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| Thursday,
April 17, 2003, Chandigarh, India
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Truckers’ strike affects petrol, vegetable supply Chandigarh, April 16 Traders in the Sector 26 fruit and vegetable market claimed that due to the strike, very few trucks loaded with fruits and vegetables reached the market today, causing increase in their prices by 10 to 15 per cent. They said although farmers in the region, were coming in large numbers to sell vegetables on their tractor-trailers, yet the price of tomatoes had increased from Rs 1 to Rs 2 per kg to over Rs 3 per kg. There was no drastic change in the prices of other vegetables, they added. Mr Virender
Chauhan, a trader, said, “Against a daily supply of four to five trucks of mangoes, only two trucks arrived at the market. A 14-kg mango pack was being sold for Rs 230 to Rs 240 against the usual price of Rs 200 per pack. The traders had to bring in grapes from their stocks as there was no supply today.” He said traders had already stored enough stock of grapes and oranges, sufficient for the next 20-25 days. Regarding the supply of pomegranate, he said, only one truck arrived in the market against the usual supply about five trucks. However, the traders were satisfied that most of the truck and tempo operators were not participating in the strike. Vegetables and fruits were loaded in 15-20 trucks at the local market for
sending these to different destinations in Himachal Pradesh. Customers had to pay up to Rs 2 per kg for potatoes, Rs 4 per kg for tomatoes, Rs 8 to Rs 9 per kg for cabbage and Rs 20 per kg for peas. The traders said although the supply of vegetables was quite normal, yet, due to rumours of short supply, the prices had moved upwards. Another trader, Mr Raju, said, according to information available to us, very few trucks had arrived at the Delhi market, so there would be minimum supply of fruits tomorrow. Even if the truck operators agreed to end their strike today, it would take at least three to four days to normalise the supply from far away markets like Nagpur, Hyderabad, Bangalore and others. Mr Rajiv Sood, general secretary of the Chandigarh Transport Association, however, claimed that 80 to 90 per cent of truck operators of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh were supporting the strike. Some of the operators engaged in the supply of essential goods like vegetables were exempted, keeping in view the convenience of the public, he
said. |
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School buses put young lives at risk Chandigarh, April 16 Interestingly, some of the vehicles are not even "school buses" in the true sense of the word. The transporters, involved in the business of ferrying the students, are deploying "tourist buses" — painted white, instead of yellow. If you do not believe it, go to some of the city schools. Parked amidst "yellow buses" are the "white ones" with "tourist coach" printed in bold letters. School's name, route and timings are not mentioned. The story does not end here. A random survey reveals that in so many buses, the first-aid box is missing, or has medicines that have outlived their lives. Some of the drivers do not cruise within the prescribed speed limit. Many of the drivers and the conductors have not attended refresher courses. They are dressed up in casuals, instead of uniform. This is not all. In a large number of cases, the conductors do not possess driving licenses. The state transport authorities claim raids are conducted and violators challaned. "No one is spared," an official asserts. "Challans are issued for carrying children in white buses, for driving without uniform, for overspeeding and for other offences". Regarding the adoption of precautionary measures, they shift the onus on school authorities. "They have to conduct the refresher courses," a senior officer says. The school staff, on the other hand, assert they have nothing to do with the buses. "The vehicles belong to contractors," they assert. Contractors say they are "poorly paid". The result of blaming each other is there for all to see. Even though five years have lapsed since the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued directions for ensuring the safety of school students, little has so far been done to comply with the orders. The high court, while delivering the verdict in the traffic regulation and pollution control case, had directed that "all school buses shall carry first-aid boxes duly containing the minimum requisite of medical items". It was also directed that the buses would not "exceed the speed of 50 km per hour". Pronouncing the orders on civil writ petition number 7639 of 1995, Mr Justice Swatenter Kumar and Mr Justice Sat Pal had also ruled on page 21 of the judgement that the school's name should be properly displayed, along with the
