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| Sunday,
March 3, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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Mohali MC to clip budget size SAS Nagar, March 2 The four panels — on works, sanitation, education and finance — will discuss relevant issues before these are taken up at council meetings. This will ensure that matters are examined in detail so that appropriate decisions can be taken. The membership of the panels will be in accordance with the relevant gazette notification. Stating this here today, the president of the council, Mr Kulwant Singh, said a budget of around Rs 20 crore had been proposed this year against over Rs 21 crore last year. The decrease of about Rs 1 crore was in view of the revenue loss due to the scrapping of octroi. The civic body could not impose taxes at its own level. He said the privatisation of sanitation would continue as the council did not have adequate staff for this purpose and fresh recruitment could not be made. A sum of Rs 70 lakh had been proposed for the privatisation scheme. This time there was likely to be only one sanitation contractor against more than seven in 2001-2002 to increase the effectiveness of the system. Mr H.B. Garg, council executive officer, said the octroi staff, that had been rendered idle following the abolition of octroi, was proposed to be put on bill collection duty from April 1. |
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Bikramjit gets bail Chandigarh, March 2 Earlier, the CBI had filed a charge sheet against Bikramjit Singh in the court of the UT District and Sessions Judge, Mr Justice H.S. Bhalla, on January 25 after sanction from the Centre. Bikramjit Singh had been charged with possessing assets worth more than Rs 50 lakh that were “disproportionate to his known sources of income”. The Punjab Government had referred this case to the CBI in 1997 when Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal was the Chief Minister. It was also alleged that Bikramjit had a fleet of cars and a number of credit cards, besides huge bank accounts and property, including a house in Sector 33-B, shop-cum-office 76-77 in Sector 8-C and SCO 439-440 in Sector 35. Allegedly, he had also bought 32 kanals of agricultural land at Bazidpur village and some other places. Meanwhile, journalists attending the court proceeding were told to leave the open court. When they objected, they were told to get the permission of the District and Sessions Judge to cover the proceeding. They, then, met the UT District and Sessions Judge, Mr Justice H.S Bhalla, in this regard and the Judge assured them that he would look into the matter. He also allowed the coverage of the proceeding. Under Section 327 of the CrPC, the place of any criminal court for the purpose of any inquiry shall be considered an open court, to which members of the public, generally, may have access, so far as the place can conveniently contain them. The Principle Secretary also got to reach his car through a gate meant only for Judges. There was no security at this gate. |
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PU scholar yields fuel from polythene Chandigarh, March 2 The path-breaking research on polythene (known only as a non-biodegradable waste) has been done by Balwinder Singh, a student of Master of Engineering (Chemical). His research thesis, “Fuel from waste plastics,” is based on the same subject and he plans to submit his product for patenting. There are already reports about similar findings from Australia and America. However, Balwinder Singh said he had “followed a totally new method and the yield of fuel by his method was much more than the available data about other processes. Most of the products in those cases are yielded under pressure whereas I have used the technique in vacuum”. Talking to The Tribune, Balwinder Singh said, “In the past few years, the use of polythene had increased drastically, but its disposal is going to be a major environmental problem. It is not wise to dump polythene bags into dustbins because either they will go down the drains and choke them or they will be carried to landfill sites where they will be eaten up by animals. Polythene is presently not biodegradable. The government is also enforcing various kinds of legislation to curb the menace. I have developed a process which can degrade these bags very easily and profitably”. Balwinder Singh said, “The use of plastic has increased tremendously since the 1970s, but it is still very low compared to the world standards. The per capita consumption of plastic in India is 1.8 kg per annum as compared to 90 kg per annum in the USA. The world average is 18 kg per annum. The increasing demand for polythene is due to its low price and more uses as compared to other material. The only problem left is the disposal of polythene.” He has been successful in the degradation of polythene under the supervision of Prof S.C. Jain, Chairman of the department. After degradation, he produced oil with a yield of more than 95 per cent. The oil is very useful for “burning in industrial units and can also be used in place of kerosene”. Balwinder Singh has also experimented successfully