 |
|
| Thursday,
August 15, 2002, Chandigarh, India
|
|
||||
|
Killer rain showers destruction
Panchkula, August 14
The roof caved in at about 4 am today. While Premi and Thakur were crushed under it, Sharda got stuck in a little space between the fallen roof and the bed. Hearing Sharda’s cries for help, Ramesh, who was sleeping in another room, rushed to her rescue. The crushed persons were rushed to a local hospital, where Premi and Thakur were declared brought dead. Meanwhile, Rahul, a boy of four, had a narrow escape today after falling into a three-foot deep trench filled with rainwater in the Sector 16 park here. The child was playing in the park when he accidentally fell into the trench. His playmates got him out.
Mr Mohinder Arora, father of Rahul, said the Haryana Urban Development Authority had dug the trench about three months ago, after which, it had not been filled.
“But for his alert playmates, I would have lost my child today,” he said. He accused HUDA of negligence and said he would take it to court. Meanwhile, the Ghaggar swelled, following incessant rain for the past two days. The discharge in the river was recorded at 17,682 cusecs early today and, by the evening, it had come down to 9630.62 cusecs. Before the rain on August 12, the discharge, at 92 cusecs, was at its lowest since 1973. The continuous rain has also damaged the Mallah bridge in the Pinjore subdivision. Sources in the administration said the damage had been minimal and the bridge would soon be repaired. The rain also damaged power-supply cables and insulators at several places in the district. Officials in the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam said its cables had been damaged at several places in Sectors 8 and 16, Swastik Vihar and the Industrial Area Phases I and II. Damage to the cables disrupted power supply at several places. The power-supply to the Industrial Area Phase II remained disrupted for two hours and Sector 19 had no supply from 6 am to 11 am today. There was a power-supply failure in Rajiv Colony and Indira Colony from 6 am till late evening. Low-lying areas like Sectors 19 and 15, besides Rajiv Colony and Indira Colony, got waterlogged. There was waterlogging all over Barwala, where rain washed off various temporary structures. CHANDIGARH Heavy rain flooded Vikas Nagar, Mauli Jagran, Colony Number 4 and Charan Singh Colony here overnight. Rainwater rising to four feet entered houses in Vikas Nagar and Charan Singh Colony last night and brought destruction all around. These areas received 233.2 mm rain overnight only. Distress calls were made to the Fire Brigade from affected areas like Mauli Jagran, the Sector 19 Palika Bazaar, Vikas Nagar, the Sector 25 cremation grounds, Sector 14, the Industrial Area, Kishangarh, Sector 26 and Palsora Colony. Reports of waterlogging have been coming in from Ram Darbar, Dhanas, Maloya, Dadu Majra Colony and Colony Number 5. At least two ‘jhuggis’ and walls of as many houses collapsed in Shahid Bhagat Singh Colony and Colony Number 4. Persons living in Vikas Nagar moved to rooftops along with essential goods, fearing a flood. The area had to go without electricity and telephone links for the day. A shop in Vikas Nagar was badly damaged. Fire engines kept running around the city with calls for help coming from Mauli Jagran at 1 am, from Sector 19 at 1.30 am, at 4.30 am again from Mauli Jagran, at 5 am from Vikas Nagar, at 5.30 am from Modern Housing Complex, at 6.30 am again from Mauli Jagran, at 8 am from the cremation grounds, at 8.45 am from Sectors 14 and 25, at 9 am from Dilli Automobile in the Industrial Area, at 1 pm from Kishangarh and Sector 26 and at 3.45 pm from Palsora Colony. A local BJP activist, Mr Shambhu Banerjee, said the distress calls had not evoked a quick response from the authorities concerned. Mr Parag Jain, Senior Superintendent of Police, was the first one to reach the
affected areas and cover about 2,600 houses, trying to convince everyone that help was coming. Mr Banerjee said flooding was a routine here each year, but no one ever did anything. The Mayor, Ms Lalit Joshi, the Adviser to the UT Administrator, Ms Neeru Nanda, the Deputy Mayor and area councillor, Mr Balraj Singh, the Municipal Commissioner, Mr M.P. Singh, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr M. Ramsekhar, the SSP, Mr Parag Jain, the Chief Engineer, Mr V.K. Bharadwaj, the Superintending Engineer Public Health, Mr Swarn Singh and a number of other officials visited the affected areas and supervised the salvage operations for four hours it took to bring the situation to normal. Mr Bharadwaj said the area was low-lying and the situation had been aggravated by a breach in a nearby check-dam and storm-water drains getting choked with waste polythene. In a press note