The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

NCC forced to de-enrol cadets
Punjab, UT hold back funds
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 8
With the Punjab Government holding back on allocations of funds for NCC activities in the state, the NCC directorate has initiated an unprecedented move to de-enrol cadets in the state. The move, which is a pointer towards the government’s attitude towards the country’s second line of defence as well as youth affairs, could see a 75 per cent reduction in NCC strength and activities in the state, which ironically has had strong affiliations with the country’s martial tradition and contemporary military history.

The NCC Deputy Director General, Brig D S Dhillon, told TNS that funds allocated by the Punjab Government could meet the training requirement of only 22 per cent of the enrolled strength in the state. If the de-enrollment move went ahead, the cadet strength in Punjab would come down form 47,000 to just about 16,000.

The responsiveness of the Punjab Government towards the issue was in sharp contrast to its neighbouring states, where, NCC officers said, they were not facing financial problems. In fact, Haryana had only recently sanctioned the establishment of two Remount and Veterinary Corps squadrons in the state.

The matter of de-enrollment had already been discussed with the NCC Director- General and a presentation on the state of affairs was given to him at New Delhi a few weeks ago. NCC officers were of the view that it was better to cut down on the number of cadets than to have the youth movement ‘ending up in tatters’.

The Punjab NCC Directorate had also written to the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, highlighting the pathetic state of affairs. Letters in this regard had also been written to the state’s Education Minister, the Chief Secretary and officials of the education Department concerned with financial allocation to the NCC.

The expenditure incurred on NCC activities were shared by the Central and state governments. While the Central Government was responsible for the pay and allowances of military personnel deputed to the NCC, vehicles and equipment, state governments were responsible for funding training activities, refreshment for cadets and pay and allowances for civilian staff.

NCC officials said that a national integration camp was being organised near Ludhiana this month, but cadets from Punjab might not be able to attend the camp being held in their own state, simply because of non-availability of funds.

What was worse was that no funds had been allocated for training and preparation for the prestigious Republic Day Camp, held in Delhi every year. This was despite the fact that cadets from Punjab had carved a niche for themselves this year by showing a commendable improvement in their performance in various competitive events vis-a-vis preceding years.

“No funds have been made available for NCC activities outside the state, which includes important national level training camps,” an NCC officer said. “Further only Rs 71 lakh has been allocated for refreshments of cadets against the projected requirement of Rs 1.35 crore. To cite another example, the funds allocated for petrol is just Rs 6 lakh against the requirement of Rs 21 lakh,” he added.

NCC officers said that funds were not available to even pay telephone bills or meet office expenditure. Officers had been repeatedly writing up the chain of command pointing this out. Besides, there was also a severe deficiency of civilian staff required for the efficient running of NCC units and establishments, the responsibility of which lied solely with the state government.

MC fails to check rural high-rises
Kulwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 8
In the absence of well-defined rules and regulations, the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh has failed to check construction work on high-rise buildings in four villages — Burail, Butrela, Badheri and Attawa — falling within Lal Dora.

Both the Chandigarh Administration and the municipal corporation do not have building by-laws exclusively for rural areas.

Earlier, a former Administrator of the UT, Chandigarh, Lt-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd), had asked the authorities concerned to frame bylaws for rural buildings. A senior official of the UT Administration revealed to TNS that the process to frame rural building bylaws was in progress. “However, it will take a couple of months to complete the draft proposal before it finally comes into force”, the official added.

On the other hand, the municipal corporation had also constituted a sub-committee of senior officials to frame building bylaws exclusively for rural areas, falling within the MC limits. But so far, the sub-committee has not been able to discuss the issue at length and draft the building bylaws.

As per the master plan of Chandigarh, “A building cannot be raised more than 34.5 ft in height”. But the master plan is silent about the rural areas that were included in the municipal limits of the city, vide a notification dated July 10, 1996.

During the current financial year, the MC had twice served notices on the owners of high-rise buildings in these four villages, but could not either demolish the structures or prohibit the ongoing construction work.

According to sources in the MC, the civic body has identified at least 14 such buildings within the MC limits, the construction work on which is still going on unabated.

