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| Saturday,
June 15, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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Showers
douse sun’s fury Chandigarh, June 14 The monsoon is scheduled to set in by the end of this month in the region. The rain accompanied by strong winds lashed the city when the sun was ascending to its full bloom to bring the temperature 4°C below the normal at 36.4°C. According to the Meteorology Department tomorrow was also likely to see cloudy developments. The afternoon showers, however, caught the authorities unawares as water accumulated in markets of Sector 23 and 35. Municipal Corporation employees were seen clearing road berms and drainage system to prepare for another spell of rain. Today’s showers were caused by a development of a cyclonic circulation over Western Rajasthan. The rainy conditions had been prevailing in the city since June 12 when the city had a rainfall of 4.4 mm and humidity was reported at 87 per cent. The Met Department has refused to term the present spell rain as that of pre-monsoon saying the rainfall in the city in the month of June was normal. The earlier rainfall was caused by western disturbances. KHARAR: Jaspal Singh of Badali village died after he was hit by an iron sheet when heavy rains and storm lashed the area on Friday afternoon. Ms Gurdev Kaur, Sarpanch of the village and Mr Malkhan Singh, panch informed the SHO, Kharar about the incident. Jaspal Singh and his uncle Nar Singh were returning home after working in their agriculture farm when the storm started. While Mr Nar Singh took shelter near the wall of a house, Jaspal Singh continued going towards his house when an iron sheet hit him in the neck during the storm. He was taken to a hospital in Kharar where he breathed his last. |
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PU: special chance ‘inadmissible’ Chandigarh, June 14 A decision in this regard has been taken by a special committee constituted by the Vice-Chancellor under the chairmanship of the Dean, University Instructions. The committee was constituted to take up the case of extending the power of the Vice-Chancellor beyond the existing power in case of BA and MA students under Regulation 8 which says" The Vice-Chancellor may relax the requirement of foregoing examination and grant permission, in exceptional cases, for reasons to be recorded, to a person to appear as a private candidate". It was pointed out by the university that regulation covered cases related to the BA and MA examinations only. The provision was taken up for discussion by the university following a representation of a B.Sc student to be given a special chance. The candidate under question had appeared in B Sc II examinations as a regular student in April, 1999. She failed. She had now submitted her examination form for appearing in the B Sc II examination during April, 2002, as a private candidate in the capacity of a late college student. As per Regulation 16 she was declared not eligible on account of the fact that the candidate can appear as a late college student without attending a fresh course of instruction within the next two consecutive years. As such, this candidate was eligible to appear in the university examinations till April 2001. Under the regulation, the candidate can be given a special chance on recommendation of the Principal of the college concerned as a late college student. A first-year student can re-join the first year ‘within next two consecutive years’, second-year students can also appear within next two consecutive years; and the final-year students can appear within the next three consecutive years. The candidate has stated that she got admission in ETT for a period of two years in Hoshiarpur district conducted by the Punjab Education Department and thus could not appear in B Sc II up to April, 2001. She now requested that she may be given a chance to appear as a private candidate. |
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Lovebirds
get married, seek court protection Chandigarh, June 14 Strange it may sound, but it is true. Two Panjab University students, putting up in Sector 15, have filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking directions to the girl’s father and other respondents against interfering in their married life. They have alleged that the bride’s father, a Bihar resident, was “not happy with their marriage and was trying to break it through illegal means” Claiming to be major, the two have stated that they fell in love while studying together in the Panjab University library hall and decided to tie the knot. For the purpose, the girl embraced Islam and “Nikah” was held on June 5. Soon after the ceremony, the bride’s father, along with two or three “unknown persons” searched their house on June 11 and forcibly tried to “snatch” the girl away from the groom, their counsel has added. Disturbed by the developments, the two approached the police, but despite categoric request for help, steps were not taken. As a result of the threats, the petitioners were unable to move about in the city, counsel concluded. Taking up their petition against the girl’s father, the UT Administration, besides the Senior Superintendent of Police and Station House Officer of Sector 11 police station, Mr Justice Swatanter Kumar of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the SHO of the police station concerned to “ensure that the married life of the petitioners was not hampered without following the due process of law”. Mr Justice Kumar had also issued notice to the respondents to show cause why the petition filed by the two should not be admitted. The Judge has also granted a week’s time to counsel for the petitioner for filing additional documents. The case will now come up for further hearing on July 2. |
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Chopper
‘travels’ by road Chandigarh, June 14 A MI-17 helicopter with its wings removed and trailing slowly behind an Air Force jeep on its wheels was said to be going to ‘‘some other place’’ from the local Air Force Station. However, this could not be confirmed. An Air Force personnel when asked why the chopper was being wheeled away, he said, ‘‘The helicopter is to be moved to a very short distance and thus it was decided not to fly it’’. Sources in the local police when asked said ‘‘You better ask Air Force people’’. The unusual traffic on the road attracted many curious passers-by and everybody seemed to be anxious what was happening. Sources said the Air Force chose the time of late hours to move the chopper so as not to disrupt the normal traffic. Air Force personnel were perched on grey chopper and were flashing torches on The Tribune’s photographer who had to run for at least 2 km to click the photograph of helicopter.
