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| Thursday,
March 27, 2003, Chandigarh, India
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Records of MC properties missing Chandigarh, March 26 It may be mentioned that the area of MC was specified under sub-section (1) of Section-3 of the Ordinance vide Chandigarh Administration notification dated April 27,1994, in consultation with the Government of India. Four villages, namely Burail, Badheri Butrela and Attawa were included in the municipal area of the corporation because these villages are located in the middle of various sectors of the city and their separate identity could create a number of problems. Similarly, the area of Notified Area Committee of Mani Majra was also included in the area of the corporation, as it was already under the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911, in so far as it applies to the Union Territory, Chandigarh, or any part thereof, which stood repealed with the coming into force of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to Chandigarh) Act, 1994. Some of the left-out areas were also included in the municipal area vide notification dated July 10, 1996. When contacted, Mr Subash Chawla, Mayor, admitted that the MC authorities had failed to maintain the property register pertaining to these properties that were transferred to the local body. Expressing his concern over the alleged negligence of the authorities concerned, Mr Chawla said a three-member sub-committee of the House, assisted by officials of MC, had been constituted to identify such properties and prepare a property register. The first meeting of the sub-committee was held in the committee room of the MC. It discussed in detail the identification of MC properties. Mr Surinder Singh, councillor from the Mani Majra constituency and a member of the sub-committee told He said that Tehsildar of MC and Patwaris concerned would visit the areas along with local councillors and identify the properties owned by the MC. The sub-committee has also decided to identify the properties encroached upon by the people so that the MC could resume them. Interestingly, the Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) of the MC has cleared a policy of auction of properties, in the absence of proper revenue records. This policy is coming up before the meeting of the General House of the MC on March 31. |
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Varsity
to decentralise BBA, BCA admissions Chandigarh, March 26 The university would not have centralised admissions to BBA, BCA and MSc (Information Technology) courses. Professor Kapoor said the university was still deliberating on whether the university should continue with centralised admissions to BCom courses at the Ludhiana and Chandigarh centres or not. It was pointed out that because of a decrease in the number of students applying for these courses, the idea of centralised admissions had lost its relevance in a majority of these courses. He said BCom courses were still comparatively popular. Problems being faced by the colleges due to lack of coordination with the university branches concerned were also deliberated upon. A principal pointed out that the university was not sending mark cards of reevaluation cases through registered post, which was leading to a lot of inconvenience to the students. She highlighted certain cases wherein mark cards were never delivered. Principal P.S. Sangha said colleges were not sure about the status of internal examination
Principal B.D. Budhiraja said the university had not declared the results of the MCom examination conducted in December last. Principal S.C. Marriya, besides highlighting the need for decentralising admissions in certain courses, asked the university to arrange on-the-job training in BBA courses. One principal sought information as to whether the marks in internal examination would be based on the written examination alone or whether classroom attendance would also be given weightage. Professor Pathak said the element of continuous evaluation for classroom attendance would soon be incorporated in internal assessment. Principal R.S. Pawan spoke about private academies which were misleading students by posing as institutions affiliated to Panjab University. He asked for university interference to check the practice. A university committee had recently decided not to accept forms of private candidates in bulk, besides several other measures. The need to revise course content in different courses was also highlighted. The financial burden being faced by the colleges took the maximum time in the discussions. |
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Admn to check facade alteration Chandigarh, March 26 The drive against the violators will be impartial and no one will be spared, according to the instructions from the authorities concerned. The Administration has found that some owners have extended their houses to such an extent that the underground common sewer lines and water supply lines have been covered, hampering repair
work, whenever required. The Adviser to the UT Administrator, Mr Virendra Singh, has already passed orders for shifting two Junior Engineers from the Engineering wing to the Estate Office . The Assistant Estate officer, Mr Ashwani Kumar, will start work on independent houses while the Chandigarh Housing Board, which has sold more than 30,000 flats in the city will work to eliminate the violations. Most of the violations have been committed in flats. Several resident welfare bodies have send a representation to the Administration that they had made alterations owing to paucity of space. |