with other plastics such as polypropylene and polystyrene. These plastics amount to more than 80 per cent of the plastics present in the waste generated in our country. Balwinder Singh said his experiments had yielded very good results. He even tied up with NIPER for his results. Polythene bags thrown away as waste can be utilised for fuel preparation. However, in the Indian context the total plastic waste might not be sufficient to start a commercial venture at this juncture. Plastic products account for only 4 per cent of the total oil consumption, the Association of Plastic Manufacturers in Europe says. There is an example of the process being commercially used in the USA by the USS Chemicals Polypropylene Research. After he receives a patent, Balwinder Singh plans to go in for further research mainly pertaining to extracting other fuel products from the present yield. |
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12 cops get show-cause notices Chandigarh, March 2 The SSP, Mr Parag Jain, had issued the orders in after reports of the torture of two persons in the police custody last month. According to the police sources, the SP (Headquarters), Mr Baldev Singh, received the information about these arrests from the police control room, but not the personnel who had arrested the men. In view of this, the show-cause notices were issued here today. The policemen have been told to reply in three days, failing which, an action would be taken against them. |
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Goodbye chits, hello mobile Chandigarh, March 2 Yes, mobile phones are teenyboppers’ latest scream in the uncompassionate world of cheating. Their modus operandi is not so complicated. Just before the exams’ commencement, chiseled fingers switch off the sets. Smuggle them into washrooms. Delicately conceal them between bricks, and in gaps. After one-and-a-half hour of restlessness, the young innocents mutely slip out into toilets on the pretext of easing themselves. Switch on the phones. Transmit queries to a genius, reposing at home on a comfy sofa with an open book placed on his lap. Within seconds, the conduit acts, flashes answers for the examinee’s convenience through the Short Mail Service. “Gone are the days when we had to hide bundle of books in the toilets,” says not-so-green Tamana, a class IX student. “Now, all you need is a magic phone in your confident hands for success to kiss your manicured feet”. Her best chum, standing next to her in the school corridor, agrees: “Yup, you do not even have to waste time flipping through the yellowing pages of books looking for answers deleted from the recycle bin of memory. Feed in the questions, get the answers, that’s it.” If you do not believe them, ask Dharkan. The class X learner has done it once. During the house tests. Wasn’t discovered. Cleared the examination, as they say, with flying colours. “I had to take a senior’s assistance. Had to offer him a chicken-in-a-bun for the job. But it was worth it. Daddy, too, was happy with my performance. Bought me a walkman in return. There was just one problem. Dad couldn’t understand why I wanted Grahm Bell’s mouthpiece for the papers”. Learning from her experience, wise Noor isn’t taking risks. Has already asked her father to leave behind the mobile phone during the hour of test. “It wasn’t very difficult to persuade him,” she claims. “I just invented a tale of a pal who could not make it to the examination centre on time just because the front tyre of her car got punctured miles away from the nearest petrol station and she couldn’t get help as there was no STD booth around”. Well, dad’s convinced. Principal of Sector 15 DAV School Rakesh Sachdeva is not. For preventing the students from pressing the backlit keys of the mobile phones during the tests, she has issued strict instructions to the invigilators. “The use of cell phones during the examination is prohibited,” she asserts. “And we are going to make sure none of the students touch tomorrow through unfair means. Other principals, I believe, have also issued similar instructions”. So kids, if you are planning to “cheat-by-wireless”, look out for those probing eyes. |
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First bio-chemical DNA lab Chandigarh, March 2 According to sources, the laboratory is expected to be operational in six to eight weeks. Funding to the tune of Rs 2 crore has been made available through various government agencies and equipment, including that from foreign sources, is being procured. A team from the CSIO had also made a presentation before a select committee from the Department of Science and Technology in New Delhi recently. While there are a number of laboratories around the country dealing with DNA techniques, these are restricted to medical and forensic purposes. the CSIO laboratory, sources claim, will be the first in the country to experiment with electronic components fabricated from bio-molecules. DNA-based transistors and other electronic components, high density bio-molecular memory devices and for defining and