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Search warrants issued Kharar, June 14 The search warrants were issued following an appeal submitted by the Vigilance Department through Mr Jatinderjit Singh Punn, Public Prosecutor, today. Mr Punn
pleaded that the Vigilance Department had already registered an FIR
He pleaded that now the department wanted to search Kothi No 649 AB, Basant Avenue, Amritsar, and his ancestral house at Fatehgarh Churian. He pleaded that the JCB machines were purchased as per orders of Mr Kahlon. The judge issued search warrants for both houses. Meanwhile, the Vigilance Department, as per directions issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, has issued a 7-day notice to Mr Kahlon on June 12, stating that an FIR has been registered against him and his arrest was required. The time limit of this notice expires on June 19. |
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Official support lacking: Nek Chand SAS Nagar, June 14 Nek
Chand, Creator — Director of the Rock Garden in Chandigarh, said the
Punjab Government had at one time proposed the setting up of a similar
garden at SAS Nagar for which the site had also been selected. In the
meantime, the official interested in the project was transferred and
the plan was dropped. Similarly, he said he was called by officials to
Uttaranchal to develop a Rock Garden — type project in that state
which had also been cleared by the then state ministry. However, the
ministry fell and with it the proposal came to nought. Nek Chand, who was speaking to mediapersons after inaugurating clothing outlet in Phase VII, Industrial Area, admitted that he was not getting official support for developing the acquarium in Phase III of the Chandigarh Rock Garden. He had, therefore, approached Nek Chand Foundations in the UK and the USA to provide machinery and manpower for the purpose. They had earlier helped him by sending the required mirrors. Nek
Chand said attempts were being made to make changes in the Chandigarh
Rock Garden and make it one — way so that visitors to it did not
have to go back the same route in certain parts of the garden. Some
of the items now being added to the garden would be “king size” so
that children and even adults could climb on the exhibits. Nek Chand said adequate funds were being generated through the entry tickets but the money was being invested in the Rock Garden. If this was not done, the Income Tax Department would take away a substantial sum. When
asked about the foul smell coming from the recycled water in the
garden, Nek Chand said “there isn’t much of a smell”. He said
when he had planned the waterfalls in the garden, collection tanks
were built for recycling water as “I knew the government will not
give me water for this purpose”. Nek Chand said work on the 30 —
acre Chandigarh Rock Garden was started in 1958 and the project was
taken over by the government in 1976. In 1980 he built a similar
garden in Paris on the invitation of the then Mayor of that city.