issued here today, the Municiapl Commissioner said the breach had been plugged in time and a permanent solution to the problem would soon be found. Reports of waterlogging in Mahendra Park and Sanjay Public School came from Burail. The Gobindpura Market in Mani Majra was also waterlogged. Certain parts of the city turned into virtual ponds, with knee-deep rainwater accumulating at most roundabouts there. Rainwater inundated most of the city roads. With today’s rain, the city has, so far, received 499.8 mm of rain this monsoon, still 85.2 mm less than the normal. The weather is expected to make up for the deficiency in days ahead. Kalka Mail and a large number of long-route buses were delayed due to waterlogging in the city. Telephone lines in many parts of the city remained out of order. The heavy downpour disrupted the academic schedule of the Sector 25 government school. With the uncarpeted road leading to the school flooded with water and there being no drainage facility, students and teachers found it difficult to reach the school. Most of them waited near the gate of Panjab University, along the main road, till a police vehicle ferried them to the school. While there could be no school-work all day, a teacher said the problem was chronic and a slight shower made the road leading to the school slushy. Last year, the Governor, in view of the problems being faced by the school, had ordered that a metalled road be laid here. “However, no action had been taken in this regard till date,” another teacher said. DERA BASSI A two-storey structure collapsed near Zirakpur today because of a heavy downpour in the past 24 hours, while floodwater entered several villages and colonies of the subdivision. The building owned by Mr Surinder Singh, a Panchkula-based contractor, crumbled down during a heavy rain at about 4 am. Both floors that were under construction collapsed because the rainwater had risen to over three feet below. Bharat, a watchman, was lucky, as he chose to stay in a nearby house for this night. Early today, he heard a bang and, on coming out, found that the building had collapsed. Mr Surinder Singh said he had been building a house here. He said he suspected the cement used in the construction to be of an inferior quality. Persons of the neighbourhood said there had been knee-deep water in the colony for over four hours today. Muddy water had entered most of the houses here and damaged household goods. The first heavy rain this monsoon brought misery to scores of families in Defence Colony and Akali Kaur Singh Colony of Zirakpur, where rainwater entered every house. Rain caused floods that affected thousands of persons of Lalru, Kumhar Mohalla, Model Colony, Malikpur Jaula Khurd, Jharmari, Sitarpur, Chandiala, Batauli and several other villages. Houses, shops, business establishments, foodgrains and cowsheds were damaged in these areas. When the muddy water rose to five feet in the houses, villagers had to take shelter at rooftops and the other places. Household goods were submerged in this water and the cattle had to be untied and moved to safe places. Waters of Jharmal, a highly polluted rivulet near Lalru, breached its banks and entered nearby villages. The sullage and mud overflowed from the streets into the houses. Villages had to manually drain the water out of their houses, cowsheds and yards. Some villagers even broke their walls to let the water flow out. Household items were floating on the floodwater and villagers were salvaging whatever they could. Villagers moving out had to wade through knee-deep water in streets. After a flood alert, Mr Amarjit Singh Dhindsa, Subdivisional Magistrate, along with some other officials, visited the affected areas. It was alleged that no one from the Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat had visited the affected colonies. Mr Jaspal Singh, a former village sarpanch, pressed two earthmover machines into service to make way for the water to move out. Punps were used to drain water out of the houses. AMBALA Record-breaking rainfall over the last 24 hours inundated Ambala even as traffic on the Jagadhari highway was adversely affected due to excess