designing new tools for DNA manipulation, including synthesis and sequencing, are among other design and development programmes to be taken up. The project also envisions tailoring the electrical characteristics of DNA for fabrication of logic and memory devices in conjugation with semiconductors. DNA is a ready-to-use molecular wire whose electrical characteristics can be tailored using both biological and physical approaches. According to scientists involved with the project, living cells have an extraordinary capacity to store and process information. “DNA can hold more information in a cubic centimeter than a trillion CDs,” a scientist commented. “They can also execute trillions of processes simultaneously, with the overall fidelity rate of computation being 99 per cent,” he added. Stressing upon the importance of bio-molecular engineering, a scientist said that we need to find an alternative to semiconductor technology, besides finding new measurement and detection techniques for bio-technology instrumentation. The DNA can behave as insulator, semi-conductor and super conductor, Further research in this field will also help in understanding the mechanisms of DNA damage associated with many diseases. Scientists also believe that DNA can be used for communication with extra-terrestrial life forms. |
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Rain lowers day temperature Chandigarh, March 2 Yesterday the temperature was 18.8°C. According to officials of the Meteorological office, it has rained 2 cm since last night. The drop in temperature forced people to stay indoors. Traffic on the city roads was minimal and markets wore almost a deserted look. |
Rain plays spoilsport in Spring Fest Panchkula, March 2 Bad weather kept crowds away on the first day of this two-day festival. The festival is being organised in the open in Town Park. However, the rains failed to dampen the spirit of the organisers, who left no stone unturned to ensure that the place was beautifully decorated. Though the rangolis made for the competitions got spoilt because of the rain, the flower competitions could be sustained because they were held under a specially crafted tenthouse. The festival was inaugurated by Haryana Chief secretary, L.M. Goyal, who was accompanied by his wife. They were taken around the Town Park by the Commissioner Town and Country Planning, Mr Bhaskar Chatterjee, and other senior officers of the district. Traditional dances of Punjab like bhangra, and Jhoomar and traditional Been Baja Nachar Pari of Banur, stick-walkers and kachi ghori from Rajasthan, Thod dance and Sirmouri Nati of Himachal and the Dhamal of Haryana were presented on the occasion. The results of the various competitions are given below. Flower arrangements Open to all Fresh flower: First- Shivani Bisht second — Harsimran Kaur Dry flower: First Shivani Bisht second — Bindu Mishra Mixed flower arrangement: first — Simran Arrangement of flowers for dining table: first — Ms Vijeta Chugh second — Sonia and Suman Dutta Arrangement of flowers for corner: first — Gurmeet Singh second — Shivani Bisht and Bindu Mishra Open to children up to 15 years Bunch of flowers arranged in vase First — Arjun Chopra second — Simran Chopra and Amandeep Singh Bunch of dry flowers arranged in a vase First — Arjun Open to gardners Flower arrangement for centre table: first Girdhari Lal and Gurmeety Singh second — C.L. DAV Public School, Sector 11 and Shiv Prasad Mauraya of St. Xavier High School Most artistic bouquet: first — Gurmeet Singh second — Ram Saran Verma Most artistic garland: First — Ram Saran Mali second — Surinder and Radha Shyam Rangoli competitions From schools: first — Virender, Haryana Model School second — Ritu, Blue Bird School, Open Category — first - Alka Singla second- Satnetri Singla.  |
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PARKING BLUES-III Chandigarh, March 2 His case, unfortunately, is not an isolated one. Every day scores of resident visiting the sector complain of their vehicles getting damaged in minor accidents. Though exact data are not available, policemen agree that a number of cars are involved in mishaps which occur while the vehicles are being driven across or into parking lots”. “Every day, we have at least three to four people
quarrelling or shouting at the top of their lungs after their vehicles get dented,” says a beat constable. “In most of the cases, rehris and thelas are involved.” If one visits the market anytime during office hours, or even in the evening, one will not be able drive across the lot without stepping on the gas and brake peddle alternatively. And only if one’s lucky, will one’s vehicle not get scratched or damaged. Ms Kavita Sharma was, however, not so fortunate. After she returned to the parking lot with boxes of tiles purchased for her new bathroom, she found the front windshield of her car cracked. “Apparently, a truck carrying iron rods or pipes had rammed into my car,” says Ms Sharma, a Sector 38 resident working with a private bank. Another victim, Mr Rajesh Sachdeva, a shopkeeper in Sector 26, says, “I learnt my lesson after getting the car scratched on both the sides in the parking lot. Now, I ask my driver to take the car back home and bring it in the evening to take me home”. Another problem is caused due to the presence of a large number of government offices in the area. Security guards do not allow most drivers to park cars in front of offices, creating scarcity of parking space. “It is the same story every day. Every time you try to park your car, a security guard will come running and shout at you. Claiming the space to be reserved for their officers, they will not allow you to park the vehicle there,” says Mr Sachdeva. “I hope the authorities do something about it”. |