route and the timing. Moreover, “the authorities concerned should prefer that all the school buses have yellow colour”. This condition, the Judges had added, could be introduced gradually “but the compliance must be ensured within a reasonable time”. The Judges had added that the drivers should have a minimum of five years’ experience and should not have been challened for over three times for “jumping red lights, improper parking and unauthorised lane changing”, besides being challaned for causing death due to negligent driving”. The drivers and the conductors were also asked to wear “proper uniform and nameplate”. Furthermore, it was mandatory for them to attend refresher courses conducted by the state transport authorities. Earmarking of “proper bus stop” for halting the buses on the main road as well as the inner roads was also ordered. The reality, however, is disheartening. “Refresher course, what’s that?” a conductor questioned. Pushing the children up the steps, he adds, “Oh! there are hardly any educated drivers and conductors. So there is no question of attending the courses. Otherwise also, you do not expect a literate to take up the job of a driver or a conductor for just Rs 1,000”. |
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2 commit suicide in city Chandigarh, April 16 “He was under depression ever since he lost his job in a needle factory in the Industrial Area here. His employer had asked him to produce a medical fitness certificate,” said Mr Chander Singh Rawat, an uncle of the deceased. During the course of his treatment, the doctors had advised Hardeep to take rest, said another relative of the victim. According to
information, the father of Hardeep, Mr Surinder Singh Bisht, an Assistant in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, left for his job at about 9 am and after a short period, his mother, Bimla, left to offer prayers at the Sector 20 temple. When Bimla returned, she found the front door of the house open and the body of his son hanging from ceiling fan. “Though Hardeep used to go with his mother to the temple, today he did not accompany her,” said the father of Hardeep. The family of the victim hails from Garhwal. As per information, the victim had attempted suicide earlier also by consuming some poisonous substance and was admitted to the PGI. He had survived but suffered from some defect in his legs. The autopsy of the deceased could not be done at the Sector 16 General Hospital as members of his family insisted on taking the body without postmortem. A delegation of the Garhwal Sabha led by its president, Mr Chander Singh Rawat, met the Superintendent of Police, City, Mr Baldev Singh, and the Deputy Superintendent of Police, East, Mr SC Abrol. After taking statements of the family members of the deceased, the DSP granted them permission to take the body without postmortem. The family members of the victim said that Hardeep was
under depression and they did not suspect any foul play behind his death. In another case, a 44-year-old generator operator of the 202 Engineering Regiment, SV Ramaiah, hailing from Tarlupadu in Andhra Pradesh, committed suicide by hanging himself at a shed in the N Area here this morning. The body was noticed by a neighbour. The cause of the suicide could not be ascertained. The body was sent to the Sector 16 General Hospital for autopsy. Though no suicide note was found, the police got a soiled paper from a notebook of the deceased. The note read “Maut se Maffi Santoshi Ma, Maut se Mafi Santoshi Ma” and details of his expenditure. |
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DISADVANTAGED
CITIZENS Chandigarh, April 16 The story is the same, almost everyday. Eager to get the reservations, you rush out of your home even before 9 a.m. Reach the railway station within 15 minutes. As you walk down the dingy corridors to the counter, you realise the rush is exceptionally heavy. Even before you ask, a passerby explains, computers on the Panchkula side are “not functioning”. No problem, you have taken your morning off. All those files on your office table can wait. Tickets are more important. Wiping beads of perspiration with a soiled handkerchief, you make room for yourself in the meandering queue. Impatient minutes roll by into hours as you shift weight from one leg to another waiting for your turn. Just as you are four or five persons away from your destination, the queue refuses to budge. You crane your neck only to find the official sitting idle in front of the terminal. The boy in front of you explains, “The link is down. It will take just 15 to 20 minutes for the authorities to restore it”. Undeterred, you prepare yourself for the wait. Even after an hour or so, things remain the same. Tired, you request the stranger standing nearby to “save your place in the queue”. You return after half-an-hour or so only to find people entrenched in the same position. Annoyed, you leave the place. Drive down to the nearest travel agent. Pull Rs 25 extra from your wallet and return home with the ticket in your pocket. This is exactly what a city resident did on Tuesday. Purchased ticket through a travel agent after undertaking journey to frustration. “I reached the railway station yesterday at about 8 am, stood in the queue till about 9.30 am before being told about link failure,” he asserts. “I waited for almost an hour before leaving the place. I am told that the link was restored at about 10.45 am”. Confirming the information, a senior railways officer admits, “The problem is not uncommon. Every other day, the residents are forced to waste their precious time because the computers go off-line. Today also, the residents had to suffer inconvenience for 15 to 20 minutes. But we are not to be blamed for it. The fault is of Post and Telegraph Department”. |
