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April 21, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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Govt press lacks fire
control equipment SAS Nagar, April 20 By rough estimates, printing paper worth lakhs remains stored on the premises at the time of printing jobs and it may become a cause of major blaze. Heaps of waste paper, supposed to be disposed of after inviting tenders, were dumped in a corner near the entrance of the premises. Officials of the local Fire Department say that the printing press officials have been asked several times to instal fire hydrants in the complex to avert any tragedy. The fire extinguisher installed in the complex need refilling. Mr Balwinder Singh Sidhu, in charge of the local fire station, said,” following a survey of the premises, we wrote several times to the officials in the past four years to instal fire hydrants”. Enquiries reveal that shortage of funds was the main reason behind the poor state of affairs at the press. Wild growth which had virtually taken over the open spaces around the complex was also a course of concern, say fire department officials. A major loss to the printing press was today prevented when three fire-tenders from the local fire station extinguished a blaze which had started from wild growth around the complex. Waste paper lying in courtyard of the complex was saved, said officials of the fire department. |
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Fire in TBRL range Chandigarh, April 20 The fire started on a hillock north-west of the TBRL at around 3 pm and began spreading downhill. It entered
the TBRL range at around 7.30 in the evening and engulfed over 10 acre of TBRL land. The fire, however, was well away from the laboratory buildings, where sensitive defence-related research and tests are conducted. Special fire zones had to created to prevent the fire from spreading. The fire could be brought under control at 9 pm. |
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Cacti blooms win hearts Chandigarh, April 20 Quite naturally, the silver jubilee show of the society turned out to be more than a routine show displaying exotic varieties of cacti and succulent plants. Attended hugely, the show featured lavish and humble varieties of cacti in full bloom. The flowers sparkled all over Lala Lajpat Rai Bhavan, the venue for the show which was inaugurated by the Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob, this morning. Appreciating reds, yellows, whites, rust and all the other bright hues of flowers on cacti, General Jacob could not but help admire the collection structured by joint efforts of Dr J.S. Sarkaria, chairman, Mr Ramjilal, president of the society and their entire team. A mention of the Botanical Garden coming up on the Chandigarh-Kurali road also came up. Promising a separate section for cacti in the garden, General Jacob said Chandigarh Botanical Garden would shape up to be one of the finest gardens in the world. “The land acquisition process for the garden has already begun and saplings have been planted over 50 acres already under Administration’s possession.” The garden, on completion, will boast of 200 acre area, which stand in company of 180 acres of natural forests. “The project was conceived to acquaint people with flora and fauna,” General Jacob said. As for the show, there are 60 different classes under which cacti and succulents have been displayed. Standing tall in the collection are cacti with an origin as old as 1,000 years. There are also fresh ones which are 30 years old. Over 200 different varieties of opuntia are adding grace to the venue along with about 400 varieties of espostoa. Also featured is
Over 100 varieties of big-flowered echinocerai and the dark pink-flowered notocactus are among the other attractions, along with parodia, a cactus famous for its ribs rotating for growth. The most interesting variety on display, however, is the coloured gymno cactus. Sans chlorophyll, the gymno sports an inimitable rust colour, which adds immensely to its ornamental quality. After its chlorophyll content is destroyed with gamma rays the cactus is especially grafted with another plant because it loses its own roots and hence growth. Yet another beautiful family is the astrophytum, which has special interest of Japan. The Japanese have long experimented with the variety, mixing it with others to create exotic hybrids. Many such hybrids have been displayed in the show. Matching the cacti in shapes and beauty are a host of succulents, which also form a part of the green brigade. While agave and haworthia look charming with beautiful shapes, crassulaceae looks even more charming, the only living plant-cum-flower of its kind that it is. In the succulent section, many Indian varieties are also on display. There are other varieties from USA, Africa, Madagascar and Asia. The show will continue till tomorrow. Where the natural habitat of cacti is North and South America, they are also being cultivated in other parts of the world where they are acclimatised to local environment with the help of seeds brought from the USA. Chandigarh has some of the best growers and collectors of these plants, some of whom rank among the top growers in the world. Winning entries: Disco cactus, owned by city-based Lals, won “king of the show” title, while pachypodium ambugense, owned by Gurukul Public School, Panchkula, won “queen of the show title”. The best Indian succulent plant entry award went to Mr Ramjilal. Other prize winners are Cactus Garden, Panchkula, Mr Ravi Lal, Chief Administrator, HUDA, Col C.S. Bewli, Mrs Sarita Garg, Mr B.L. Vaish, Mr B.R. Mahajan, Mr Dharamvir, Dr J.S. Sarkaria, Honey Garg, Dr A.R Rajwade, Mr B.P. Singh and Mr Ravi