Later, he set up such gardens in Germany and the USA. |
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BHANKHARPUR OVERBRIDGE Dera Bassi, June 14 Termination of the Dera Bassi-Mubarikpur-Ramgarh link road has been putting the roads users and commuters headed towards Panchkula, Naraingarh and Shimla and in reverse route to great inconvenience since the construction of the overbridge on the highway. The motorists and commuters have been facing problems since the construction of the overbridge as they are left with two alternative routes. Either they have to take a detour of over 2 km after taking a road along the left side of the bridge and takes a turn near from the railway line at Bhankharpur village and then rejoins the Dera Bassi-Mubarikpur link road near DAV High school to reach Ramgarh. Or one can reach Mubarikpur after paying Rs 10 as toll tax and cross the bridge via the Bhankharpur-Mubarikpur link to rejoin the Dera Bassi-Ramgarh road at Mubarikpur after travelling extra distance of about half a kilometer. But a level crossing on the Bhankharpur-Mubarikpur road near Trivedi camp further proves to be a bottleneck in the smooth flow of traffic on the route. Motorists often get stuck in traffic jams at this crossing whenever any train crosses from here. Moreover, the spot has also becomes accident prone as motorists take a right turn from the highway to take the Bhankharpur-Mubarikpur link road. Similarly, traffic coming from Ramgarh and Mubarikpur side and heading towards Chandigarh and Issapur has to take the Bhankharpur-Bhankharpur level crossing — Bhankharpur link to rejoin the highway to reach Chandigarh and the Issapur village link road. Due to this the road users have to cover extra distance of one kilometer. Interestingly, the vehicles on this route often take a short cut after taking wrong turn that has made the spot accident prone. Absence of any traffic police personnel at these points reflects the indifferent attitude of the local police authorities. Mr Ramesh Kumar, a resident of Mubarikpur village complained that the most affected were the students of Dera Bassi town who had to travel extra distance to reach the DAV Schools. Earlier, they used to take the road which has been closed by the Building and Roads wing of the Punjab Public Work Department (PPWD) authorities. When contacted Mr Ajit Pal Singh, SDO, PPWD, clarified that restoration of the Dera Bassi-Mubarikpur road could not have been avoided due to technical reasons. When asked if the ROB could have been constructed without disturbing the link road, he replied that the ROB could have been constructed with the help of RCC pillars but it would not have been economically viable.
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Joint operations by police to check tribal gangs Panchkula, June 14 As many as eight persons have been injured in three incidents of armed robberies in Zirakpur and Dera Bassi areas during the past two months. Similar incidents have also been reported in Kharar and Naya Gaon. According to police sources, these incidents could be the handiwork of Bawariyas or Dhehas. Fearing attacks by these tribes, joint combing operations are being undertaken by Panchkula, Zirakpur and Chandigarh police. Confirming this, the Superintendent of Police, Ms Charu Bali said a combing operation with the Zirakpur police was carried out at Bartana in the wee hours of the morning today. “A similar exercise was also carried out in Rajiv Colony, with the help of the Chandigarh police, three days ago,” she said . Senior police officials of Chandigarh, Patiala, Ropar and Panchkula have also held meetings to discuss the issue and a decision to intensify patrolling has been taken. Meanwhile , around 25 policemen from the local police were deployed for today’s operation and a similar number of policemen were deployed by the Zirakpur police. “With the harvesting season over, a number of migrant labourers, who has arrived here earlier, have been known to form small gangs. A few of these gangs were also engaged in highway robberies on the Zirakpur-Banur and Zirakpur-Ambala roads”, informed a police official at Zirakpur. The township has often been a witness to attacks by criminal tribes and gangs. The Bawariyas and Baazigars of Rajasthan have been held responsible for a series of armed robberies in various parts of the state, including Panchkula. The Pardis of Madhya Pradesh, dressing up in black underpants and known as “kaale kachehewale” in the normal lingo, have been held responsible for robberies in Punjab. The fact that the township has highly porous entry and exit points goes to the advantage of the miscreant(s), who can reach Chandigarh on one side and Punjab on the other, within minutes of committing any crime in the township. Other than this, the escape route into Uttranchal via Kala Amb or to Himachal Pradesh is also an hour drive from the township. Senior police officials admit that most of the crimes remain unsolved as the accused slip away from the township into these neighbouring states. They opine that because of exigencies of work, they are unable to plug the entry-exit points to the township on a permanent basis. As a result, they have sent a proposal to Haryana Police headquarters demanding 200 policemen to be added to the district force, in order to meet the growing demands of policing. These policemen will be put in the Traffic branch and for general patrolling.