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Shopkeepers complain of blocked sewerage SAS Nagar, March 2 Shopkeepers of SCF number 10 to 43, nearby booths and bay shops said sewer behind the market had been overflowing for about 10 days and there was a smell all around. One of the affected persons, Mr Onkar Singh, who runs an eating joint, said the problem had been brought to the notice of the Public Health authorities several times, but to no avail. |
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Hunt on for Pak spy’s accomplice Chandigarh, March 2 Madan is wanted by the police for his alleged involvement in issuing a ration card to Riaz, who had stayed in the city for over an year from March 1999. Madan reportedly went on medical leave after Riaz was brought here from Delhi, where he was in the custody of the Delhi Police since his arrest in September 1999. The whereabouts of Madan are not known. The raids and search operations were
continuing till the filing this report. |
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FLAVOUR OF THE WEEK Chandigarh, March 2 Three films — two in Punjabi and one in Hindi, English and Punjabi — are being shot here and nearby. The interest shown in the city and its aesthetics by 20th Century Fox Productions of Priya Singh Paul is surprising. Here is one director who is making a film with all but one sequences to be shot in Chandigarh. There is hardly any other place that has such a blend of fragrance of Punjab farms and the majesty of architecture. Along with the crew of Paul’s film, ‘The perfect Husband’, a good number of British actors are also here and they are smitten with the architectural beauty of Chandigarh. The British Council has shown a renewed interest in the city this week. Two days ago, celebrated city artists were special invitees at a rare show of art put together by artists of Indian origin settled in Britain. The show that boasts of strongly personalised opinions on art has been structured by John France of the University of Derby. A famous French artist is already exploring India through her art. As the GAP show in Alliance Francaise enters its ninth day, experts are gaining interest in her technique. The French artist has travelled to the narrow alleys of Ahmedabad, Jaipur and many other cities that treasure Indian folk arts. A celebrated qawwal of Rampur Gharana, Qawwal Janaab Jameel Ahmad was here for a special presentation in the Haryana Raj Bhavan. The Governor of Haryana and Ms Sudesh Kumari of the Haryana Cultural Department had organised this evening dedicated to the melodies of Rampur
Gharana. |
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READERS WRITE THERE is an urgent need for suitable government control over cable operators so that uniform rates are charged from consumers as against the different rates being charged in Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula, a practice which defies one’s comprehension. Not only this, even the rates charged in different sectors of Panchkula are in variance, what to speak of the adjoining town. It is the highest in Sector 6 of Panchkula. What is the reason? It is nothing, except monopoly or dadagiri. It is the law of jungle in the strict sense of the term. If operators in other sectors can charge reasonable rates, what is the problem with those of Sector 6, Panchkula? This is not understandable. The government needs to take some urgent measures to control this kind of overcharging from people. Otherwise, this malady will spread like cancer. When prices and tariffs of other things like mobile phones, petrol, diesel etc are falling, why cannot the cable rates charged by the cable operators be reduced and be at least made uniform in all the sectors of these towns? RANI MOHINDRU,
Reduce tariff The Chandigarh Telecom should reduce the telephone rental charges. The rental charges remain Rs 360 for two months. Recently, the authorities advertised to the effect that the second telephone connection could be taken free by the subscribers of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali. However, rental for two telephones will be Rs 720 for two months. This will not help the consumers. The rental charges should be reduced to Rs 200 for three reasons. First, the expenditure on providing a telephone connection has substantially come down following the introduction of ultra modern technology. Secondly, computerisation has reduced expenditure on services in many offices. And finally, the income of Chandigarh Telecom has increased by leaps and bounds. Suffice it to mention, the facility of a second telephone connection will be commendable only if the monthly rental is substantially reduced. RAM PRAKASH GHARU,