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TRIBUNE
IMPACT
Kiratpur (Pinjore), April 16 However, the biggest problem of Masol residents is regular water supply and road link. Ms Garjo Kaur is not alone in her decision to move from her state. During the past 10 years, over 70 families have migrated from Masol village (Kharar, Punjab) and have settled around Kiratpur village in Panchkula district here as "life here is better and easy in contrast to Masol". A family migrated from Masol only on last Sunday. Ms Beant Kaur, who shifted to Kiratpur on Sunday, said, "My husband works in Haryana, we purchase household items from here and the kids are studying here and so there was no idea behind staying in Masol." The families that have migrated are living in a colony and have constructed pucca houses. Most of them have been issued new ration cards. Some of the families have also migrated to other places in Haryana like Nava Nagar, Cheera and Charnia. "Our life here will become more easy if the Haryana Government lays a small road, connecting our colony and the Pinjore-Nalagarh road", said Mr Gurnam Singh, who has been here for the past over eight years. The migrants said that a large number of families at Masol are not migrating because of their financial constraints. Masol residents have no problem if the Punjab Government rehabilitates them at some other place in the state. "Most of us are daily-wage labourers and we will find work wherever we live", said a resident of Masol. |
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CSD liquor to be expensive Chandigarh, April 16 This means liquor sold through CSD canteens in Chandigarh will be slightly more expensive this year. However, the order will come into force only when the CSD quota reaches the figure of last financial year. In other words, the new rates will be applicable after the same number of bottles are sold by the CSD as were sold between April 1, 2002, and March 31, 2003. With the new order of the Chandigarh Administration, the cost of rum will increase by Rs 7 per bottle and the rate of Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) will go up by Rs 17. Sources in the Excise Department said the orders had been issued as the individual quota of liquor had been increased by the Central Government to 16 bottles a month which was on the higher side for a person to consume in a month. In any case, the hike would not be enforced immediately. The Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Mr M. Ramsekhar, said the hike in excise duty would come into force only when the CSD lifted more stock than what was sold by it last year. “This situation may not arise in the coming few months”, he added. |
Jacob visits Sector 26 market Chandigarh, April 16 The Governor had gone to the mandi on receiving complaints about insanitary conditions prevailing there. The Administrator found that the approach road of the mandi was full of potholes and slush. The Deputy Commissioner informed the Administrator that the area where the squatters sold the vegetables, remained full of slush because problem of drainage and lack of regulation of squatters. Mr Ramsekhar said squatters were being provided alternate site outside the mandi. To solve the problem of drainage as rotten vegetables block existing drains, the Engineering Department and the Municipal Corporation were asked to lay the drain. As both the organisations were over stretched with the work, the Administrator suggested that the Chandigarh Housing Board should be assigned the task of laying the proper drainage system. General Jacob expressed concern over the encroachments of various areas and asked the Deputy Commissioner to take necessary action. The Chairman of the Market Committee, who reached the spot on hearing about the arrival of General Jacob, was told to pay more attention to the hygienic conditions of the
mandi. |
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...garbage returns as he departs Chandigarh, April 16 The temporary cleaning has exposed the insanitary conditions in the area, which remain intolerable round the year, especially during the monsoon. The mandi and its surroundings were especially cleaned to avoid any ‘uncomfortable’ condition for the visiting
VVIP. Moreover, it was to prove ‘that the things are well managed as per the expectations of the Administration’. On the other hand, things turned out to as usual soon after the departure of General Jacob. When this correspondent visited the