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All
kids, no parents gets the party going Chandigarh, June 14 In a clear departure from the tradition, the little ones now-a-days believe in celebrating the occasion with their young friends, and friends alone. Not with their parents. Gone are the days when the parents, with handful of gifts, used to go to the residence of the birthday boy holding hands of their children. They used to stay back till the party was over and then drive back home. "It was primarily a party for elders than kids," says Ranjan Vasudeva, a retired branch manager with a pharmaceutical organisation. "I remember some of the parties in which hardly any friends of the birthday boy were invited. Such parties used to be more for establishing and reviving business contacts than anything else". Things are different today. The parties are for the kids alone. In majority of the cases, these bashes are organised in the afternoon. "If business contacts are to be revived, another party is thrown by the enthusiastic parents in the evening, where they can meet with all influential persons,” states reveals Dhruv Verma, a business executive with a multinational firm. Interestingly, all-kid parties are being organised not at the residences of the birthday boys but in restaurants and fast-food joints where halls are specially decorated for the occasion. This is not all. Even video-game parlours are being booked for such parties. Explaining the latest trend, a young psychologist, Nidhi Dutta, says: "There is another reason for this. In today’s world, even the kind of party or the venue is an indication to the family's social status". He adds: "Once a kid throws a bash in a fast-food joint or a restaurant, it means that the girl or boy belongs to a well-to-do family. And in case both the parents are working, saying no becomes impossible for the basic reason that whatever time that is left with mummy and daddy from their busy schedule goes into pampering their little ones". |
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Residents’
plea to Jacob Chandigarh, June 14 Residents of Sector 34 have demanded that the V-5 road in the sector should be recarpeted as it had not been done for the past 10 to 12 years despite the former Municipal Corporation Chief Engineer Puranjit Singh’s announcement of allocation of funds for the purpose from the 2002-2003 budget allocation. The residents have also demanded the widening of this road by 2 feet on each side. They have sought measures to decongest the markets of Sector 34. The residents also want a tubewell to be installed to augment water supply to the residents of sub-Sector C and D where water could be boosted to 40 feet height. Residents have sought improvement in the condition of parks, overall sanitation and repair of streetlights on V-5 road. They alleged that 50 per cent of the streetlights were non-functional. Footpath tiles in markets were in shambles as these had not been replaced since they were fitted. The replacement was also needed to prevent flooding of markets during the rainy season, they said. Residents have also complained against the housing board and the electricity department of the Administration for failure to maintain electricity supply and cleanliness of the area in front of the gurdwara and All India Radio. Residents of Sector 40-C have alleged the tube-lights fitted in 40 C and D have not been operational probably for a decade. They complained that the existing parks had not been maintained and Congressgrass had become a menace. The Welfare Association of
MIG-I houses in the sector has alleged that the roads in the sector were among the worst maintained in the city with potholes resulting in frequent accidents. Garbage bins were broken and garbage was littered and no officials were available to register complaints, they said.
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Crippled
yet fighting for a cause SAS Nagar, June 14 A well known person in trade union circles, Harpal wants the Punjab Government to do more for victims of terrorism. Before the tragedy struck him, he was the secretary of the state unit of the All-India Trade Union Congress
(AITUC). Says Harpal Singh, “I am tired of penning letters to a senior government official to direct the Relief and Resettlement Department to bear the medical expenses of handicapped victims like me. The government should rehabilitate such persons”. He wants to improve the life of 60 terrorism-hit persons, some of whom were totally bedridden and did not have enough money to meet their medical expenses. Citing the pitiable state of some of the victims, he said an Amritsar-based victim of terrorism, Kimti Lal, did not have enough money to undergo a major surgery to remove a bullet from his brain — apart from a heart ailment. Similarly, Paramjit of Amritsar had developed bedsores and had to undergo blood transfusion due to some ailment. Look at me, he says: “From putting me into wheelchair, or on to the bed on helping me to answer nature’s call, all is done