lack of road sense on the part of the rickshaw-puller, who has just landed in the city as a migrant labour from a remote village and finds it most convenient to get himself employed by hiring a rickshaw. The authorities concerned should, therefore, institute suitable measures to impart proper training and licensing of cycle-rickshaw pullers. Another aspect of road safety to be closely watched is the issuance of driving licences as it is no secret that anyone can obtain a driving licence these days, by means not unknown to anybody. LT-COL BHAGWANT SINGH (RETD),
Mohali Illegal construction In the Labour Colony of Chandigarh’s Sector 29 B, a shopkeeper is illegally constructing a building (up to fourth floor). As a result, the residents of Block Nos. 1445 and 1440 are facing a lot of inconvenience. Will the authorities concerned look into the matter immediately and stop this illegal construction? A RESIDENT,
Chandigarh Sukhna Lake The manhole of Sukhna Lake dam at RD 400 (downstream) is overflowing. The sewage is emitting a foul smell, causing inconvenience to the visitors and joggers. The water has also damaged a portion of the road. The Chief Engineer of the Capital Project, Chandigarh, should look into the matter and set things right expeditiously. YASH PAL GHAI,
Chandigarh Dispensary needed The Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in Sector 17, Chandigarh, is in need of a full-fledged dispensary. The Governor, Lt-Gen J.F.R. Jacob, and others inspect the ISBT from time to time, but unfortunately nobody seems to appreciate the need for a dispensary. It has got a good restaurant, post office, Northern Railway Reservation Office, tourist information centres of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh
governments and the Chandigarh Administration. But it has no dispensary. A full-fledged dispensary at the bus terminus is long overdue. The tourist rest house here, despite several representations to General Jacob, has not been functioning for quite some time. The Governor should look into the problem. NARINDER SINGH,
Chandigarh PUDA’s ways Phase I of SAS Nagar, Mohali, looks like an earthquake-hit area. In the name of an encroachment drive, the PUDA staff have removed the boundaries of quarters in Phase I. Some residents are also removing the fencing. The entire project seems to be flawed and ill-planned. The boundary wall erected by the PUDA is hardly of any help. We appeal to the PUDA authorities to look into the matter before doing any destructive work. If the boundary wall is as per the engineering specifications approved by PUDA’s Chief Architect and Estate Officer, the encroachment drive should be stopped forthwith. Otherwise, some financial allocation can be made for the extended area and the same could be regularised for the benefit of the poor people residing in the small quarters. BHUPINDER SINGH, HARI OM & OTHERS,
SAS Nagar |
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Lala Lajpat Rai
remembered Chandigarh, January 29 Speaking on the occasion, Prof K.N. Pathak, Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University, highlighted the contributions made by Lalaji in the freedom struggle. He widely referred to the speeches and writings of Lalaji. Swami Pitambarananda, Secretary, Ramakrishna Mission Ashram, older generation was responsible for failing to imbibe among the new generation
steadfast character. |
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Tribune
employee bereaved Chandigarh, January 29 She was cremated this evening. She is survived by three sons and a daughter. |
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A clarification IN the news item “Sandhu is new DHS” published in Chandigarh Tribune on January 29, it is clarified that Dr D.P.S. Sandhu is Director, Health Services (DHS) for Family Planning, Punjab, and Dr G.L. Goyal is DHS for ESI. However, Dr G.S. Preet, DHS, Punjab, will continue in his present post. In Punjab there are three posts of DHS whereas the post of “DHS, Punjab” is only one held by Dr Preet. |
Booked for defacing public property Chandigarh, January 29 Stolen:
A Brigadier posted with the NCC has reported that his briefcase containing Rs 5,000 and some official documents was stolen from his staff car while it was parked at the Bouganvilla Garden in Sector 3. The police has registered a case. 1 Held:
A resident of the Sector 52 labour colony, Gulshan Kumar, was caught red-handed while stealing a telephone set from the office of Rajiv Kapoor in Sector 17. He was handed over to the police, who arrested him and registered a case against him. Motor cycles stolen:
A Sector 22 resident, Puran Swami, has reported that his Bullet motor cycle (CH-01-T-6207) was stolen from Sector 22. In another incident, a Sector 29 resident, Guramrit Singh reported that his Bullet motor cycle (RRK 3131) has been stolen from Mani Majra. Cases have been registered. Theft:
A resident of SAS Nagar, Col C P Singh, has reported that his father’s house in Sector 33 was broken into while the later was out of station. The exact loss is yet to be ascertained. A case has been registered. Burglary:
A Sector 35 SCO was reportedly broken into and Rs 18,260 was stolen. The owner, Ram reported that burglars entered the premises after breaking a ventilator. The police has registered a case. PANCHKULA 1 Held for abducting minor:
In a case of abduction, the police has arrested Rinku, a resident of Abhyepur village, today. In a press note Mr Manoj Yadav, SP, said the accused had lured and abducted a minor girl while she was accompanying her friend Dezi to buy a note book from the market on January 11 at about 6 pm. As the girl did not returned, her relative Shyam Lal had complained to the police about her abduction. The police had registered a case of abduction against the accused at the Sector 19 police station. Booked:
The police has booked Mohinder Singh, a resident of Mankya village, for passing obscene comment to a woman of Mogi Nand village. On the complaint of Mr Bant Ram, a case of eve teasing has been registered at Chandi Mandir police station against him. Arrested:
In a case of breach of peace, the Raipur Rani police has arrested Shyam Singh of Sarkpur village. A case under Section 107 and 151 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against him. |
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Youth ends life Panchkula, January 29 According to Mr Manoj Yadav, SP, Ms Sita Devi, mother of the victim, found the body hanging from the ceiling fan after she was back from Shimla this evening. The victim was reportedly staying alone. He had broken into his mother’s house when she had been away with her daughter to Shimla since January 5. Mr Yadav said that the boy might have committed suicide about three to four days back in the absence of any family member. The exact reason behind the suicide could not be ascertained. |
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