Mahajan. |
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Providing succour to patients’ kin Chandigarh, April 20 “The PGI is a place where there are so many in pain and need help. Our effort is just a drop in the ocean”, is how a member of the family of Mr Jagdish Ahuja, a vegetable trader of Sector 26, described the free-food service being provided by him. Everyday, for the past two months, during lunch time, cooked vegetables and chapatis are brought in a vehicle by members of Mr Jagdish Ahuja’s family and for an hour this food is distributed free to anyone who wants it. Visitors to the PGI, attendants of patients and poor patients awaiting treatment queue up and take food here. Members of his family say Mr Ahuja's mother used to run a similar ‘langar’ when they were in Pakistan, before the Partition, for a hospital there. Now he had decided to revive the service in the name of his mother here. Stating that the family does not do this for publicity and refusing to divulge any more information about how much the family is spending each day on providing this service, all they tell you is that they are doing it for the poor and the needy and that Goddess Durga has wished it to be so. This service complements the ‘langar’ seva at the PGI gurdwara and the free-food service being run by a trust at the Rotary sarai in the PGI. |
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‘No decision on nuclear power plant yet’ Chandigarh, April 20 He was addressing a special workshop on ‘Economics and risk of nuclear power in North India’ organised by the NUJ(I) School of Journalism and Communication in collaboration with the Chandigarh Journalists Association with the Department of Atomic Energy, (DAE). Mr Malhotra said a site at Patran, in Patiala district of Punjab, was evaluated for setting up a nuclear energy plant. But that was a routine affair. It had evaluated 23 other sites all over the country. Evaluation of a site did not mean that a plant would be set up there. He said India had attained not only attained self-sufficiency in nuclear energy related issues, but was also exporting 100 tonnes of heavy water to South Korea. Journalists from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan attended the workshop. Mr Shyam Khosla, president of NUJ(I), said the workshop was organised with a view to create awareness among journalists and people about the burning issues. Secretary of the NUJ(I) School Vijai Kranti said journalists often became victims of manipulative publicity owing to their ignorance of the subject. The NUJ(I) School was committed to correct this aberration. Punjabi Tribune Editor Harbhajan Singh Halwarvi, who was the chief guest, said journalists should have a positive mindset. They should properly understand every issue before writing about it. Such workshops were move in the right direction. Nuclear energy was the need of the day and the journalists should highlight its benefits. Mr Rajendra Prabhu, president of NUJ(I) School, gave a detailed picture of the energy scenario and highlighted the need of nuclear power generation. Mr Shivaji Sarkar, secretary of NUJ(I), said it was the least hazardous and was the safest mode of generating electricity. Mr A.B. Ghare, director of the Corporate Planning of Nuclear Power Corporation (NPCIL) and Mr A.K. Nema of the Atomic Energy Department allayed fears of the participants about the safety of nuclear plants. Mr Sub Singh Wirk of Parmanu Plant Sangharsh Samiti raised a number of questions regarding the efficacy of the nuclear plants and their safety. Mr Atmadeep, vice-president of NUJ(I) Journalists Welfare Foundation, and Mr Ashok Malik, Assistant Editor, Dainik Tribune, |
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Man assaults in-laws over daughter’s birth Chandigarh, April 20 According to the police, Jagdeep was having strained relations with his wife Veena after she bore him a daughter three years ago. A second daughter was born to them a few days ago. Yesterday, he arrived home late in an inebriated condition and beat up his wife. He also threatened to throw his new-born daughter out of a third floor window. His wife, along with their daughters went to her parents’ home in the same sector. |
BSNL mobile service by August-end Chandigarh, April 20 With this, the BSNL has taken one more step towards the launch of its much-awaited mobile telephone service. The BSNL will become the third cellular player in the lucrative Punjab Telecom Circle. It will provide customer care services and billing for North India from this building in Mani Majra. Mr Prithipal Singh said mobile phones of the BSNL would come with the latest and value-added services. “The BSNL mobile phones will provide facilities like all-India roaming from the day one”, said the Chairman. He also claimed that the BSNL would provide better SMS to its mobile phone customers. “Our SMS capacity will be much more than that provided by the private cellular operators”, said Mr Prithipal Singh. When asked about the air time tariffs, the Chairman without disclosing the tariff, said packages would come in attractive rates. About the competition from the private cellular operators, he said the BSNL would provide maximum coverage and sufficient capacity to its consumers. “The BSNL will have to generate more demand”, said Mr Prithipal Singh. At present, the BSNL is providing mobile phone service in Bihar and West Bengal on trial basis. |
