EDUCATION

PCCTU POLL
Contest within the ruling group
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 11
The elections to the top posts of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU), scheduled for May 25 and 26 are turning out to be a contest between teachers of the same group — the one in power.

With allegations and counter-allegations on non-performance being made by members of the state and central bodies of teachers despite the maximum number of affairs, things are beginning to hot up as election draws nearer.

The alleged failure of the members in power has been on account of non-implementation of revised pay-scales from January, 1996, inability to fulfil demand of bringing DPEs and librarians on par with senior lecturers in Rs 14,940 pay scale and inability to secure third promotion for senior teachers.

In the contest are Mr Shinder Pal Singh of SGGS-Chandigarh against Mr SS Hundal of GNC-Moga for president, Prof VK Sareen and Prof VK Tewari of DAV-Jalandhar for general secretary and Prof GS Kahlon-Khalsa College, Amritsar, against Mr S.S. Parihan of Layalpur Khalsa-College-Jalandhar for vice president.

For the post of finance secretary, Mr Balbir Singh of Modi College, Patiala, is fighting against Mr Y.R. Handa of DAV College Bathinda. Two secretaries have been elected unopposed. These include Prof Kamaljit Singh for Panjab University area and Mr Amrinder Pal Singh for Punjabi University area. While there are 11 seats of the executive, 26 nominations have been filed.

As per schedule, the annual report for 2001-2002 will be read out by Mr JS Randhawa before the general house comprising 400 delegates from 170 colleges on May 25. The house will debate the report after which elections would be held at Jalandhar.

PU cancels population education paper
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 11
Panjab University has cancelled paper V, (option of Adult and Continuing Education and Population Education), conducted by Panjab University on May 8, an official press release said here today.

The paper has been cancelled due to “unavoidable circumstances and administrative reasons”. The examination will now be held on May 17. The university has also made changes in examination centres for this paper.

HIGH COURT
2 cops in dock for false statement 
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 11
Coming down heavily on the police authorities for making a false statement in a petition filed by a former informer, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked Patiala’s former Superintendent of Police and the in charge of Sangrur police chowki to show cause why the court should not order their prosecution and initiate proceedings under the Contempt of Court Act.

Issuing the directions, the Bench comprising Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Ms Justice Bakhshish Kaur, also ruled that an affidavit filed by an Inspector-General of Police was “far from satisfactory” as it contained “lopsided statements”. The Judges further directed that a copy of the order should be sent to Punjab’s Director-General of Police to ensure that the notices were duly served on the two officials.

In their detailed order, the Judges observed that they were prima facie of the opinion that the averments in an affidavit filed by the SP suggested that the petitioner had never acted as an informer and as such the officers were guilty of making a false statement.

The petitioner had earlier contended that he was initially acting as a police informer, but after he refused to cooperate with the cops, he was being beaten and harassed.

Rs 80,000 relief for amputated arm

Nearly 11 years after the right arm of a Morinda district resident was amputated as a result of police firing, Mr Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel today directed the state of Punjab to pay a compensation of Rs 80,000.

In his petition, Kuldip Singh, working as a security guard, had earlier contended that he sustained three bullet injuries in his stomach, besides gun shot injuries in his arm on July 7, 1991, after he failed to stop at a police signal. His counsel had contended that the petitioner, riding a moped, had failed to hear the shouts of the cops. The naka had been set by Border Security Force personnel, along with Punjab police officials, he had added.

Payment ordered for ex-employee

Allowing a petition, Mr Justice Mehtab Singh Gill has directed the state of Haryana to pay the “full amount of expenses incurred by a retired senior draftsman in getting treatment as an out doorpatient”.

Pronouncing the orders, Mr Justice Gill observed, “It is clear from the rules that a government employee was entitled to full reimbursement of medical treatment, except for boarding charges”. In his petition, Mr Jaswant Singh had earlier sought the quashing of a letter dated August 2 last year vide which his claim for medical reimbursement was rejected.

Clerks’ selection: notice issued

Notice has been issued to the state of Punjab and the Punjab School Education Board, along with other respondents, by a division Bench on a writ petition filed by an Amritsar district resident and another petitioner seeking the quashing of appointments of clerks in pursuant of an advertisement issued in May, 1998.

The Bench, headed by Mr Justice R.L. Anand, also ordered that the appointments would be subject to the final decision of the writ petition. The case will now come up for further hearing on October 4.

Haryana IGP summoned

A division Bench asked Haryana’s Inspector-General of Police (Vigilance) to appear in court, along with the record pertaining to a probe conducted into the alleged receipt of Rs 5 lakh by a Faridabad resident as land compensation.

The directions were issued by a Bench, comprising Mr Justice Jawaharlal Gupta and Mr Justice N.K. Sud, on a writ petition registered on the basis of a letter addressed to the High Court. According to it, the respondent had wrongfully claimed the compensation. 

Restore dead phones, BSNL GM told
Our Correspondent

Kharar, May 11
Ms Preeti Sahni, Additional Civil Judge (Senior Division), Kharar, has issued notice to the General Manager and the SDO of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, Mohali, for May 15 in a case filed by 16 residents of Todermajra village for mandatory injunction directing the defendants to make the telephones of the plaintiff operational which were lying dead for the past about one month and not to charge the rent for this period.