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Firemen
to cops, Jacob surprises all Chandigarh, March 26 General Jacob reached the fire station at 8.45 pm without any notice when five firemen and two drivers were on duty. The Administrator asked them to demonstrate fire drills and found scope for great improvement in the response time. All vehicles of the station were on road; and on night duty were two drivers for three vehicles. The Administrator caught the Sector 39 policemen unawares. Two groups from nearby slums were registering complaints regarding a minor scuffle in the slum. The “unprepared” policemen had to face a volley of questions on subjects ranging from the maintaining call register to wireless messaging by the police control room
(PCR) staff. General Jacob found the upkeep of the station to be poor. After inspecting the SHO’s room, he went to the room of the PCR operator and asked him questions about the wireless sets used by the police. He also told the constable on duty to flash a message to the Sector 17 police station, the reaction time to which was poor. Not satisfied with the wireless systems, Gen Jacob decided to call a meeting of officials soon to discuss the police wireless network. The logbook, too, had been poorly maintained. The system of passing messages was found to be faulty. The SHO reached the station after 25 minutes of learning about the surprise visit by General Jacob. The SHO promised him that renovation work at the station would be taken up soon. In the hospital, he found the Emergency Ward overflowing with patients, most of whom were lying on make-shift trolleys. General Jacob sought for more trolleys. He was told about the availability of only one operation theatre and shortage of
anaesthetics. General Jacob said the ‘C’ block of the GMCH would be operational within three months. Attendants were sitting out in open, so, he said a night shelter was urgently needed at the hospital. He also found the road from Sector 38 to Sector 40 in extremely bad shape, needing immediate repair. The Chief Engineer was told to get this done soon. |
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Two Super Bazar employees booked Chandigarh, March 26 A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against Mr Gulshan Kumar, shop in charge at the PGI medicine outlet, and Ms Anup, cashier at the Sector 22 office of Super Bazar. Sources in the CBI today disclosed that the two employees had been regularly making fake entries in sales proceeds ledgers for the last year-and-a-half and had misappropriated around Rs 28
lakh. The modus operandi of the two employees was to show less sale of medicines at the GMCH and the PGI. In one of the fake entries, the employees had shown the sale of Rs 70 against the original sale of Rs 700. The sources said the cashier had been questioned and the shop in charge was being questioned about the fraud. |
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Autopsy
report confirms injury Panchkula, March 26 Sources in the police said the an abdominal mesenteric vessel bleeded. The autopsy had indicated death due to
haemorrhage and shock . To be sure about the circumstances leading to the death, the police has urged the health authorities to
clearly define the nature of injury and cause of the injuries. Yesterday, the family members of the victim allege that it was case of murder. |
Truck driver’s death: SHOs transferred SAS Nagar, March 26 Mr Sohal will now be in charge of the anti-fraud staff in Ropar. His position as SHO Phase I will be taken over by the SHO Phase VIII, Mr Pritam Singh Bedi, whose place will be taken over by Mr Ramandeep Singh, SHO of the Sohana police station. Mr Sukhjit Singh Virk who has been transferred from Ropar will join as SHO Sohana. Confirming this the Superintendent of Police, here, Mr Harcharan Singh Bhullar, stated that these were routine transfers. However, with two separate inquiries on into the suicide of Bhupinder Singh, a truck driver, who allegedly killed himself following police torture here on March 18, sources said that Mr Sohal’s transfer was a punitive measure pending these inquiries. ‘‘Mr Sohal had been transferred on orders of the Chief Minister acting on a representation forwarded to him by members of the Mohali Truck Union through the Kharar MLA Mr Bir Devinder
Singh,’’ said a source. When contacted, Mr Bir Devinder Singh confirmed that a memorandum of the Mohali Truck Union had been forwarded to the CM by him with a “recommendation that since it is a serious matter, it should be inquired into by the DGP and the guilty should be brought to book.” The SHO Phase I police station Mr R.S. Sohal whose statement was recorded by the SDM yesterday as part of the magisterial inquiry today stated that the police had no role to play in the issue of the death of Bhupinder Singh, and that h is was a routine transfer. Meanwhile, members of one group of the truck union today alleged that the police, in trying to cover its tracks, went to meet the deceased’s mother and asked her not to give any written statement to the inquiry officers. Mr Baldev Singh Malhi, member of the Mohali Truck Union, alleged that policemen from the Phase I police station went to