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Books interest them more than computers Chandigarh, April 20 They are not loners in a crowd and yet their number is fast dwindling. They are only a handful and they are striving to rekindle the dying interest in books amongst fellow students, succeeding only to a very limited extent. For 10-year-old Divyang Arora, a winner of the library related contests, there is no feeling greater than indulging in his favourite pastime of reading fiction. “Once I pick up a book, I can’t put it down till I have read it completely and thoroughly. Books are an interesting way of strengthening word power and usage. Here, computers have failed miserably and are certainly no substitute,” he adds. He has his own group of voracious readers in class who sit and exchange notes on books they read from time to time, suggesting interesting books to each other as well as analysing material they read. And Tushar Sharma, a class VIII student, is averse to the idea of using computers. “Books never tell us they are fed up of being read. However, computers are plagued with problems of powercuts and immobility where I can read my books wherever I want to. Also, I believe that the wisdom of wise and experience of ages may only be preserved by books. They cannot be clambered on computer screens,” he claims. A student of class IX, Hitesh Dhiman, feels computers are no replacement for books. “All of us can neither buy computers nor learn all the technical stuff involved in their use. In complete contrast, books are available to one and all and they open up a new world to the reader. I almost feel a part of the character list while reading which is certainly not possible if you have to stare into a screen and strain to read,” he adds. Reading books is a hobby which serves dual purpose for Anupam Mahajan who spends his weekends and vacation relaxing with his books and learning in the process. “Despite having our own `gang’ of book-lovers, we are unable to rope in others especially since most of them want careers in computers. They see nothing beyond computers and books fail to inspire any of them. They don’t realise what they are missing out on,” he rues. |
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Jucuzzi, wave pool and more at Funcity Panchkula, April 20 It is for the first time in the region that sea waves are being artificially created in a pool. This is one of the biggest wave pools in the country and is spread over 15,000 sq feet. At least three to four types of waves can be generated through the technique. Officials at Funcity say that all the machinery and equipment used in the wave pool is approved and specified by the World Water Park Association and International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. They maintain that special care regarding hygiene has been taken , and a state-of-the art-filteration plant has been installed. In a step towards promoting adventure sports, para ballooning has also been introduced here. Though similar to a hot-air balloon, this balloon can be controlled from the base as motors are attached to the balloon. A Jacuzzi, or simulated whirlpool has also been introduced. In this, controlled jets of water are monitored in a manners so as to induce a feeling of swirls on the body and enhance distressing impulses of body and mind. |
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Punished for catching thief? Chandigarh, April 20 In a letter written to the UT SSP on his behalf, the local branch of the All India Crime Prevention Society has also alleged that no one at the police station made any effort to get him medically examined or give any first aid, despite the fact that he was bleeding profusely. According to the complaint, Vikas, who works in a tailoring shop in Sector 17, was on his way on a bicycle to deliver some suits, when he stopped to answer the call of nature. A 60-year-old woman rag-picker tried to run away with the suits and when he caught hold of her, she started shouting and alleging that he was attempting to outrage her modesty. Vicky was beaten up by the woman’s sons-in-law and some other persons. The suits, his bicycle and Rs 560 in his possession, were taken away from him and he was handed over to the police. When Vicky’s parents approached the police, a Sub Inspector allegedly demanded Rs 3,000 for his release, but he later came down to Rs 800. Society members later got the boy medically examined and the medical report revealed that he had sustained injuries on seven places on his head and other parts of the body. |