mandi, in the evening, the waste was found dumped as usual. Even berms of the road leading to Manimajra from the mandi roundabout were not spared. Waste consisting of rotten fruits and vegetables were strewn on the roadside, creating foul smell in the area. According to an estimate, the waste lifted from the mandi is the highest in the area and the Market Committee has not yet been able to evolve a system in which the participation of the local traders could be ensured to provide a foolproof system of sanitary conditions. According to Mr Hari
Narayan, a palledar working in the mandi: “Sweeping is carried out every day, and the waste is dumped at notified places”: A local trader said: “The mandi area is very congested. Encroachments by petty retail sellers on the roadside and unauthorised parking of vehicles at prohibited areas make it almost impossible for the sweepers during the day time to clean the
mandi”. |
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Long queues at power bill counters Dera Bassi, April 16 The people said that they felt harassed as the bills had not been sent to their residence. The bills, they complained, had been kept in a haphazard manner. Moreover, a large number of government holidays from April 11 to 15 had added to their problem regarding the payment of the bills. A visit to one of the centres by a team of Chandigarh Tribune revealed that bills were either torn or in bad shape or even missing altogether. Those who had lost their bills could get duplicate copies from the PSEB authorities on request. The consumers were in long queues and exposed to sun in the absence of any shelter for public convenience. Consumers of Zirakpur, Mubarikpur, Dera Bassi Dappar, Lalru and nearby areas complained that their bills were not delivered at their doorstep as is the normal practice. “The Punjab Government should have kept the bill collection centres open for the convenience of the public on the pattern of the Haryana Government,” pointed out Mr Sardara Singh
Barana, block president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, Lakhowal. Meanwhile, a post office official said that consumers rush to pay their dues in last dates and create chaos outside bill collection
centres. They don’t bother to pay bills in time and blame the government because of their own fault. Various counters have been set up in different offices for the convenience of the consumers, he added. |
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‘Khokha’ owners cry foul over booth allotment SAS Nagar, April 16 In a written complaint to the Chandigarh Tribune, these shopkeepers, who claim to have come to Phase XI more than 15 years ago, alleged that over the last three years various junior engineers of PUDA in connivance with some of the market leaders have got more than 20 booths allotted to people who were not eligible while over 30 original settlers have been left out as they refused to bribe PUDA employees. In a similar complaint to the Additional Chief Administrator,
PUDA, Mr Baldev Singh and Mr Lachmann Singh have stated that the original survey conducted in the year 2000 by the then junior engineer, Mr Ranjit Kumar, was ‘overlooked’ and another ‘fake’ survey conducted later was followed. ‘‘This led to a large number of irregularities in allotment of booths. Certain employees of the Punjab Tractor Limited
(PTL) along with many other persons who never owned ‘khokhas’ here were allotted booths.’’ alleged Mr Lachmann Singh. In a list of such allotments attached with the complaint, 20 names have been mentioned who did not have a ‘khokha’ in any of these illegal markets but were allotted booths. The complaint also mentions that initially the number of illegal shops were not more than 86 but when people came to know that booths will be given in lieu of these khokhas for a nominal amount, over 160 shops cropped up within days. ‘‘A former president of one of these illegal markets along with a municipal councillor were responsible for increase of shops,” alleged Mr Baldev Singh. Sources in PUDA state that the complete exercise was carried out openly, in accordance with the rules. The survey was done by PUDA in the year 2000 under the guidance of the then Estate Officer, Mr
G.S. Ghuman, who supervised the draw also. ‘‘In fact the number of booths which were allotted in Phases X and XI were more than the number of persons found in the survey,” said a source. Negating PUDA’s claims of transparency, these ‘khokha’ owners named three junior engineers who asked for money to help them get booths. ‘‘After having made more than 175 allotments in January, 2000, PUDA still has some booths left to be allotted. We have been going from pillar to post to get a hearing but have not been dealt fairly, said Mr Baldev Singh. |