meet the deceased’s mother and “asked her not to give any thing in writing to the inquiry officers in case the was called to ask about the reasons for her son’s suicide.” On the other hand, the president of the Truck Union, Mr Ranbir Singh Dhillon, has stated that the charges against the leaders of the union and the police were not true. The Deputy Commissioner, Ms Seema Jain, had ordered a magisterial enquiry into the death of 26-year-old Bhupinder Singh who allegedly killed himself after the police and the truck union leaders’ had tried to force him to take his truck, free of cost, to from Batala to Amritsar carrying police horses. While members of the Truck Union Mohali, have alleged that Bhupinder Singh killed himself after the police in Phase I thrashed him for showing resistance to their and the truck union leader’s orders, the police, on the other hand, denied these charges alleging that he committed suicide due to family problems. |
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Shravanika
for elderly Chandigarh, March 26 Christened as Shravanika after Sharvan Kumar who spent his life looking after his blind parents, the scheme was today formally launched by the Punjab Governor-cum-UT Administrator, Lt. Gen. JFR Jacob, PVSM (retd.). The volunteers, known as Shravaniks or Shravanika, will devote their time and efforts in the service of the senior citizens not only within their own families, but also in the immediate neighborhood. They will work under the overall guidance of the sector convener. Each volunteer would be assigned an area and given the names of senior citizens needing his support. Besides listening to them, they will be carrying out minor chores. The idea behind the scheme, according to the Association members, is to pool in resources of the people and the police for preventing incidents of crime against the senior citizens. The police, it may be added, have already identified public spirited volunteers for similar schemes. They will not only meet senior citizens residing in their localities “quite frequently”, but also help them out in paying their electricity, telephone and other bills. Appreciating the novel venture of Chandigarh Senior Citizen Association, General Jacob said in this Cyber age, there was a need to inculcate compassion amongst the youth. He asserted that with the breaking up of the joint family system, old and the aged needed greater emotional support. The country, he said, should follow the example shown by Shravan Kumar. “We cannot follow the practice of ‘dumping the granny’, as being done in western countries,” he insisted. Giving details of the existing facilities, he said another old age home was being planned in the city. Cheshire Home and Hospice were already working for the suffering humanity. Explaining the rationale behind the scheme, Association President Brig Keshav Chandra said the aim was to strengthen the traditional bond of affection between grandparent and grandchild. He said much planning had gone into the scheme and pitfalls like security concerns and exaggerated expectations had been attended to. Coordinator
Shashi Kanta said each Shravanika would look after not more than four senior citizens. Each of them would give an undertaking to treat the volunteers like his or her own grandchild. Volunteer Archana Sood and 98 year-old beneficiary Jamna Dass also spoke on the occasion. Chairman of the Association, Maj. Gen. (retd.), JS Bhullar, AVSM, blessed the volunteers and thanked the invitees for gracing the occasion. |
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Mela arrangements reviewed Panchkula, March 26 A decision to this effect was taken at the 10th meeting of the Shri Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board, held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala at the shrine complex, near here today. Mr Chautala, who is also Chairman of the Shrine Board, directed the Chief Administrator of the Board, Mrs Satwanti
Ahlawat, to get the master plan prepared keeping in view the religious significance of the Shrine complex so as to make it a prominent place not only for pilgrims, but also for tourists. Mr Chautala also reviewed the arrangements being made for the ensuing Chaitra Navratara Mela from April 2. It was decided to add more facilities like improved public toilets and drinking water posts. It was decided to install two step counting machines at the entrance of the Shrine complex so as to keep a record of the number of pilgrims paying obeisance during the fair. The Chief Minister appreciated Mathura Dutt Pandey for preparing bhajans cassettes. It was decided to honour Mr Pandey. A decision was also taken to install close circuit TV sets and multi-media projectors at different places in the complex, especially near the Patiala temple, the corridor leading to the main temple and Lal Pathar Prangan so as to entertain the pilgrims waiting for their turn to pay their
obeisance to the Goddess. It was also decided to start the work on setting up musical fountains at a cost of Rs 23.31 lakh between the Yagyashala and Pooja
Bhawan. The work on this project would commence after the Navratara Fair. It was also informed that the process had been started to invite plans from architects to set up museum and Sanskrit Bhawan at the shrine complex. Those present at the meeting included Chief Secretary,
A.N. Mathur, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Mr B.D. Dhalia, Principal Adviser to Chief Minister, Mr