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Rath Yatra Sankirtan Chandigarh, April 20 Hundreds of followers from all over the region and foreign countries danced and sang bhajans in front of the chariot, which proceeded from Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, Sector 20, and passed through the main thoroughfares of the city before culminating at the math in the evening. The resident-Acharya of the math, Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami, while speaking on ‘The most confidential teachings of Bhagwad Gita’ at a spiritual sitting said speaker in the Gita Sri Krishna was the Supreme Lord. Those who practiced the path of knowledge strove for self-realisation. ‘‘So all Karma (deluded activity) emerging from the material ego is destroyed by proper knowledge’’, he added. The
spiritual meeting was presided over by Dr S.K Sharma, Director, PGI, while Mr Gian Chand Gupta, Councillor, Municipal Corporation Chandigarh, was the chief guest. |
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2-day seminar at Mansa Devi shrine Panchkula, April 20 Stating this here today, the Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chief Administrator of SMMDSB, Ms Jyoti Arora, said Haryana Chief Secretary, Mr L.M. Goyal, will preside over the colloquium, while the former Director General , Archaeological Survey of India, Dr M.C. Joshi, will deliver the key note address. The symposium is being organised as part of a large programme to set up a theme museum on the Goddess here. This symposium and a workshop on the Devi will help explore more ideas on the project to set up a theme museum and library, thus enriching the collection of art objects\paintings that would be exhibited during this workshop. Prof Ashwani Aggarwal, Head of Ancient History and Archaeology Department, Panjab University, Dr Veena Vig, Dr Madhu Khanna, Secretary General, National Centre Of Art, New Delhi, Dr Varinder Handa, Dr R.C. Aggarwal, Former Director, Museums and Archaeology, Rajasthan, Dr N.P. Joshi from Varanasi, Dr Rajesh Purohit, Curator of Krishna Museum, Kurukshetra, Dr B.K. Kathil, Dr Usha Bhatia, Dr O.P. Bhardwaj and Dr Karuna Goswami are expected to participate in the colloquium. |
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Shobha yatra organised Panchkula, April 20 Tableaux depicting the life of Lord Rama were part of the
yatra. A band of local musicians provided musical support as the devotees chanted hymns. |
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READERS WRITE Chandigarh has so many mango trees. But why is it that the yield is so less? Over the years, the yield has been declining sharply. Almost every year, the flowering is good but deterioration starts before the setting of fruit. Mango hopper and powdery mildew are responsible for this decay, according to experts. Agriculture scientists and experts suggest the spray of insecticides such as endosulfan, wettable sulphur, karathene and thiodan at different stages of the mango crop. Unfortunately, the mango flowers are destroyed despite all these sprays, as suggested by experts. The situation is equally dismal in government-controlled orchards. One is therefore led to believe that either the malady has not been correctly diagnosed or the textbook treatment prescribed to combat the same is not adequate. Incidentally, this area was a rich mango belt before Chandigarh came into existence. There used to be a glut of mangoes. The choicest varieties of mangoes were available just for four annas a basket. And no spray of any insecticide was needed at that time. One can understand the adverse effects of the present-day pollution. Surprisingly, even though strong remedies have been evolved in all the fields to meet the challenge, the king of fruits remains neglected. It cries for a Messiah. Any remedy or constructive suggestion to rehabilitate its health and glory? Major R.K.AWASTHY
(retd)
Watering of lawns From April 15 onwards, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has banned watering of lawns and gardens in the mornings. I was delighted to hear that it slapped notices on Sector 3 Haryana Nivas and Punjab Bhavan for watering of lawns on the morning of April 17. According to reports, the Municipal Corporation has also served notices to 35 defaulters and claimed to have served 42 notices on the first two days of the drive. I would request the authorities to inspect the green belt in Sector 30 in the mornings. Despite the ban, the lawns are watered in the mornings and so much water is being wasted in hot summer days. Will it take action against the Chandigarh Administration for flagrantly violating the ban almost everyday? The point is that if big fish are caught, every resident will fall in line and the ban can be effectively enforced. I am happy to know that the Municipal Corporation, besides checking washing of vehicles and watering of lawns, is also checking leakages and installation of motor pumps and tullu pumps. KARTAR SINGH