water. While two incidents of roof collapse took place in Ambala Sadar area, water entered houses in several colonies of Ambala city as well as Ambala cantonment. The rural areas were adversely affected with water inundating fields, washing away temporary structures and entering houses. Deputy Commissioner, D.D. Gautam said that the rainfall in the last 24 hours had broken a 25-year old record. “216 mm of rainfall has been recorded in the last 24 hours, which has surpassed the highest rainfall recorded in August 1977,” he said. Two persons were missing after water began to rise in Samalkha village. While one person was working in the field, the other was a boy. Also, five heads of cattle are believed to have died in the same village. The traffic on the Jagadhari highway was thrown out of gear following excess water in the area. Water began to rise between Khuda Kalan and Tepla at about 7.30 a.m. and the highway was inundated in knee-deep water. SAS Nagar Rain water entered a number of industrial units in Phase IX here causing inconvenience to owners and damage to property. Work in certain units had come to a standstill as it had become difficult to enter the buildings. Rain water had gathered on the roads. The level of the roads in the area is not proper and even the storm water channels broken and in certain cases also blocked. |
|
Jacob inaugurates leaking maternity
wing Chandigarh, August 14 The wing, constructed at a cost of Rs 80 lakh on the first floor of the Sector 22 Polyclinic, was planned to take the load off the General Hospital. As compared to two years back when 5,000 delivery cases were handled in the General Hospital, the number had risen to 8,000. This wing, besides having 30 beds in general and private wards, will have facility for prenatal and postnatal treatment. Following heavy rains during the past two days, the roof of this wing started leaking. The situation remained same even at the time of the inauguration by the Administrator. The Adviser to the Administrator, Ms Neeru Nanda, who was present on the occasion, took serious note of the leakage and asked the Chief Engineer, Mr Puranjeet Singh, to submit a report and plug the leakage immediately. The maternity wing also has the provision of a fully equipped labour room, ultrasound and operation theatre. There had been an urgent need for a gynae wing, especially for the southern sectors and the people living in slums. Mr Puranjeet Singh later assured that the leakage would be plugged within three days. The Director Health Services, Dr Rameshwar Chander, said the new maternity wing would start functioning from August 16.
SDO, JE suspended The Chandigarh Administration in a swift action suspended a Subdivisional officer, Yudvir Rana a Junior Engineer, S.P. Malhotra, both presently attached with construction circle II, and de-barred a contractor for taking up further works who had been entrusted with the task of building the maternity wing. The Executive Engineer in charge would also be called for explanation, sources said. The roof of the new building had leaked and furious Administrator had asked the Chief Engineer to explain. It was found that the joints of the building had not been filled up properly causing the leak. As per the PWD specifications, the last tile towards the edge of the roof is jutted inside the parapet to avoid any leakage. In this case the tile was not fixed properly. It was found that the SDO and the JE had been careless in supervising the work thus the damage, said Mr Puranjit Singh. As a repair measure, the roof will have to be re-laid and the slope will have to be revised. |
|
PU students call off
strike Chandigarh, August 14 The university agreed to give a re-appear chance to MBA students at the earliest so that the result is available before their placement interviews. The university has decided in favour of students who were seeking admission in M. Phil (Statistics) as the university was showing its incapability of commencing the course because there were less than 15 students. The university also decided that chance for improvement would be given to students of B.Sc (honours) after getting approval of the competent authority. Students who have failed in M.Sc I (Mathematics) would be grated admission in the same class but the candidates were required to seek the admission through their parents as per rules. The university has also decided to help solve the court case of 34 students who were arrested under Section 144 of the CrPC. The university would help solve the case “as per the legal advice and procedure after the concerned persons submit an application with an unconditional apology”. An official press release said, “There will be no restriction on students to meet the Vice-Chancellor or the Dean University Instructions in their office individually or in small groups. However, it is advised that students seek appointment through SVC or PA (DUI). Students can write their problems and hand them over to the earlier mentioned officials for necessary action”. The release also adds “A fee of Rs 2,750 will continue for the students opting for paper of numerical analysis and computation in M.Sc (Mathematics). However, students who wish to apply for subsidy can do so by giving evidence of their financial condition. The subsidy can be met out of the student aid fund by the competent authority”. Prof K.N. Pathak, Vice-Chancellor, went to the