M.K. Miglani, Commissioner and Secretary, Urban Development, Mr Manik
Sonawane, and other senior officers of the State Government. The members of the Shri Sheetla Mata Shrine Board, Gurgaon, were also present. Later, Mr Chautala inaugurated Oasis, a fast food centre at Pinjore and said that the concept of Highway Tourism initiated by Haryana would now be given a new thrust by setting up a chain of fast food centres, known as Oasis. From today, the fast-food services would be available at Oasis, Pinjore Gardens,
Pipli, Uchana and Panipat. |
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Eating Out
A big occasion to celebrate. A small get-together at your place. Some guests expected suddenly, leaving you little time to prepare for their hospitality. Or, just one of those days when you want chhutti from the kitchen. The common unstated factor in all these situations is food. And if you can score on this score, your party is deemed a success. So, you have to be sure of getting good service from the caterer. Depending upon your budget and taste, you select the best one. Your choice becomes limited if you are looking for purely vegetarian stuff within a middle class pocket. Gobind Caterers, Sector 19, is one such unit that claims to provide quality vegetarian (not even egg is used) khana to individuals, groups and parties. Run by two young Krishna bhakts, Vipin Mittal and Sanjeev Nayyar, the firm caters to Chandigarh, with branch offices in Sangrur, Dehra Dun and Mandi Gobindgarh. It was their love for food and concern and empathy for people averse to anything non-veg that had the two friends venture into this business. “We are so particular that we make sure that even the ice-cream or kulfi we offer have no element of any non-veg ingredient,” they say while informing that many clients don’t know that the “safe looking” favourite dessert has a whiff of powdered meat in the gelatin that is normally used in ice-creams. Aroma food fests Come summer and Hotel Aroma, Sector 22, comes up with a festival of ice-creams. Aptly named the delicacies of Early Summers, the food fest started last week, showcasing the fruity and nutty desserts in new permutation and combinations. Simultaneously, Aroma has started another festival -- flavours of China, offering a select range of the Chinese cuisine that has become popular with the Chandigarhians. For Rs 150 to Rs 225 per plate, you get an assortment of soups, salads, snacks, rotis, rice and raita, besides vegetables and dessert and mineral water. To make their menu more interesting, the duo have a team of chefs who cook up innovative veg delights from the India, Chinese and Continental cuisines. Besides, they promise to prop up the scene with bone china crockery and flower arrangements and amusement (DJ, live band, sangeet etc). Their personal supervision and management and big functions goes a big way in ensuring that your guests return happy. Gobind caterers have a big array of drinks that includes soft drinks, fruit punches, fresh juices, thick shakes, Punjabi lassi beverages, squashes, lime water and the traditional khas, brahmi and jaljeera coolants. The “entertaining” stalls of snacks (at extra payment) serve as a prelude to the main course. You have a variety of chaats (fruit, mattar, hot/cold, shakarkandi, papri, aalu), kachoris, tikkis, chilla, bhelpuri, golgappe, dahi bhallas, pau bhaji, malpua, kulfi etc.) The delectable snacks from the tandoor are prepared with such veggies as mushrooms, potato and arbi and panir in a variety of ways and combinations. Those who prefer the fried variety can go in for cutlets, cheese balls, fingers and assorted pakoras. Exclusively designed and decorated salad bar is also provided at an extra cost. Panir being the favourite of vegetarians, you have a bonanza of dishes made with this milk product and spiced up with herbs and flavours. Take a pick of shahi panir, matar panir, cheese tomato, panir makhni, panir pasanda, panir-do-piaza, palak panir.... you name it and they have it. Then there are the gourmet koftas and greens from the bageecha — mixed beg, tawa veg, navratan korma (comprising the rich kaju, kishmish, badam and khoya) etc. Then there is the ever-green Punjabi rajmah, aalu puri, saag-makki ki roti, kadhi, chana bhatura etc. Complement them with the pearly while rice and rotis, besides raita. |
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Family
celebrates son’s return Panchkula, March 26 His other son, Deepak Kumar’s family had escaped from Kuwait on March 22, while Kapil Dev had stayed back so that their second child, Anamika could appear in her Class X board examinations. But with the US led coalition forces having attacked Iraq on the night of March 20, thus
beginning the second Iraq war, Mr Kidar Nath’s life here was once again beset with anxiety for his two sons settled on the Iraq- Kuwait border. Mr Kapil Dev and his wife, Sangeeta, while talking to Chandigarh Tribune, said that it was a blessing that they managed to leave Kuwait. “As we boarded the flight sirens blew. We were asked to alight and hide in bunkers. We thought that we were stranded for good. Many people started praying. Gods answered our prayers and we able to come back,” says Sangeeta. Kapil says that their was no major business activity other than for daily needs. They say as Britons and Americans had begun leaving Kuwait, most British and American schools had been closed. Indians, who form the major workforce in Kuwait, were asked not to leave. “We were threatened with termination of work contracts”. But their exodus, too, began on March 18 onwards, says Kapil Dev. Rahul, the 14-year-old nephew of Kapil Dev says that the large Indian population in Kuwait is still there either because of their business interests or for their