They submitted in their complaint that they were subscribers of the defendants and were paying rent and other expenses as per rules. They pleaded that the General Manager should be directed to fix the responsibility of the employees and recover the loss caused to the plaintiffs from his pocket.

3 remanded in judicial custody
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, May 11
Three persons allegedly involved in a case of murder of a Palsora resident, Harvinder Singh, were remanded in judicial custody today by a local court. Ramesh Kumar, Ram Dass and Kamal Singh were remanded to the Duty Magistrate till May 25. Another person, Sanjay, alleged to be involved in the case, had already been remanded in judicial custody by the court. The police had registered a case under Sections 147, 148, 149 and 302 of the IPC. The deceased had been murdered following a clash between two groups in the locality.

CULTURE

Konark sculptures brought alive in Odissi
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 11
The sculptural elements of Odissi came alive in the performance of Sriparna Bose in Pracheen Kala Kendra here today. Humility — the hallmark of every disciple of guru Murlidhar Majhi — dominated her presence.

Originally a student of bharatnatyam, Sriparna was led into Odissi after she realised that her form had been made for portraying the expressions in the sculptures of Sun Temple at Konark. Ever since then, she devoted herself to this dance form and has grown with it.

Her religious practices were revealed in her subtle presentation. She began with the traditional ‘mangalacharan’ set to ‘Raag Mishra’. This invocation to Goddesses was followed by ‘Pallavi’ in ‘Raag Bageshwari. The magic of spring was the element of focus in this presentation. Next came an ‘abhinaya-pradhan’ sequence in ‘Raag Saberi’. Dedicated to Lord Krishna, the presentation has the dancer expressing through ‘mudras’ how He saves an elephant from a crocodile in water.

The item that followed had Radha languishing to meet Krishna, which was followed by another composition by her guru. The concluding piece was set to ‘Raag Bageshwari’, in which the dancer uses subtle bodily movements to highlight the significance of spiritual bliss.

FILM REVIEW
Na Tum Jano na....director
Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Even chocolate faces that hold the key to screen fever as love-idols cannot sustain a loose presentation. The future of Esha Deol-Hrithik Roshan-starrer ‘Na Tum Jaano Na Hum’ (Piccadily and Panchkula) seems to be in doldrums because of a loosely drawn presentation.

Love is a favourite subject in Bollywood and fresh faces, light music, travails on love journey and meeting-at-last is the set formula. This story is no different. There are no unnecessary adornments but there is a lacking continuity of action and intensity.

Esha is a hosteller who falls in love with a guy whom she heard on radio. She gets in touch with him through the radio-jockey. The man is Hrithik Roshan who too is more in love with the ‘idea of love’ with some one.

Hrithik is a close friend of Saif Ali Khan who spends most of his time dating girls and having fun. The parents have decided to marry him off to the niece of a family friend (Rati Agnihotri). Hrithik is sent there to know the girl before a final decision. When his dreamgirl turns out to be Esha, the inner conflict of Hrithik heightens.

Songs have a cinematic backdrop of locales in British Columbia and Canada. Arjun Sablok has directed the film and Rajesh Roshan given the music for lyrics written by late Anand Bakshi. Music is quite average. Manoj Soni has done the cinematography.

The film also features Ashima Bhalla, Achla Sachdev, Smita Jaykar, Anang Desai, Moushami Chatterji and Alok Nath. Even good faces in the supporting cast have limited scope for any impact. Vivek Singhania has produced the film.

‘Ab ke baras’ (Neelam and Suraj, Panchkula) is a rather average beginning for Arya Babbar (Raj Babbar’s son) who had got a little more than necessary media-hype before the release. “Love and re-incarnation’ is not an easy ‘filmy-lollipop’ to digest these days even if it has director Raj Kanwar’s name behind it.

The Arya and Amrita pair does not make a big impression. The other cast includes Ashish Vidyarthi, Rajat Bedi, Shakti Kapoor, Vishwajeet Pradhan, Neena Kulkarni, Ashutosh Rana and Danny Denzongpa.

Anu Malik has scored the music for lyrics by Sameer. Robin Bhatt and Sutanu Gupta have done the screenplay; Ishwar Bidri has done the cinematography; and Ravi Rai has scripted the dialogues.

Singing contest for Rafi Award
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 11
The Yaadgar-e-Rafi Society will hold the first round of the singing competition for Rafi Award-2002 in men’s and women’s sections on June 9 and 16 at DAV College mini auditorium, Sector 10, Chandigarh.

The participants in the men’s section category will sing Rafi songs while in women section, participants will sing Lata songs. The winners in both sections will get Rafi Award and the second and third positions will be honoured by trophies in both categories.

The prizes will be given away by a film personality in the society’s annual function Rafi Nite to be held in November. Last year the prizes were given away by popular music director Anandji.

Entries close with Mr B. D. Sharma, 3035/29-D, Chandigarh May 31.

Jassi releases another album

When Punjabi songs are mixed with the beats of the West the result is — ‘Rocking!’ And this is what one feels after listening to Jassi Sidhu’s new album “Jadon Jawani Wala”.