Students Centre to have a talk with the students and convince them to end the agitation showing university willingness to accept certain demands. Interestingly, students added another list of demands at the venue to which the Vice-Chancellor showed his strong reservations. When offered a glass of juice, the students initially covered their mouths with their hands showing non-acceptance of the juice till their demands were met. However, after parleys among themselves, the students accepted the juice. Dr Nirmal Singh, Dean Student Welfare, reported to have told the students that Section 144 of the CrPC would be used only in extreme cases. Panjab University has constituted a high powered committee under the chairmanship of Justice
D.V. Sehgal to look into the case of cancellation of admission of Malwinder Singh Kang, president of the Panjab University Student Union, as a student of the Law Department.. Kang was expelled as a student for failing to record the minimum required attendance of 33 per cent in the first 10 days of the classes. The medical certificate he submitted was found to be ‘false’. Kang, however, says the certificate in question had never been submitted by him because he had given a letter to the department saying he was getting medical attention from a doctor of Sector 16 Government Hospital, while the certificate in question referred to a private nursing home. |
|
Independence Day celebrations Chandigarh, August 14 The programme started with ‘Vande Mataram’ and was followed by a pledge for the country. The NCC squad of the school presented a perfectly synchronised march past. Cadets, brimming with pride, saluted the valour of those who had sacrificed their lives to secure Independence for the country. Songs like ‘Aye mere watan’ and ‘Sare jahan se acchha ’ filled everyone with a spirit of nationalism. The Gujarati ‘raas’ from the land of Gandhi, ‘ Pagri sambhal jatta’ packed with the energy and melody of Punjab and ‘Bhumro’ from the land of shikaras were the highlights of the two-hour programme. Students of the Hindi medium sections joined their counterparts from the English school and presented ‘Saare jahan se accha ’ adding to the fervour of the festivities. The cultural programme ended with a speech by the Principal, Sister Elsy, highlighting the significance of the Independence struggle. C.L Aggarwal DAV Model School, Sector 7, presented a stimulating performance at the school premises. The celebration began with a guard of honour to the chief guest, Justice A.L Bahri, followed by a march past and flag hoisting ceremony. A skit depicted the supreme sacrifice made by Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru, while ‘Meri jaan Hindustan’ traced the history of subjugation right up to the Independence. A medley of dance and patriotic songs by senior classes added colour to the programme. Independence Day was celebrated with gaiety and fervour by Little Kingdom nursery school in Sector 8. The tiny tots of play group enthralled everyone with ‘ Nanha munna rahee hoon’ while students of pre-nursery portrayed the spirit of unity in diversity, dressed in ethnic and colourful costumes from different states.Both sections of nursery classes were at their enthusiastic best as they sang ‘ Hum honge kamyab’ and ‘Aao bachon’. Children carried home the Tricolour, a small step towards building the foundation of patriotism amongst little ones. Students of St Joseph School, Sector 44, also celebrated Independence Day. The function started with a homage to freedom fighters. Other items included a parody, patriotic songs and dances. Kids dressed up as President A.P.J Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vaypayee and Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani enthralled the audience. Dances, skits and patriotic songs marked the celebrations held at Dutt Vishesh School, Sector 26, here today.The school wore a festive look and children, holding flags, were excited to be a part of the celebrations. The Chairperson of the school, Ms Sharda Dutt, hoisted the Tricolour and urged the students to read books written by freedom fighters during their days in prison. Competitions, including flag making, poem recitation, fancy dress and drawing, were held at Golden Bells Public School, Sohana, along with its Chandigarh branch on the eve of Independence Day, today. Senior citizens, who had witnessed the freedom struggle in 1947, were special guests at the Independence Day function at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 33, here today. The programme was organised by the NSS wing of the school under the guidance of Ms Santosh Modgil. Students presented speeches, songs, plays and dances on the occasion. A skit by Gaurav and group on national integration won applause from the audience. Dr A.C Jain and his wife expressed their appreciation by giving a ‘token gift’ of Rs 500 to the participants. The students who had scored above 80 per cent in class XI and above 85 per cent marks in class X were honoured with cash prizes. The prizes were given by the guests. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Wazir Singh Sodhi congratulated the students for keeping the torch of freedom alight. Presenting a vote of thanks, the Principal, Mr Karan Singh, expressed his gratitude to the senior citizens, who graced today's function. The manager of the Old Age Home, Col Kulbir Singh (retd), thanked the Principal for the honour bestowed on senior citizens. At the Evergreen Academy, Sector 34, tiny tots dressed in traditional attires of various states charmed one and all. The function began with the hoisting of the Tricolour followed by group songs and dances. The Principal, Ms Kuljit Suri, joined the little ones in singing patriotic songs. Students of Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Sector 40, presented patriotic songs and dances on the day. The highlight of the celebration was a fancy dress competition. Tiny tots of Ankur Nursery School also celebrated Independence Day, children of KG and Class I highlighted the glory of their motherland by singing a chorus. Little girls presented a ‘sawan’ dance in colourful costumes. Saint Soldier' s International School, Sector 28, also celebrated Independence Day. The Chairman of the school, Mr G. S.Hayer, unfurled the Tricolour. History of India's Independence was recounted through poems, songs and speeches. Indira Holiday Home Preparatory School, Sector 24, celebrated Independence Day in the school premises, here today. Children of Nursery and KG classes appeared on the stage dressed up like freedom fighters. A.K.S.I.P.S., Sector 41, also celebrated Independence Day. Important facets of history were highlighted through a ballet ‘united colours of India’. Contribution of freedom fighters was portrayed and the most colourful item was ‘jhumar’. Students of Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, celebrated Independence Day with a unique cultural programme, which included an African dance by students trained by Alexander Kasik from Poland, Andre Fellner from Austria and Charles Otiato from Kenya, all guests of the Principal, Mr D.S. Bedi. Independence Day was also celebrated in Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 20. A colourful function marked the day, said Principal Jaswinder Kaur. Almost the entire fleet of the UT Administration officials repeated history by dancing away on bhangra tunes on the eve of Independence Day at Tagore Theatre today. The function was a routine affair with students presenting a mosaic of cultural activities, highly relevant to society and its trends. So where, on the one hand, there was the boisterous bhangra by boys of Government model School, Sector 44, which had Adviser Neeru Nanda, Education Secretary R.S. Gujral and DPI (Schools) D.S. Mangat on their dancing toes, on the other, there was Kudi, a sensitively presented skit on the outstanding problem of female foeticide. Every student was so involved in his or her respective presentation that the Independence Day celebrations made all the sense. The occasion was made even more worthwhile with the soft, subtle encouragement message from chief guest Nanda who pressed upon the parents to let their kids follow their instincts. After donating Rs 31,000 on the function, Ms Nanda went on to shower praises on all the students who participated in the show. The Independence Day show was structured jointly by students of Government Girls Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 18, Moti Ram Arya School, Sector 27, GMSSS-20, GMSSS-21, GMSSS-37, GMSSS-23 and GMHS-44. PANCHKULA:
Various schools in the township and other parts of the district celebrated Independence Day with fervour and enthusiasm. The Director of Hindi literature Academy, Mr Chandradutt Trikhawas, was the chief guest and Mr Ravinder Talwar and Dr D.S. Gupt guests of honour at the celebrations held at DAV Public School, Sector 8. The junior section of the school staged a skit on the Independence struggle. The saga of sacrifices by martyrs were relived by the junior wing of ACC DAV School, Surajpur. At Satluj Public School, the function began with unfurling of the Tricolour by the Principal, Mr Krit Serai . A special Assembly was organised during which patriotic songs and a ballet, ‘Mera Bharat mahaan’, were presented. Jayata Babbar of Class X and Aman of Class VI were declared first and second, respectively, in the poetry recitation competition. In the junior wing, the Director of the school, Mr Pritam Singh Serai, unfurled the Tricolour. Children presented a drill , patriotic songs and cultural items to mark the occasion. Students of Blue Bird High School celebrated Independence Day with patriotic songs and a group dance. Sophia International School, celebrated the function in the multimedia hall of the school. Patriotic songs, comedy skits and bhangra were performed by tiny tots on the occasion. SAS