by my wife, Ranjit Kaur, and son, Amanpreet Singh”. The government should increase the amount of pension given to the persons disabled in terrorist attacks from Rs 2,500 as per the price index. Some the disabled victims had to take care of the whole family. Even the schedule for paying the pension was irregular. In some districts of the state, the victims were not getting pension on time. In some cases, there was a delay of three to four months. The government should also bring the compensation paid to the families of victims of terrorism on a par with those disabled in terrorist attacks. He also wants that the Punjab Government should provide jobs to the wards of the victims. There are still 200 such applications lying pending with the government. Determined not to give up, he has been regarding penning letters to the Chief Minister of Punjab. He says the children of the disabled persons should be given jobs on compassionate grounds. At least 10 of the 60 victims were blind. The government must think of such helpless persons, he adds. He remembers the fateful day of June 15, 1990, when he was shot at by two youths. A bullet pierced his throat through his spine following which he was hospitalised. He has been undergoing treatment ever since. He says: “I am lucky that I had the support of my family and many well-wishers. But many persons are not as lucky as I am”. |
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Literary
treat for Naipaul admirers Chandigarh, June 14 “A Journey Without Maps” — as the name suggests — is loosely cohered around the idea of a journey based on Naipaul’s physical and intellectual life. The exhibition includes a series of posters that were constructed as a mosaic of voices and tries to capture some of the nuances that make V.S. Naipual the most celebrated and most controversial writer of the present time. The British Council in New Delhi had commissioned a retrospective on Sir Naipaul after he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in December, 2001,” said Mr Sushant Banerjee, Manager of the British Library here. “This is the third exhibition of its kind after Delhi and Bhopal,” he added. Designed by Anand Naroem and Uzma Mohsin, “A Journey Without Maps” will show Naipaul from his childhood to adulthood with memorable quotes by the famous writer. Along with this, around 26 books written by Naipaul over a span of 50 years, including “House of Mr Biswas”, will also be exhibited. The exhibition which will be inaugurated sometime in the first week of July will be open for public viewing for about seven days. |
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Guru Arjan Dev martyrdom day observed Chandigarh, June 14 Unexpected showers were no damper on the religious spirit of the devotees who had made elaborate arrangements for “chhabeel” and “prasad” in different parts of the city. The Sri Guru Ravi Dass Gurudwara Prabhandhak Sabha of Sector 30-A organised an akhand path. Langar was also served along with a “chhabeel”. State Bank of Patiala also organised a “chabeel”. Members of ‘MIG Flats Residents Welfare Association, Sector 41-D, also organised a “chabeel” for the devotees. The Nationalist Congress Party’s local wing also observed the martyrdom day. The President of National Congress Party’s local unit, Mr Gurbachan Singh, asked the people to spread the message of Guru Arjan Dev to fight against communalism and casteism. |
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Implement
court order, say retd officers Chandigarh, June 14 Mr T.R. Tuli, president of the Haryana Government Retired Officers Welfare Association, Panchkula, pointed out that the Department of Health and Education was not following the directions of the court in letter and spirit. The Punjab and Haryana High Court in a recent decision has ordered the full reimbursement of medical bills to retired employees for chronic diseases. However, the association had received many complaints from the retired employees regarding the violation of the judgement. He urged the state government to look into the matters relating to retired employees pending in Health, Education and Finance Departments and consider their problems on priority basis. |
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Awareness
camp concludes Chandigarh, June 14 The Director, SOSVA, Mr P.H. Vaishnav, was the chief guest. He lauded the efforts made by the ICSW for organising such camps. The Manager, SIDBI, Mr Satya Pal, explained about the loan facilities available for rural and minority group. The Member Secretary, State Legal Authority Services, Mr Sant Prakash, informed about the legal services available for women. A vote of thanks was issued by the Honorary General Secretary, ICSW, Chandigarh Chapter, Ms Shareshtha Mehta. |
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Car accessory dealers observe bandh Chandigarh, June 14 The Association termed today’s bandh as “complete” saying no body could get accessories fitted in the local markets. |
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Shatabdi