Villagers air their grievances
Tribune News Service

Badheri, June 8
Residents of 22 villages in the UT gathered to voice their resentment at the treatment meted out to them at the hands of the UT Administration. These residents said they had vacated their land for the creation of the city. However, they had received a stepmotherly treatment till date.

The ‘unfair’ treatment continues till date and the UT Administration is only adding up to the existing woes with each passing day, residents said at an interactive function with Tribune readers to mark the silver jubilee celebrations of Punjabi Tribune here today.

In the process of development, the original inhabitants from Punjab were being uprooted to make way for outsiders, it was said. More than 300 residents from these villages expressed satisfaction at the fact that taking a line different from the ‘money-driven journalism’ these days, Punjabi Tribune had sustained its distinct identity with airing public opinion and unbiased coverage.

Mr Angrez Singh, president of the Pind Bacchao Committee, said the government purchased the land from the original inhabitants at throwaway prices and did not give them employment opportunities or any other alternative site to stay. The Chandigarh Administration made special provisions for people who had captured the government land illegally. The original inhabitants were themselves to be blamed for the existing conditions due to being weak on the political front.

Mr Gurpreet Singh, Sarpanch of Darua village, said the development of villages was dependent on the bureaucracy and the share and attention these received were not enough. Mr Manmohan Singh, Sarpanch of Khuda Lahora village, also voiced his dissatisfaction at the administration’s handling of the matters in rural areas.

Ms Surjit Kaur, Sarpanch of Maloya village, said the voice of villagers was unheard for the past several years and Punjabi Tribune had taken a commendable initiative in reaching out to the masses and getting their concerns aired to people and the Administration. She said half of the government grants were spent in salary of government labourers. The bureaucracy did not pay heed to the voice of the sarpances

Ms Bhupinder Kaur, Sarpanch of Sarangpur village, said women sarpanches were not heard “properly” in official circles. Mr Pal, a panch of Kaimbwala village, said the matter of a road at his village had been hanging fire for the past several years. He expressed dissatisfaction at the distribution of mail in his village.

Ms Amarjit Kaur Bhullar, head of the women wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Chandigarh, said no efforts had been made for providing employment facilities for women in particular. She said no efforts had been made to work out alternative avenues of employment. She also pointed out the problems residents of Sarangpur had to face in the absence of a cremation ground.

Mr Gurnam Singh, a political activist, said higher officials sitting in palatial houses were not bothered about Punjabi residents. Local residents were not being given even a piece of land while outsiders were being given full cooperation in residential facilities under one pretext or the other.

Mr Kuldip Singh, Senior Deputy Mayor, said the popularity of Punjabi Tribune among the masses was evident from the response it received from people who got an opportunity to voice their concerns at functions like the one here.

Mr Subhash Chawla, Mayor, said the image of journalism had suffered a big setback in recent times due to flooding of the market with various newspapers. The major interest of these newspapers was the economic concern due to which the profession had lost some of its credibility. Punjabi Tribune was one among the few newspapers which had maintained its credibility.

Mr Sham Singh, officiating News Editor, said due to the existing education system in the state and the country, Punjabi was loosing out, which was a matter of great concern. Mr Shangara Singh Bhullar, Editor of Punjabi Tribune, said the Tribune group of newspapers was not a one man’s property, but a public institution and its ‘mission’ was evident from the standards of journalism. He said Punjabi Tribune matched the highest levels of unbiased reporting and of maintaining the serenity of Punjabi.

Rent of PU shops hiked
Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 8
Panjab University has restructured the rent of shops on the campus following a survey, resulting in a sizeable increase in the campus treasures.

The effort is laudatory in the direction of increasing the collection from a majority of the shops which were paying “peanuts” going by the existing market rates. All is naturally not well with the shopkeepers who are groaning under the ‘weight of the university decision’.

A senior university official said there was no denying the fact that the rents of a majority of the shops were very less going by the existing market rates in the city. Shopkeepers, however, said the university was not a normal market. “It deserved a ‘C’ grade when compared to normal markets. Students stay on the campus on an average for about six months and the business is very slow. The university should accordingly keep the rents at nominal rates”, a shopkeeper said.