NAGAR: Tiny tots of Maple Field School celebrated Independence Day by organising a fancy dress competition. As many as 47 children of KG and Nursery participated in the
competition. The school is run by the Rock Foundation Educational Society. The chairman of the society, Mr T. S. Jatana, said the celebration was aimed towards incorporating patriotism and love in the children . Students of Spring Valley Public School celebrated Independence Day by organising a special function. Children sang patriotic songs and recited poems on the occasion. The Principal of the school, Ms Ravinder Kaur, said the celebration was aimed towards creating awareness among the children about the struggle for Independence. Rich and varied cultural heritage of India was depicted during the celebrations held at Sanjay Public School, Sector 70, SAS Nagar. Independence Day was celebrated at Shemrock Senior Secondary School in Sector 69 here today. Students of all classes sang patriotic songs and took part in various dances. A number of children dressed themselves in traditional costumes of different states. The director of the institute, Mr A.S. Bajwa, hoisted the national flag. Speeches were presented and students were made aware of the relevance of the day in the history of the nation. |
|
City police on high alert Chandigarh August 14 Senior police officials are in touch with the police of neighbouring and intelligence agencies. As per sources, patrolling on main roads and inner roads has been intensified and the city borders sealed. Policemen were seen checking vehicles entering and leaving the city. Senior police officials were monitoring the security arrangements. The traffic around the Parade Ground, the venue of official Independence Day celebrations, and the Punjab Raj Bhavan have been diverted. The restrictions will remain in effect till the function at the Parade Ground is over. |
|
President's Police
Medal for Bassi Chandigarh, August 14 Mr Bassi joined the Chandigarh police as IGP in July, 2000. As the UT
IGP, he started various services to make police-public relations more cordial. He also started schemes for the welfare of police personnel. Mr Bassi was earlier awarded the Police Medal for meritorious services in 1996 when he was posted in Delhi. Mr Kashyap joined the Chandigarh police as Senior Superintendent of Police (Headquarters and Intelligence) in March, 1999. He was promoted to the post of DIG in 2000. |
|
|
5 get police
medals Chandigarh, August 14 The medals were awarded to Head Constable Paramjit Singh posted in the Establishment Branch, Police Headquarters (earlier he has been awarded as many as 57 Commendation Certificates); HC Shish Pal posted in Police Lines (earlier 28 Commendation Certificates); HC Gurdeep Singh, posted with CID (25 Commendation Certificates), HC Sukhwant Singh Kang, posted with the Vigilance Cell (earlier 20 Commendation Certificates) and Constable Harbans Singh posted at Police Lines (earlier 64 Commendation Certificates). |
|
|
I-Day programme on Lashkara Chandigarh, August 14 |
|
Newly-built roads give way to first
rain Panchkula, August 14 The B roads were laid and recarpetted on July 28. But the heavy rainfall over the past three days washed away vast tracts of the roads. Though the contractor and HUDA authorities maintain that the material used in the construction was of good quality and that the damage was a result of stagnation of water on the roads, the factory owners here allege otherwise. Mr Mehar Singh, president of the Small Scale Industries Welfare Association, Panchkula, alleged that the layer of boulders and that of carpeting had less than the specified thickness. Thus the roads could not tolerate the heavy flow of traffic and stand the first test of monsoons. It is learnt that HUDA had specified the thickness as three inches. However, the contractor had allegedly not stuck to the guidelines. “As a result, after some heavy vehicles passed on the roads, the boulders got piled on one side and created a crater on the other at some places,” said another industrialist, Mr A. Bhatia . The thickness of carpeting on the road was specified as one inch. However, chunks of the roads washed away show that the layer was less than one inch thick. Industrialists also allege that the sand filling on the recarpeted roads was not done and the bitumen used was of poor quality. The contractor, Mr Narinder Kumar called his men to clear the washed away parts of the road today. He denied that the thickness of the carpeted layer was less than specified or that the bitumen used was of poor quality. “There is no proper drainage system on these roads. As a result water gets collected and causes damage to the top layer of the road,” he said. He also said HUDA had not got the water-bound mechadam done on the roads, which aggravated the problem. |