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Death of a son — mother profiles the tragedy Chandigarh, April 16 But not everyone can think like a poet, especially when one has been through the ordeal of consigning the mortal remains of one’s child to ashes. Not too long ago, Panchkula-based Neeru Khattar had a happy home. Her younger son Saurabh filled her life with joy, even as he broke his own records at snooker and set new ones for others. But as he played winning strokes at the table, he had no idea of the fatal stroke fate was planning to play with him. Titled from the heart, the book — My God is dead — is Neeru Khattar’s account of events that led to Saurabh’s death. A player that Saurabh was, Minerva agreed to publish the book, which will be released tomorrow by Kapil Dev. For three years now, Neeru Khattar has been living the memory of her son every moment. “He comes to me in the dark of nights, in the brilliance of days, pleading for help. I have been writing about April 1999, which was the last month in the life of my son. Writing kept me close to him and gave me the reason to live.” Even as the book awaits release, Neeru Khattar did not wait to keep the memory of her son alive. Along with her husband, Raj Kumar Khattar, she formed a trust in the name of Saurabh. The trust is now educating poor children, apart from spreading awareness about chicken pox which can be deadly if contacted at an adult stage. After Saurabh’s death, Neeru Khattar even read the entire literature available on chicken pox. “I did not know it could be deadly. But I want to tell others so that they are saved the misery of living after a near one departs,” says the mother, who has dedicated the book to a son who soared till the day he lived. Saurabh Khattar was the defending state-level snooker champion. He was preparing for the national contest when death engulfed him on April 17, 1999. Time has come round and it is time for Saurabh to live again. Perhaps he will rise from ashes when his mother dedicates “My God is dead” to him tomorrow. |
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Contractors
stopped from dumping garbage SAS Nagar, April 16 Alleging that PUDA was yet to pay them for the additional land it had recently acquired, the residents also voiced their complaints against the MC workers and garbage collection contractors who came to dump garbage each day. They said that the garbage was not covered properly after being dumped. The matter was brought to the notice of the MC President, Mr Kulwant Singh, who rushed to the site where the tractor-trailers were waiting to unload the garbage. According to sources, the MC President promised that he would ask PUDA to expedite their payment and ordered the MC workers and contractor to cover the garbage properly. Last year, the Air Force Station authorities at Chandigarh had complained to the Chief Administrator, PUDA, that the location of the garbage dump was potentially dangerous for their flights as it led to increased bird activity in the area. Following this the garbage dump was shifted and new land acquired in Sohana village. |
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House owners seek school building SAS Nagar, April 16 The association president, Mr N.S. Rai, said as this institution had not yet come up, private schools running in residential buildings should not be told to vacate the premises for at least three more years so that the studies of residents’ children were not adversely affected. The association also urged PUDA to undertake the construction of a civil dispensary building besides that of a community centre on a piece of land near the road barrier. The president said about two years ago PUDA had removed greenery in front of houses as part of its anti-encroachment drive. Stray animals were now creating insanitary conditions in the vacant spaces thus created. The association called for the framing of a clear policy by PUDA on the developing of greenery in the town. The other demands of the association included the setting up of a proper cattle pound to tackle the menace of stray animals; development of parks and green belts; sinking of a tubewell sanctioned for the phase earlier; carpeting of a stretch of road near the khokha market; and taking of immediate anti-malaria measures by the Municipal Council. |
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Youth ambassadors share experiences Chandigarh, April 16 Twentyfour participants from India, Bangladesh, Brunei, Darussalam, Malaysia, Maldives and Sri Lanka are attending the meet, which incorporates refresher training programmes and progress reviews. They are part of the Youth Ambassadors for Positive Living Programme (YAPL) launched by the Commonwealth Youth Programme’s Asia Centre in response to the increase in HIV and AIDS cases as well as escalating drug abuse among the youth in Asia. Addressing the participants, Dr N.M. Sharma, Project Director, State AIDS Control Society, who was the guest of honour, said “Today youth is the main victim of the AIDS epidemic. They are also the strongest force that can fight against this disease. Programmes like this are an important step forward in this battle”. CYP’s senior programme officer Dr Bhagbanprakash stated: “The youth need to get information so that they can educate the masses through effective communication”. Asia Centre’s coordinator of the YAPL Mr Hassan Shifau said: “The youth ambassadors’ programmes is being highly appreciated by all member governments and a huge amount of interest is being received from young people”. Participants shared country reports and their experiences as youth ambassadors to evaluate challenges and the barriers they faced while undertaking the programme. The exercise was aimed at formulating strategies and tools for effective communication and future action. Street plays on AIDS, field visits, communication skills, demonstration of AIDS hotline, drug rehabilitation counselling and overview of monitoring tools and guidelines are also on the agenda. Identifying challenges and opportunities, resource mobilisation and financial reporting as well as preparation and revision of action plans will also figure prominently during the workshop. |
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Naushad
Ali to head Minorities Morcha Chandigarh, April 16 Mr Ali will replace Mr Saleem Mohmmed Khan who had been expelled from the party. Mr William Gosain, Mr Anwar Ali, Mr Mumtaz Ahmed and Mr G. Sultan have been appointed vice-presidents. Mr Cornelius Jorden has been made general secretary. Mr Indreyas Masih, Mr Sardara Khan, Mr Nikko Khan and Mr Tahir Munim will be the new secretaries of the morcha. Mr Richard Shear will be the Morcha treasurer. Mr Gurmail Khan, Dr Nazim Khan, Mr Sajid Sultan, Mr Mohmmed Rana, Mr Mohmmed Ali, Mr Habib Khan, Mr Tyron Gilbarks, Mr Kevin D. Rozario, Mr Mark Magee, Mr Ravi Mani, Mr Sabir Ahmed Sabri, Mr Alla Rakha, Mr Noor Mohmmed, Mr Mohmmed Imtiaz Sabri, Mr Bundu Hassan, Mr Mohmmed Iqbal, Mr Liyakat Ali, Mr Rashid Azizi, Mr Imam Israr Hafiz, Mr Mommed Shakeel, Mr Mohmmed Rashid, Mr Mohmmed Aslam, Mr Salim Ahmed, Begum Mumtaz, Thomas, Mr Poonam Barua, Mr Shehzad Ali, Mr Mohmmed Naseem, Aslam Khan and Maulana Kasim have been nominated members of the executive committee. |
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Power theft: 5 units raided Chandigarh, April 16 While meters of four of the units were seized, the meter of the fourth unit was found burnt. The Electricity Department said the owner had intentionally burnt the meter. According to the disclosure statement of one of the suspects, the meters of at least 27 units, including three shops, had been tampered with. So far, the teams had seized the meters of 10 commercial establishments. The meters of at lest another 12 units had been recently changed. Details of the replacement had been sought from the Electricity Department, said an official. After the transfer of the case to the crime branch on April 9, and the arrest of suspects Satbir Chand and Jaswant, the racket and persons behind the power theft were exposed. Raids were being conducted to arrest a Delhi based engineer, Arjan Malhotra, who was manufacturing the
remote-controlled device. The others involved in the racket were Ashok, Ranbir, and Raju
Kabadia. |
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MC warning on burning of leaves Chandigarh, April 16 The corporation reminded the people, institutions and sweepers of environment protection and said to ensure sanitation, it had prohibited the burning of any type of garbage, horticulture waste, leaves and other waste material at cities a public place or at residential premises. |
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EATING
OUT Chandigarh, April 16 That’s your first impression of Chicken World. As you sample their fare, a lot more myths are dispelled, right up to paying the bill. The main being that quality chicken need not be costly. This unique venture launched by Mr Surjit Singh and Mr J.S. Gulati a couple of days ago can afford to give you non-veg delights at considerably cheaper rates than the market because they have done away with the “greedy” middleman. The chicks, come straight from Mr Surjit Singh’s poultry in Kharar tehsil to the spanking steely clean kitchen of Chicken World where they are dressed and cut up for sale. Under their direct supervision, the birds are chopped, diced, minced, rolled and marinated before emerging into completely new forms and shapes. The fact that the bosses too wear the company logo T-shirt, just like their employees, speaks for itself. The heat’n serve micro-ovenable items should come as a boon for those living in the fast lane. Just pick any of the items in this category from the deep freezer, put it in the micro-oven, heat for 2 minutes and, lo, it’s ready to eat. The moderate spices and oil and the pocket-friendly rates will have you asking for more of butter boneless chicken (Rs 60 for 400 g), roasted chicken and malai tikkas (Rs 50/250 g), seekh kebabs (Rs 45) and chicken lollypops (Rs 50 for 4 pieces). The chicken pickle at Rs 60/400 g is also attractive. The crispy chicken balls are yours for Rs 45 and you have the option of frying them or floating them in a gravy or even gobbling them