A burning problem Proper disposal of dry leaves falling from the trees has become a burning issue in Chandigarh, especially during the spring season. It is surprising that even though the Chandigarh Administration has banned open burning of dry leaves, this rule is violated. The authorities concerned should visit Tribune Colony in Sector 29 and the road near P&T Staff quarters in Sector 30 A. Dry leaves are openly burnt and nobody seems to be supervising the proper disposal of dry leaves, in conformity with the guidelines of the Chandigarh Administration. The Chandigarh Administration has very recently issued elaborate guidelines for proper disposal of dry leaves. As per its order, the occupants of non-residential buildings and institutions shall not burn the leaves thus causing pollution and traffic hazards. Instead, according to the order, they shall dig up a pit on one corner of their premises so as to bury dry leaves into it. The size of the pit shall be decided on the basis of the number of trees available within their premises. The order also says that social institutions especially schools and old age homes shall take adequate measures to ensure that the pits are suitably guarded by barbed fire fencing. AMRIK SINGH
No DA instalments Even though the Government of India had released DA instalment for January 2002 to its employees and pensioners, the Haryana Government has not yet followed suit. The latter had allocated Rs 20 crore in the State Budget (since passed by the State Assembly) for two instalments due in January 2002 and in July, 2002. We appeal to the Chief Minister and Finance Minister to consider the plight of the pensioners, most of whom are between 65 and 70 years, and release the DA instalments
expeditiously. A.N.BHANDULA |
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Rehabilitation centre for stray dogs sought SAS Nagar, April 20 The society has already written to the SAS Nagar Municipal Council and the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) for allotting land for the construction of a rehabilitation centre-cum-hospital. Talking to the TNS, Dr Kanwaljit Singh, honorary general secretary of the society, said in case of sterilisation, the stray dogs needed post-operative care. Besides, a centre was required for the rehabilitation of stray cattle injured in road accidents or inflicted with some disease. He said an anti-rabies vaccination and deworming camp was held at the Phase XI market for stray dogs today. At least as 170 stray dogs were vaccinated by Dr Ram Singh, Dr R.K. Arora, Dr Harbaksh Singh, Dr R.M. Sharma and Dr Kanwaljit Singh. The society would hold similar camps in other parts of the town soon. |
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Shun hypocrisy, says
Jagatguru Chandigarh, April 20 The swami explained the concept of Dharma as contained in the vedas. He condemned the misuse of religion by politicians. Presiding over the talk, Dr N.N.Wig, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, PGI, advised the people to understand the real Dharma and shun hypocrisy. According to him, hatred against others was the greatest sin. |
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Seminar on Punjabi journalism SAS Nagar, April 20 |
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Power crisis Chandigarh, April 20 |
Rs 2 lakh stolen from car Chandigarh, April 20 Driver booked: The police has booked a PRTC bus driver, Avtar Singh, after a passenger, Kailash, was injured while getting down from the bus near the airport chowk. The driver reportedly started the bus while the passenger was getting down A case has been registered for negligent driving. Assaulted: Atam Ram, resident of Mauli Jagran, has reported that he was beaten near his house by Salinder Singh. The police has registered a case. Case registered: A resident of Sector 32 has been booked after Swaraj Singh, a resident of Sector 35, reported that the accused had borrowed his car (CH-03-A-4995) a few days ago and had not returned it. The police has registered a case of criminal breach of trust and cheating. Vehicle theft: Parveen Kumar, a resident of Sector 12, has reported that her scooter (CH-01-S-2066) has been stolen from the PGI campus. In another case Kamaljit Singh, a resident of Sector 18 has reported that his LML Vespa (CH-03-E-5611) has been stolen from Sector 15. The police has registered separate cases.
PANCHKULA 35 kg poppy husk seized: The local police has seized 35 kg of poppy husk from a car ( HR-01B-1943) near Mauli village yesterday. The car driver, Varinder Singh, however, managed to escape. His two accomplices — Samay Singh and Randhir Singh — were arrested. They have been booked under Section 15 of the NDPS Act. Meanwhile, the police has also arrested Ranjit Singh and recovered 95 grams of opium from him. One arrested: A purse snatcher was arrested by the police, with help from local residents when he tried to escape after taking away a purse containing Rs. 7000. Ms Geeta Devi had withdrawn Rs 10,000 from a bank. When she reached a local hospital after making a payment of Rs. 3000 at a shop, the accused — Shahraz — snatched her purse. Liquor seized: The local police has arrested Karan Singh, Prem Singh and Balram — in three separate incidents and recovered 12 bottles and 138 quarters of liquor from them. House burgled:
Mr Praveen Kumar, a resident of Sector 2, reported that his house was burgled while he and his wife were off to work on April 19. The theft was discovered when they came back home for lunch. A sum of Rs 20,000 and gold and silver jewellery were stolen. Two held: The local police has arrested Ashok Kumar from Kalka on charges of gambling and recovered Rs 260 from him . Another person, Ashok Kumar, was arrested from Rayewali Road, Barwala, and Rs 410 were recovered from him. |
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