|
EATING OUT CHANDIGARH: At last, after the oppressive heat, the much-propitiated rain gods relented and the blue sky turned black with water-laden clouds. And then, to the accompaniment of thundery flashes of lightning, there was a downpour. The kind we associate with the monsoon — heavy and continuous. The kind that lures you to go out and feel the drops on your body till it is drenched and you’ve soaked in the fragrance of the parched earth moistened to a verdant green. Or, when the kids, giggling lustily, make a dash for the muddy puddles with their paper boats. And after all the ‘masti’ and fun, you walk back home, in wet clothes and soiled shoes... and a tummy growling for food. Not just any old thing. But something special. Something associated with tradition, reminding you of your grandma’s love and ‘chullah’. Maybe, that which revives the spirit of Teej. Something out of the repertoire of delicacies passed down the generations in every family, from mother to daughter, mother-in-law to daughter-in-law. Something with that dash of the secret touch of an ingredient or style of cooking that makes the same dish taste differently in two homes. And above all, encompassing the love of the lady of the house. Or the man, if he happens to be wielding the ladle. Yes, in some homes, the men take over the kitchen when it comes to making that specialty. Something like the sweet dripping ‘mal-pura’, ‘kheer’ or ‘gulgule’. Or, if you prefer the hot and spicy, the fried favourities — ‘pakoras’ and ‘besan pura’. Anything at home. No more venturing out in the rain. At the most, call for the crisp ‘jalebis’ or ‘samosas’ from the neighbourhood ‘halwai’. No moving out further than that. But, wait. It’s the age of home delivery. The downpour need not put a dampener to the needs of your tongue, taste buds or stomach. That meal or snack which your mother is not inclined to dish out, probably as she, too, is in a mood to have a monsoon holiday, is just a phone call away. Most of the city restaurants, in a bid to keep pace with the times, and, of course, to spice up their revenues, offer the facility of sending goodies to your doorstep if you so desire. The only condition usually being that the order should exceeded Rs 100. In some cases, proximity to the eatery, is the factor. In fact, a couple of joints even promise to deliver eatables within a specified time (normally, 30 minutes), otherwise they charge nothing. Thus, you find a proliferation of young liveried delivery boys scooting away on colourful two-wheelers brightly displaying the restaurant name and phone number. The vehicles are fitted with special boxes that ensure the warmth of the packed meal. So, the wet weather need not deter you from savouring multi-cuisine savouries. Whether it is the Chinese noodles, spring rolls, fried rice, Continental steaks and sizzlers, Mexican enchiladas, the good old Mughlai kebabs, Punjabi rajmah chawal or South Indian dosas and idlis. Just select the meal and the restaurant. Look into the directory for the phone number, if you already don’t have it in your diary, and place the order. Then, dip into the delicacies even as the raindrops fall on your window. But, as somebody said, nothing to beat the home food. |
|
Cobras in CHB’s
office Chandigarh, August 14 This morning it was time to call in the snake charmers as five feet- long black cobra was sighted in the basement. Interestingly, several middle level
officials have their offices in the basement and the canteen is also housed there. The snake’s presence stalled work. Yesterday, the CHB field staff rushed to Palsora village to call in the snake charmers. The effort cost a couple of thousands. This morning the staff again reported the presence of snake. Work ceased as the ‘‘experts’’ with their ‘‘beens’’ coaxed the snake out. Wisened by yesterday’s experience, the CHB staff struck a lumpsum deal and not a per snake basis deal. On suspicion that snake charmers may have released the snake during their yesterday’s visit, they were frisked before being allowed inside. |
|
Morning Shatabdi delayed Chandigarh, August 14 According to sources in the Northern Railways, the tracks were submerged in three-feet deep water. Confirming the information, Additional Divisional Railways Manager B.K. Sonwane said the normal rail traffic was resumed soon after the water was drained out. |
|