dry. Besides, you have an assortment of ready-to-fry snacks, all made of chicken. They include the nuggets, sausages, fingers, kebabs, wings and samosas. If you prefer the cold variety, go for the chicken cocktail salami, ham and frankfurters. The Chicken World fridge also has stocks of chicken pieces marinated with herbs, spices and sauces. Pick them and bar-be-que, grill, fry or curry them. Depending on the mode of cooking, you will have tasty tikkas, kebabs and pakoras on the table to be savoured by your family and guests. And if you would rather do the whole thing yourself, there’s no stopping you from buying their farm fresh tender broilers and chicken cut-ups like legs, breasts, drumsticks, wings and soup pieces. The eatery has spared a thought for the vegetarians too. It offers shahi panir, dal makhni and veg biryani for those who shun meat. While the basement is getting ready for the restaurant area, you can expect some more Chicken World outlets in the city. And if you would rather savour the birdy delights in the comfort of your home, call 3134303 or 692758 for home service. |
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SAVE SUKHNA DEBATE
City Beautiful's most prominent water feature, Sukhna Lake, is in danger. Readers of Chandigarh Tribune are invited to send in their views not exceeding 150 words on the subject along with a passport size colour photo for publication in the newspaper to: Save Sukhna Lake, Chandigarh Tribune, Sector 29-C, Chandigarh.
In the past, excessive erosion in the catchment area of the lake, deforestation, inadequate rainfall and overgrazing had led to siltation and this has raised concerns over saving of the Sukhna, a picturesque and captivating water body. Aman Jain, Jawahar Nagar, Ambala
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3 held for assault Panchkula, April 16 Earlier, the police had registered a case against them on the complaint of Mr Bhupinder Singh of Bagwali village, at the Raipur Rani police station.
Two arrested The police has arrested Balwinder Singh, a resident of Sector 4, while carrying 12 bottles of whisky in a car (HR-68A-0987). A case under the Excise Act has been registered against him. The police has also impounded the car. In another case, the police has arrested Rajkumar of Old Panchkula for gambling on public place. A sum of Rs 690 has also been recovered from his possession. Held for eve-teasing: In a case of eve-teasing, the police has arrested two youths from different places yesterday. According to the police, Davinder Singh of Handesra village was arrested while passing obscene comments at some women in Trilokpur village fair. In another case, Shushil Kumar of Karnal was arrested from Sector 10 market while teasing women. Two booked: The police has booked two unidentified drivers for negligent driving in the past 24 hours. In a similar case, a truck driver Jasmel Singh of Pinjore was also arrested by the police. Chandigarh Stolen: Gold jewellery worth Rs 40,000 was reported stolen from outside the Sector 32 Government Medical College and Hospital here today. According to the information available, Ms Prabhjot Kaur, who works in the Department of Pharmacology, came to the hospital along with her husband, Tajinder Singh, from their Panchkula residence. In her statement to the police, the woman said the jewellery had been kept in a purse. SAS Nagar Held for smuggling liquor: The police has arrested one person, Haqeeqat Singh on charges of smuggling illicit liquor across the Chandigarh- SAS Nagar boarder here today. A case has been registered |
MARKET SPOTLIGHT — 18-D With the opening up of economy ushering in import of cheap electrical and electronics goods, this market, having the largest number of dealers in the city, has seen its business going up. The booth market of the sector has become the Bhagirath Palace of Chandigarh, attracting customers from Himachal and nearby area of Punjab and Haryana apart from those of the city. Competing with the Sector 22 hotel line stretching from Piccadily Hotel to South End, the market has created a niche for itself for providing the material required for repair and small parts are available in plenty here. The Sector 22 has emerged as the biggest market of electrical fittings and branded electronic goods but this market has everything conceivable in the business. Though it seems encroachment, yet mechanics are available in the public verandah to meet the need of the customer. There are mechanics whose three generations have been working here since 1960 when booths started coming up. Most of the shops here are engaged in a dual business of electrical and electronic goods at a wholesale scale. A shopkeeper, Jaspal Singh, said the people had been preferring the Chinese products which have a very low price compared to those of Indian companies. The prices of Indian products are higher than the Chinese ones. He, however, said the Chinese products were nowhere comparable to the Indian products in quality. The shopkeeper said the availability of Chinese products