A senior university official said a majority of the shops on the campus were not dependent solely on the students alone. There was a sizeable population of the teaching, non-teaching and other supporting staff who stayed here throughout the year. The shopkeepers had no reason to crib as nobody ran a business in which he incurred losses.

Reliable sources said a store of a group of PU employees had closed down because of the hike in rent. However, it is learnt that this store had not paid rent for more than a year.

The move to hike the rent had been on the anvil for the past over a year. However, the revised rents were not acceptable to shopkeepers and the matter dragged on till the university accepted the request for a 40 per cent hike of the proposed rates.

Quality Restaurant, the biggest in the market, was said to be paying only Rs 1,260 as the monthly rent. Against the proposed rent of about Rs 100000 monthly, the university has decided to charge Rs 25,000 monthly. Another big shop is a bookstore, Atma Ram and Sons. Against the existing charges of Rs 1,055, the store has been asked to pay Rs 33,476 for one shop and another Rs 11,527 for an adjoining store as the monthly rent.

The premises which will have the maximum rent is the State Bank of India which has been asked to pay Rs 55,000 as the new rent against the existing Rs 5,000 only. A canteen at the Students Centre will be paying Rs 43,700 against the existing nominal rates.

University officials said the hike in the rents had been done judiciously keeping in mind the sentiments of the shopkeepers on the campus. Instead of the proposed rates, which were according to the existing market rates, the university had decided to charge only 40 per cent of the amounts. The shopkeepers, instead of cribbing, should cooperate.

A shopkeeper said the hike had not been judicious or equal in all cases. Certain shops had been favoured. Although the university had decided to charge extra for the shops which had been subletted, yet there were still certain cases where this was not being done.

CHANDIGARH CALLING

Some prime properties in Chandigarh under the control of encroachers have been got vacated under a drive to take control of all lands. Naturally, the action of the Chandigarh Administration has become a problem for the Municipal Corporation. The Mayor and other councillors have been saying that the MC was not taken into confidence before such major drives.

The administration let its intention known when it demolished shops outside the lal dora ( red line ) of village Attawa located in Sector 42. It followed up by demolishing illegal structures in Sectors 45, 46 and 47. All three are predominantly middle class localities. Soon the administration removed illegal slums south of Sector 49. In between action was initiated against nurseries before the court stayed the proceedings.

All this naturally troubled the political parties. They have been protesting against all demolitions. The Administration is in no mood to listen.

Parking space

To solve the problem of shortage of parking in the commercial centres of SAS Nagar, the Punjab Urban Planning and Development (PUDA) has begun the work of expanding the space for parking of vehicles in Phase 5.

An official told Sentinel that the entry and exit to the parking area was also being changed so that the flow of traffic on the road leading to the parking lots was not affected. The parking lots were being designed in such a fashion that the vehicles of the visitors to the markets were not parked in one particular lot.

Summer camps

Children of today will probably never know what summer vacations are. With almost every school in the city and its surroundings starting summer camps from the first day of holidays, for many of the younger lot of school-going students it’s as bad as going to school.

Some of the summer camps are even following the same time routine. Parents too seem to be happy with the situation. With the child in a summer camp during the day and busy with loads of holiday homework in the evening, for them the child is spending his holidays “constructively”.

Unwanted calls

The cellular subscribers in the city and surrounding towns are annoyed these days as some marketing executives of certain private banks and insurance companies call them at odd hours. They ask them to open an account with their branch or to buy a policy. These subscribers are surprised how they had got an access to their private numbers. Some insiders claim that these banks and insurance companies have “purchased” the directories of cellular subscribers from the employees of cellular operators.

Marriage ‘shagun’

In the Sector 22 market, a number of shopkeepers are doing brisk business by giving certain marriage related items like pagri, lehnga and artificial jewellery on rent.

Knowing that middle class people of the city would proudly like to pay higher amount in the name of marriage, some shopkeepers have started charging exorbitant rents.