2 killed in road accidents Panchkula, August 14 Baldev Singh, a resident of Darua, was killed and a 25-year- old-man, Vikas, riding pillion with him was seriously injured when they were hit by a vehicle in Sector 7 yesterday. Vikas has been admitted to the PGI. In another accident, an unidentified person was killed when a truck hit him near Ramgarh yesterday. He was rushed to the PGI where he was declared dead. |
|
Illicit relations lead to murder Dera Bassi, August 14 The victim, Bahadur Singh, a former Deputy Manager with the HMT, Pinjore, was allegedly murdered by Rajinder Singh and his brother, Gurvinder Singh, around 10.30 p.m. Bahadur Singh had taken volunteer retirement from the HMT in November 2000 and was living in the village with his son. According to the police, the victim had an old extra-marital affair with the mother of the duo and he often used to visit their house. This was objected to by the two brothers. Last night, he entered the house of the accused. Rajinder Singh and Gurvinder Singh, found him and their mother (60) in a compromising position following which they attacked him with sticks leaving him dead on the spot. The duo fled from the village after the incident. Mr Sewa Singh, an eyewitnesses, said he heard a noise at about 10.40 pm. “Some of the villagers were shouting ‘chor chor’. I saw some people assembled outside and a man was lying on the ground’’, he said. Bahadur Singh was lying dead. His body was bleeding profusely and blood was oozing out of the nose. Mr Ujagar Singh, village sarpanch, was informed and the body was taken to the house of the victim. The matter was reported to the police today morning. Statements of the relatives of the victim were recorded by the police. After registering a case under Sections 302 and 148 of the IPC, the police has sent the body to Civil Hospital, Rajpura, for a post-mortem examination. Meanwhile, two blood-stained sticks were also found by the police from the spot of the crime. |
HIGH COURT Chandigarh, August 14 Delivering the verdict, Mr Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel observed: “Where no allegation is made in the complaint or where allegations are made without any basis, the person summoned can point out to the court concerned that there was no justification for his being summoned. Where such a person comes from a far off place, he can be granted exemption from personal appearance in accordance with the law so that he does not suffer from injustice on account of being named in the complaint without any jurisdiction”. The Judges added: “Even if in the first instance a person is not named as being in charge of, or being responsible to the company for conduct of its business, he can be subsequently summoned under Section 319 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (in an insecticides case) if evidence is produced warranting the adoption of such a course”. Notice in petrol pumps case Acting on a bunch of petitions filed by Sarika Sood of Hoshiapur and 30 other petitioners challenging the blanket orders issued by the Union Government whereby it had recently cancelled the allotment of petrol pumps and gas agencies, a Division Bench of the High Court today issued notice of motion for September 9. The Bench, headed by Mr Justice
N.K. Sodhi, also issued notice regarding stay to the Secretary for Petroleum and Natural Gas, the Indian Oil Corporation and other companies for the same date. Seeking directions to declare illegal the blanket orders, Sarika Sood and others, in their petition, had also sought directions for restraining the Indian Oil Corporation and other petroleum companies from cancelling their dealership. They had also sought directions to the respondents to restore their dealership and allow them to run their outlets. Notice to
HPSC Taking up a petition filed by a candidate for HCS (Executive Branch) examinations, seeking details of criterion adopted by Haryana Public Service Commission for conducting the interviews, a Division Bench of the High Court today issued notice of motion to the commission and its secretary for September 30. In his petition, taken up by the Bench, comprising, Mr Justice
H.S. Bedi and Mr Justice Viney Mittal, Mr Ashok Kumar Sharma of Yamunanagar also asked for issuance of directions to the respondents for making available his detailed marks card. He added that Haryana MLA, Karan Singh Dalal, had issued a list of candidates who would be eventually appointed on October 22 last year even though the result was declared on May 4. Going into the background of the case, he stated that an advertisement for filling the posts of HSC (Executive Branch) was issued on January 29, 1999, and the examinations were conducted in December 2000 and January 2001. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 122 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