Of guest houses This has reference to the report ‘Setback for guest house owners’ (Chandigarh Tribune, February 7). Despite the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s directive to the Chandigarh Administration to “immediately” balance the need of the visitors for accommodation at reasonable rates, little has happened. A few months ago, Administrator Lt-Gen JFR Jacob announced that a hotel for low budget tourists would be set up near ISBT in Sector 17. This too remains on paper. In fact, the site presently occupied by Hotel Shivalik, was earmarked for a Janata hotel. We do not know when the hotel for low budget tourists would come up. Hotel Shivalik is not for the common man. Similarly, a camping site for tourists was earmarked near Sukhna Lake, but soon the CRPF has gobbled up the site. The CRPF vacated the site a few months ago, but the Administration has not made use of this site for setting up the much-touted Janata hotel. When will the Chandigarh Administration act in this regard? NARINDER SINGH,
Faulty cylinder The LPG cylinder supplied to me stopped working after four days of use. On my complaint to the Sunshine Gas Agency, Sector 44-C, it was found that the cylinder had only 3 kg of LPG and 11.2 litres of water, instead of 14.2 kg of gas, as mentioned on the cylinder. The agency promptly changed the cylinder after charging me the cost of 3-kg LPG. It is evident that the LPG cylinder was adulterated with water either at the bottling plant at the time of bottling or by some dishonest workers during transit. If a cylinder suddenly stops working, earlier than the expected time, it causes avoidable inconvenience and hardship to the users. Imagine the problems when a cylinder does not work at an odd hour. In public interest, it would be better if the Chandigarh Administration authorities concerned in collaboration with the gas companies conduct a probe into the episode and check the problem of LPG adulteration. BALDEV SINGH AHLUWALIA |
Girl commits suicide Chandigarh, March 2 SI dead: Gian Singh, a Sub-Inspector with the local police repoprtedly died of a heart attack at the District Courts premises here today. According to sources, Gian Singh had gone there in connection with a case under trial. The police has initiated inquest proceedings. Bicycle thieves held: Two persons were caught red-handed while trying to steal a bicycle from the Sector 46 market. They have been identified as Joginder, a resident of Colony No 5 and Bal Singh, a resident of Phase 10 Mohali. Both were working as safai karamcharis in Sector 46. They were trying to whisk away the cycle, belonging to Suresh Shukla, a worker employed at one of the shops, on their rehri. They were later handed over to the police, who have arrested them and registered a case against them. Scooterist injured: Sector 8 resident Ravi Chander Dogra was injured after his scooter was knocked down by a Swaraj Mazda near Kala Gram on the Chandigarh-Panchkula highway. He was admitted to the PGI. Police has arrested the vehicle driver, Mohinder Singh, a resident of Kishangarh and registered a case against him. Resident hit by car: Sector 40 resident Ashkar, was seriously injured after he was hit by an unidentified car near the Sector 41 petrol pump. He was admitted to the PGI in an unconscious state. Police has registered a case. Conductor hit by bus: A conductor with the Punjab Road Transport Corporation was injured after he was hit by another bus at the Sector 17 ISBT. He was admitted to the Sector 32 Government Hospital from where he was later referred to the PGI. Police has registered a case. Cyclist knocked: A resident of Mauli Jagran, Chhater Bhan was injured after his bicycle was knocked down by a scooter near the Housing Board light point. He was admitted to the Sector 32 Government Hospital. Police has registered a case. Tyres stolen: Bhiwani resident Ramesh Kumar has reported that 16 tyres were stolen from his truck, parked at the Transport Area, Sector 26. Police has registered a case. Shoes stolen: Mohali resident B.K. Saini has reported that a pair of shoes and two cassettes have been stolen from his car, parked at Himachal Bhawan, Sector 28. A case has been registered. |
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3 booked for abetting suicide Panchkula, March 2 According to the complaint submitted by Pal Singh, a resident of Chowki village, the three accused had harassed Harnek Singh, when he had gone to attend a marriage in Jheera village in Ropar. The trio had abused him to the extent that he was forced to take this extreme step, he alleged. He has said his nephew, Harnek Singh, had gone to attend a wedding on January 27, but had failed to return. It was on February 18 that his body was recovered from Sheeshma dam in Ropar district. The body was decomposed and the complainant could identify this only through the clothes. |
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2 killed in accidents SAS Nagar, March 2 Meanwhile, a pedestrian was crushed by a CTU bus near Namdev Bhavan in Sector 21 of Chandigarh this evening. The bus was proceeding towards Sector 20 when the mishap took place. The police is trying to ascertain the identity of the deceased. The bus driver has been arrested and a case has been registered. |
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