Recently a shopkeeper asked a family to pay a rent of Rs 551 per day for a pagri to be used at the time of marriage. When asked why he was asking specifically Rs 551 as rent, he said,‘‘ We are not charging any rent for the pagri but are asking for just marriage shagun since the cost of this Rajasthani pagri itself is less than Rs 300. But you won’t find it in the whole city.’’ he said smilingly.

Rubble rise

The City Beautiful, considered to be the best planned in the country, seems to have so many violations of building bye-laws that their removal could present a picture of the city having been hit by an earthquake.

The fact came to light when the Chandigarh Administration began an encroachment removal drive in the city recently.

Claiming that demolition, if pursued at the present speed, would present a picture of the city having been ravaged by an earthquake, local MP Pawan Bansal said the city would not even find places to dump the rubble as more than 95 per cent houses had already violated the building bye-laws.

Roundabouts

With the various parks and gardens in Panchkula crying for attention, residents have found a perfect place to enjoy the greens. The residents seem to throng the various roundabouts here and relax in the evenings. The Sector 6/7/8/5 roundabout and the Sector 7/8/17/18 roundabout are among the favourites for the residents, who begin arriving here after 8 pm.

These rotaries turn into a favourite haunt, especially on the weekends. With the rotaries also being the abode of icecream and fruit vendors in the evening, most residents after buying their fruit stock enjoy the icecream at these rotaries.

Unlike the various gardens in Sector 5, Panchkula, where stray dogs keep the residents away, these rotaries are inaccessible to stray animals, and preferred over these gardens, remarked a senior citizen.

Size does matter

With the size of cell phones reducing each day, they have started matching and mismatching with other household items which could not have been thought to be a cell phone. One of the city correspondents, for example, actually reached the office with the television remote control in hand thinking that it is her mobile phone!

Similarly, another city resident stated that she ended up picking the remote control every time the wireless telephone set rang.

It’s a shriek

Watching the latest release of Ram Gopal Verma, Bhoot, can be quite an experience. Other than the spine chilling horror that the screen doles out, its the screams from many in the audience which are the most scary.

Everytime the music matching a horror scene reaches a crescendo, someone in the hall lets out a shriek. After that, horror scene or no horror scene, someone or the other was shrieking throughout the movie in the hall.

— Sentinel

COMMUNITY

Pind bachao panel meets Verma
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 8
Mr Angrez Singh Badheri, president, Pind Bachao Committee, led a five-member delegation to meet UT Administrator Justice O.P Verma and apprised him of the discrimination against villagers of the UT, a press note of the committee said today.

Mr Badheri requested the Administrator to allow the special dispensation of a rehabilitation scheme on 43 acre site in Sector 63 soon. This scheme was to house those 5000 families which were evicted to make way for Chandigarh.

The families had already suffered discrimination for 35 years just because they were Sikhs and Punjabis while benefits were given to illegal slum dwellers and migrants encroaching upon the precious land of Chandigarh. The committee had also sought immediate stay on eviction of dairy cattle from Mani Majra village till an alternative resettlement of their profession was not found. These cattle owners should be given industrial or commercial plots or booths at concessional rates on par with rate charged from illegal slum dwellers and encroached rehri markets.

Shamlat lands acquired for the development of Chandigarh had remained unpaid to date because of discrimination. Families of Punjabis needed rehabilitation more than illegal slum dwellers and rehri markets. So far law-abiding villagers living within lal dora of the villages had not been helped.

The committee also sought immediate extension of the lal dora to compensate the increasing gap of population since 1886 to date. Youth from these villagers should get reservation in jobs in Chandigarh with relaxations to oustees youths who had lost their professions with the acquisition of their lands for Chandigarh. Also the oustees should get a share in lease money, the committee demanded.

The committee thanked the Administrator for taking cognizance of law violators, who indulged in the encroachments upon Chandigarh’s precious land.

These people formed an illegal vote bank for politicians who bargained the future of the city for their vested gains.