children's Board examinations (CBSE X and XII). |
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Sanitation
privatisation opposed Chandigarh, March 26 The privatisation move is likely to come up for discussion in the municipal corporation House on March 31. The union has threatened to lay a siege on councillors and officers of the municipal corporation and the Chandigarh Administration if the privatisation move was not rejected. This was announced at a gate rally organised today in front of the municipal corporation office to oppose the March 14 decision of the Finance and Contract Committee taken in this regard. The union said the corporation had been projecting the lack of funds for a long time then where it would bring money for employing 700 persons on a salary of Rs 3,100 per month. |
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Jacob visits Stop and Stare Chandigarh, March 26 General Jacob interacted with the students. He sought their suggestions on the hang-out. They suggested the addition of Bhel Puri, Masala Dosa, Pao Bhajee, Idli and cold coffee to the menu. The chairman CITCO, Mr G.K. Marwah, who was accompanying General Jacob, promised that within three days all snacks would be made available at the joint. Mr Marwah informed the Administrator that two bulletin boards had been put at the disposal of the students so that they could put up their latest creations on it. |
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Clarification Chandigarh, March 26 |
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MARKET SPOTLIGHT — 20-C INNER MARKET Chandigarh, March 26 A mixed activity market developed in 1961 to rehabilitate the uprooted shopkeepers from Bajwara, has become a house to number of
wholesalers whose presence pushes up the turnover of the market. Going by a rough sale tax collection of between Rs 40 to 50 lakh per annum, the market could well be turning over Rs 50 crore business easily comparable to the prime markets of Sector 17 and 22. A good number of around 500 customers daily visit the market which employs around 150 persons. Utensil
wholesalers Kapoor Chand Pawan Kumar, Sethia Bartan Store and Mohan Bartan Store have been attracting customers from through out the city. Messers Verma Stores and Ess K Stores,
wholesaler-cum-manufacturers, are the biggest dealers of kerosene stoves of the city. Mr Om Prakash Verma, who started his stove business in 1963, is one of the innovators having been recognised by national authorities conferring upon him Udyog Ratan award in 1986. Mr Verma changed his cycle repair business to achieve an enviable success. He represents the all pervading humility in the shopkeepers of the market. The sole wholesale dealer of Rupa under garments, Jain General Store, Gian Chand Darshan Lal, Sushil Cloth Store, are well known names of the city in the field of hosiery and cloths. Vijay Stores is catering to a vast market of “sutli, niwar and baan” in the city. Shree Chand Jainendra Kumar, Mohinder Provision Store and Seth Provision Store are one of the biggest suppliers to hotels and have been drawing customers from across the city as their volume has provided them a leverage to sell better quality provisions at cheaper rates. The unique factor of the market does not stop here. It has been trying to keep the fair sex fairer with the quality herbal products of Shehnaz and Herbal Glow being supplied through out the city from this market. Gian Chand Darshan Lal and Aashirwad Trading Company are dealing in the herbal products. Zewar Mahal, a jeweller, has earned a name for itself within 4 or 5 years due to a unique collection of designs and quality of the yellow metal. Zewar Mahal has employed 15 designers for the purpose and has been sourcing its material from Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai markets to collect unique ethnic and exotic designs in jewellery. Mr Verma who started his experiment of making stoves from his shop in the market had to shift from here to the industrial area when the Chandigarh Administration offered him a plot in the Industrial Area in 1976. Mr Verma said he could start work from the Industrial Area plot in 1978. It is a part of the Sector 20 market which is being considered a challenge to Sectors 17 and 22 after the withdrawal of the Rent Act but this part of the market feels it is the Tribune Road section of the market that would pose a challenge to these markets. They feel during the last 7 to 8 years when the Dakshin Marg part of the market picked up, certain shopkeepers in the inner sector market have lost business. Almost half of the shopkeepers here are original allottees of 1961, a fact which has provided them an opportunity to establish themselves over decades. Problems
Office-bearers: Chairman: Dr K. L. Batra, President: Bhushan Mahajan, General Secretary: Harish Chander, Vice President: Harish Kumar, Joint Secretary Sudarshan Bajaj, Cashier: Ashwani Jain, Media Manager: Dalip Arora, Patrons: Pawan Kumar Aggarwal, Seeta Ram, and Sushil Kumar Sehgal. |
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