had increased the flow of customers to the market resulting in boosting the overall business. The development of the electronic and electrical market has been very rapid during the last ten years. A second push in the business is being witnessed after the Chinese products came to the city. One of the biggest hit Chinese products is Chinese fancy lights, which has almost pushed the Indian products out of the market due to a better quality and less price. Shopkeepers say the Chinese fancy lights became popular as it is a multi-circuit product as against the Indian ones which have only one circuit. They say if the single circuit develops any problem, all lights go off, while the problem of the entire lighting system becoming ineffective is not witnessed in the Chinese products. The gradual development of a cluster of shops of the same trade has seen shopkeepers reaping a common harvest as the customer, thousands of whom visit the market daily, find an opportunity in the market to try different varieties and prices on different shops. However, constant changes in the market have made shopkeepers innovative, who try to diversify by keeping different products on these shops. Apart from electronic and electrical goods shops, the market has few of the best of sanitary and hardware shops which match the quality and price of Sector 22 market, the biggest one in this regard. Aggarwal Sanitary Store, Empire Building Material Store, Krishna Water Supply Store, Goel Sanitary Store, Sagar Paints and Hardware, National Electrical Company, Universal Electrical Shop, Sonia Electronics, Venus Radios, Raj Enterprises and Om Sweets are the well known names in the city. With the booth market overflowing with goods, the shopkeepers here say that the Chandigarh Administration needs to allow changes in designs of shops. They say shopkeepers should be allowed to go multi-storeyed to accommodate the increasing business activity.
Problems *
Traffic management in the market has often been going awry. *
Parking space is less compared to the inflow of customers. *
There is only one public toilet in the market and the government has not been maintaining it. With the toilet being in the booth market, shopkeepers have no place to answer the call of the nature. *
There is no street lighting arrangement in booths. The situation is so bad that thieves can strike at will without being noticed in the night. *
There is no arrangement of water from the government, Shopkeepers have themselves pooled in their resources to build two tanks. *
Shopkeepers have regularly been facing the ire of enforcement wing of the Municipal Corporation as the size of the shops did not allow them to keep their goods in shops. *
Despite the market doing booming business, beautification has not been done. *
Tiles have withered as they have not been changed for at least 22 years. *
With the shop size being small, the Chandigarh Administration’s permission to allow basement in the shops could not be practically used. *
Cleanliness of the market is being ignored. Office-bearers: President: R.P. Gupta; General Secretary: Jaspal Singh; Cashier: Ram Dhan Aggarwal; Chairman: Hansraj Malik and Senior Vice President: Jaipal Jaiswal. There are 11 executive committee members also. |
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VLCC holds reunion Chandigarh, April 16 Ms Rangoli Sodhi, clinic manager, announced a series of schemes, including free services, gifts, gift coupons worth Rs 1 lakh, holiday at Barog Heights for three days and two nights, a personal beauty card and free maintenance packages. Ms Sodhi also said the VLCC would shortly be shifting to a new premises in Sector 9. |
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Tagore placed death on the same pedestal as life when he wrote: “Life does not leak because death is not a crack.” 
April 1999 was a cruel month for the Khattars, who lost their younger son to a misfortune. Within days, Saurabh, who was admitted to the PGI with a simple chicken pox infection, was no more. The inconsolable mother blames it on the PGI, which, she alleges, did not care enough that night. “Saurabh’s ventilator failed to function and there was no doctor on emergency duty. Death was the only visitor at our door that day. Saurabh’s case became bad, then worse. The medical experts we had known for ages failed us that night. Saurabh was dead and the PGI was responsible. I wanted to sue them but lawyers said I had no case. I could only have written about my agony. Hence this book.”
Proper check-dams on the rivulets feeding the lake were needed as these could curb the entry of silt into the lake. The Sukhna also needs a planned and developed drainage system. Besides this, overgrazing and afforestation should be encouraged. Silt excluders, desilting and maintenance of ecological balance were some measures which need to be done on a regular basis. For years, ‘sharamdaan’ by inspired locals was successful in desilting the lake. Enhancing the water level by two feet in the lake was also a good alternative.