The delegation comprised Mr Bahadur Singh from Mani Majra, Mr Sarwan Singh, Mr Bali Ram Rana and Billing Harjinder Singh Kanthala, general secretary of the body.

Residents protest against demolition drive
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 8
Various resident welfare associations of the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) flats and houses, Sector 41, held a protest rally today against the Chandigarh Administration’s drive to demolish ‘need based’ additions and alterations made by allottees in their flats and houses. The rally was held under the banner of CHB Residents Federation.

Addressing the rally, Mr Jaswinder Singh and Mr Ravinder Sood, president and general secretary, respectively of MIG (upper) Flats Resident Welfare Association, Sector 41-D, asked the CHB authorities to regularise the alterations made in the flats and houses. Criticising the alleged pick-and-choose policy of the Administration while removing encroachments, they demanded that the drive to free public land from encroachments should be started from Sector 1 onwards.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Ajit Singh and Mr Vijay Pal Munday, president and general secretary, respectively of LIG UT Allottee Welfare Association, Sector 41-A, criticised the Electricity Department for issuing notices to remove alterations and additions. The speakers warned the department of an agitation if it did not withdraw the notices.

Addressing the protesters president of LIG Residents Welfare Association, Sector 41-D, Mr S.K. Juneja, reminded the Chandigarh Housing Board of its moral duty and asked it to develop CHB colonies by providing basic amenities on par with the ‘developed’ sectors. The association’s general secretary, Mr Dharam Pal, complained that green belts, parks and roads in the CHB areas had not been developed.

Mr Jatinder Bhatia and Mr B.S. Chadha, president and general secretary, respectively of CHB Residents Federation, while addressing the gathering criticised the CHB authorities for not keeping the ‘promise’ made to the Federation on July 31, 2001 that no alterations or additions in the CHB flats or houses would be demolished till a final decision was taken in this regard.

The rally was also addressed by presidents and general secretaries of CHB flats welfare associations of other sectors. Among other who participated in the rally included Mr Subhash Chawla, Mayor, Mr Kuldeep Singh, Senior Deputy Mayor, Ms Geeta Chaudhary, Deputy Mayor, Ms Lalit Joshi, Ms Kamla Sharma, Ms Harjinder Kaur, Mr Balraj Singh, Mr Surinder Singh and Ms Kamlesh, all Councillors of MCC.

CBI procures fresh warrants against Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 8
Acting on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) plea, a local court today issued fresh non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against suspended Judicial Magistrate S.S. Bhardwaj. The CBI pleaded that they had laid a trap at a number of places to arrest the judicial officer but he could not be arrested. Therefore they need more time to trace him out.

Yesterday, the Chandigarh Police had procured fresh non-bailable warrants against Bhardwaj in a case of escaping from lawful custody registered by the police at the Sector 17 Police Station. On the application of city police, the UT Judicial Magistrate has yesterday issued the NBWs against Bhardwaj till June 13.

The court had issued a notice to the CBI to file reply by June 9.

Claiming that he was falsely implicated in the case, Bhardwaj had stated in the application that he was not absconding from the CBI custody but seeking legal remedy.

After dismissal of an application for anticipatory bail in the district courts and the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the judicial officer had moved an application in the Supreme Court, which will be coming up for hearing tomorrow. Teams of the CBI and the Chandigarh Police were reportedly in Delhi, to act upon their future course of action after knowing the outcome of the hearing on Bhardwaj’s application in the Supreme Court.

Company secretaries set to get more powers
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 8
The recent amendments to the Company Bill will give a boost to the profession of company secretaries as under Section 383 C all documents, returns, forms required to be filed with the Registrar of Companies or any other statutory authority will have to pre-certified by a company secretary in whole-time practice, said Mr Pavan K. Vijay, president, Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), here today.

He was in the city to participate in a seminar on ‘‘Company (Amendment) Bill, 2003, and Latest delisting guidelines issued by Sebi’’ organised by the Chandigarh chapter of the Northern India Regional Council (NIRC) of the ICSI. Addressing the participants, Mr Vijay called upon the company secretaries (CSs) to upgrade their skills as, he said, with the opening of the service sector in 2005 under WTO guidelines, they would have to compete with their counterparts in other countries.