delayed Chandigarh, June 14
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Poppy husk
seized Chandigarh, June 14 Cyclist hurt:
A cyclist, Shiv Kumar (resident of Maloya) was injured after he was allegedly hit by a car (CH 03 H 2686) in Industrial Area last evening. The car driver also received injuries and was admitted along with Shiv Kumar to Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32 for treatment. A case has been registered in this regard. Chain snatched: Ms Sushil Kaur, a resident of Sector 9, reported to the police that her gold chain was snatched by a youth while she was standing outside her house last evening. A case has been registered. Dowry case:
Mrs Paramjit Kaur, a resident of Phase III, Bapu Dham Colony, alleged before the police that her husband, Harjinder Singh a resident of Ropar district, harassed and maltreated her for bringing less dowry. A case has been registered. Theft: Mr Sanjiv Tiwari, a resident of Mani Majra, reported to the police that his house was burgled here yesterday. The thieves reportedly took away a colour television and VCD player. A case has been registered. Vehicle thefts: Ms Ravneet Kaur Dhillon, a resident of Sector 38 (West), reported to the police that her car (HR 01 B 0790) was stolen from Sector 34 last evening. In another case Mr Baljinder Singh, a resident of Sector 20, reported that his Bajaj Chetak scooter (CH 01 T 0926) was stolen from Sadar Bazar parking lot in Sector 19 on June 9. Two cases of theft have been registered. PANCHKULA It is alleged that the victim was employed as a helper at the aerodrome. On June 12 Gulab Singh was summoned to the aerodrome by the accused for a glider test. The brother of the victim, has alleged that Engineer Harbhajan Singh had come to their village, Garira, and asked Gulab Singh to accompany him. However, the glider test could not be held at the aerodrome that day . However, Capt. Bilkhoo allegedly asked Gulab Singh to sign on the test book for the test, which the latter declined. It is alleged that this infuriated the officer, who began abusing Gulab Singh and also assaulted him. He allegedly told the victim that he had ensured that Gulab Singh failed a promotion test in Hissar. Troubled by this, Gulab Singh committed suicide by consuming poison. A case under Section 306 of IPC has been registered against Capt. Avtaar Singh Bilkhoo. One Arrested: The police has arrested Ved Pal from Old Panchkula on charges of playing satta and recovered Rs 710 from him. |
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Murder
mystery solved
Chandigarh, June 14 The police claims that Binda had illicit relations with the deceased’s wife. Binda Lal and Ram Avtar were neighbours in Hem Vihar, Baltana. The accused, a migrant labourer, is a native of Bihar and so was the deceased. On the fateful night, Binda asked Ram Avtar to visit Sector 16, Panchkula, to purchase vegetables. The two reportedly went to Sector 16 on a rickshaw rehri and the murder took place while the two were returning home. When the two reached a lonely spot, Binda Lal allegedly hit Ram Avtar with the handle of a shovel on head. He also hit Ram Avtar’s face a number of times with the handle of the shovel. The victim was under the influence of liquor at that time. Binda fled after committing the crime. The rehri and the shovel have been recovered. The deceased is survived by five children and his wife. Binda has been booked under Sections 302 and 201, IPC.
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MARKET PULSE Chandigarh, June 14 The retail price of the 750 ml bottle of the Famous Grouse has been reduced by Rs 500 and now would be available for Rs 1700. Similarly, the retail price of the 4.5 litre (gallon) bottle has been reduced by Rs 2,600 and would now available for Rs 9,400 (The 750 ml bottle was launched in September, 2001, at a price of Rs 2,200 and the 4.5 litre bottle was launched at a price of Rs 12,000. The Red Grouse bird (Lagopus Lagopus Scoticus), the symbol of the Scottish Highlands and the lively brand icon was also present to add more cheer to the occasion. Mr Dinesh Jain, Managing Director, Highland Distillers, India, and Area Countries commenting on the occasion, said, ‘‘It is a pleasure to see the price reduction in ‘The Famous Grouse’. The company and its distributors are committed to pass the benefits of the changes in custom and excise duties to the consumers. Observing the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev, staff of Central Bank of India organised a community ‘chabeel’ in Bank Square, Sector 17. Thousands of customers, passersby and staff of various banks partook the “prasad” and sweet water on this occasion. |
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Car keys
handed over to contest winners
Chandigarh, June 14 The Marketing Manager of Jyothy Laboratories Limited, Mr Ajit Kumar and Nirmal Singhal of Associated India handed over the keys of cars to both winners at Sector 34-A today.
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