Mr Vijay said to apprise the company secretaries of latest developments, the ICSI had made it mandatory for all practising CSs to attend compulsory programmes. From next year, he said, all CSs would have to attend these courses, in addition to computer courses. Further, new CSs would be encouraged to submit research papers before completing their course.

Later, making a presentation on amendments to the Company Bill, Mr G.R. Bhatia, Additional Director-General, Department of Company Affairs, claimed that under the new provisions, the Central Government would be empowered to order audit of companies as per the provisions of the Companies Act. It would ensure better compliance of law as well as governance. He said under Section 159 of the Company Act, if a company failed to submit annual returns, its officials and directors could be punished with fine.

In the next technical session on “Latest delisting guidelines issued by Sebi” Mr P.K. Singhal, Executive Director, Delhi Stock Exchange, said, “With the coming into effect of SEBI (Delisting of Securities) Guidelines, 2003, the companies are free to decide whether to remain listed or not. In case they are not getting the desired results by remaining listed, they could get themselves delisted from the stock exchange.” He claimed that it would encourage the companies to delist from the regional stock exchanges, as the companies had no incentives for staying with them.

Mr Singhal felt that with the emergence of the National Stock Exchange and the Bombay Stock Exchange with nationwide trading terminals, companies were shifting towards these exchanges only.

Among others, Mr Atul V. Sood, Chairman, Chandigarh Chapter of the NIRC of the ICSI and Mr Punit K. Abrol, vice-president (Finance) and Secretary, Punjab Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd, also participated in the discussion.

PLATFORM
Save water

We invite school students to send in original and innovative ideas on how to conserve water for publication in Chandigarh Tribune. The write-up should not exceed 300 words and should be accompanied by a passport size colour photograph.

Necessity of life

Water is the greatest necessity of our life. We can live without food, but not without water. In some parts of our country, water is costlier than milk and womenfolk have to walk miles before they can find water, which is fit for drinking. Besides, rural areas are already facing water paucity with village wells, ponds and rivulets drying up and urban areas always short of water supply.

With the duration of the monsoons decreasing and the watertable receding, an acute water problem is predicted in the coming years.

While we as responsible citizens must check wasteful consumption of water in bathing, washing and cooking, banning washing of cars and watering lawns during summer months would also help. Any violation of orders should be severely dealt with.

Also, a slight hike in water tariffs is bound to bring down consumption. All subsidies for water should be removed and people should be made to pay for every drop consumed.

Nagma Grover, Class VI, St Kabir Public School

Sewage discharge a cause of concern
Bipin Bhardwaj

Zirakpur, June 8
The untreated sewage carried by the Sukhna choe is causing health hazards and other problems to hundreds of residents of Zirakpur and surrounding areas and has become a matter of serious concern for the Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat. The untreated discharge of sewage from Chandigarh and Panchkula is being carried by the Sukhna choe, a seasonal rivulet, that joins the Ghaggar river near Nagla village thus contaminating it.

Residents of over a dozen villages and colonies situated along the rivulet have been facing numerous problems because of the smell emitted by the sewage and effluents carried by the choe.

Carrying the untreated sewage waste, the choe has not only been causing health hazard to villagers, but also affecting vegetation. Moreover, effluents carried by the choe have contaminated the underground water.

Mr Jaswant Sandhu, a resident of Bartana village, said the stench of the choe filled the nostrils of the locals, besides the smoke being emitted by brick kilns that fall in the Chandigarh area.

The residents claim that no corrective measures have been taken despite repeated complaints to the local administration.

Mr Narinder Sharma, president of the Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat, said he along with the councillors of the concerned areas personally visited the sites. He said they would take up the matter with the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation and the Panchkula Municipal Council shortly.

Mr Sharma said he would take up the matter with the Haryana Urban Development Authority as well as the Panchkula MC.

Mr A.K. Duggal, Executive Engineer of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, said the UT Administration had already started setting up a Sewage treatment plant at a cost of Rs 4.50 crore in Raipur Kalan village.