The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

Slum-dwellers attack Admn team
28 cops among 40 injured; former MP Jain detained, let off
Tribune Reporters

Mr Yashpal Mahajan, city BJP president, who was seriously injured.

Chandigarh, June 10
More than 40 persons were injured, 10 of them seriously, when a mob of about 1,500 slum-dwellers — agitated over the recent anti-encroachment drive — attacked a team of the Chandigarh Administration, which was removing debris (malba), by pelting them with stones and bricks. In retaliation, the police fired gunshots in the air, besides resorting to lathicharge and busting teargas shells to disperse the mob at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh colony, south of Sector 49, here this afternoon.

Among the seriously injured were the president of the local unit of the BJP, Mr Yashpal Mahajan. He received injuries and his jaw was broken. Mr Mahajan was operated upon at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, this afternoon. The Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr Inderjit Singh Sandhu and the DSP, South, Mr S.S. Randhawa, were also among the injured. As many as 28 policemen were injured, including a constable with a fractured arm and another one with head injuries.

A former local MP, Mr Satya Pal Jain, who was present at the site, was detained and taken away to the Sector 34 police station as a preventive measure. He was later let off. About 60 persons were rounded up, but were let off. The Police has registered a case of rioting and assault against unidentified persons under Sections 147, 148, 149, 323, 325, 332, 353 and 186 of the IPC.

The incident, which virtually shook the Chandigarh Administration, occurred around 1 pm and lasted more than 45 minutes before the mob was brought under control. The mob attacked the cops, catching them unawares. The policemen, officials and staff of the enforcement wing ran for cover. The police personnel had come as part of a security cover for the team of the Chandigarh Administration.

Taken aback, the cops regrouped. They first burst tear gas shells and resorted to lathicharge before firing in the air. This forced the mob into silence, eyewitnesses said. The local BJP president was injured during the attack. Another brick hit the ADC, Mr Sandhu, on his shoulder. A cop fell down while trying to run and was badly injured. Head Constable Harminder Singh, was hit on his head. DSP Randhawa sustained injuries on his right palm and was advised two weeks rest by doctors.

“First we warned the attacking mob by raising our hands, but to no avail”, said Mr Sandhu, adding that “gunshots were fired only to disperse the mob”. He claimed that after a mild lathicharge, the situation was brought back to normal.

Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Mr Randhawa said the police presence was quite thin.

According to sources in the UT Administration and the Chandigarh Police, the cops had backed off after the mob insisted to stop the debris-removal operation. “We were about 300 metres away from the spot when the mob came charging on us with stones and bricks and we had to run for cover”, said a police official, who also sustained injuries.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Kumar, told Chandigarh Tribune, “There were no orders for any demolition and the team was only removing debris, which was misinterpreted, leading to the chaos.”

Meanwhile, eyewitnesses told Chandigarh Tribune that a mob of about 1,500 slum-dwellers got worked up due to rumours and instigation. One rumour doing the rounds was that two little girls had been buried under the debris. Of course this was wrong, but by then the mob mentality had taken over. In the meantime, BJP leaders had reached the spot in an attempt to stop the Administration from taking action.

Mr Satya Pal Jain, talking to Chandigarh Tribune over the phone from the Sector 34 police station, said, “I had spoken to the Adviser and other senior officers, and there was to be no demolition as per the promise of the Administration. I stepped in front of the bulldozer to stop it.’’ The demolition was wrong as the Administration was still in the process of verifying the list of eligible people who were on the electoral rolls as on December 8, 1996.

Mr Jain alleged that some people at the lower level in the Administration were part of a conspiracy to defame the BJP and the Union Government.

	A political drama: Cong Chandigarh, June 10 The local unit of the Congress today hit out at the BJP calling the arrest of former local MP Satya Pal Jain ‘‘a political drama’’ and taunted him saying he should now rush to Delhi and seek the resignation of UT Administrator, Justice O.P. Verma. The president of the local unit of the Congress, Mr B.B. Bahl, while speaking over the phone from Delhi, alleged that Mr Jain and his henchmen indulged in a drama at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Colony which backfired and resulted in injuries to enforcement staff, police personnel and also poor people. Meanwhile, the local unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal, also criticised Mr Jain’s action against the encroachment drive. The ruling NDA at the Centre was against encroachers but Mr Jain was supporting encroachments by holding demonstrations.
	Cong rally to Raj Bhavan today Chandigarh, June 10 The local unit of the Congress will hold a protest rally by marching to Punjab Raj Bhavan against the Chandigarh Administration’ recent anti-encroachment drive here tomorrow. Party members led by unit president Mr B.B. Behl, sitting MP Pawan Kumar Bansal and Mayor Subhash Chawla, will gather at the roundabout on Madhya Marg, near Sector 7, at 10 am. OC
	DEMOLITIONS I was unaware of drive’s enormity: PGI Director Our Correspondent Chandigarh, June 10 In less than 24 hours after ‘unauthorised structures’ were demolished at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, the institute Director, Dr S.K. Sharma, today clarified that he was unaware of the enormity of the drive. “Hurting the religious sentiments of the masses was the last thing on my mind”, Dr Sharma asserted. Meanwhile, adding political touch to the ongoing demolition controversy, members of the Congress today claimed that their “wards” were being targeted. The drive, they alleged, was aimed at spoiling the party’s image in the wards from where they had been elected. In a related development, a 25-member PGI Campus Sarav Dharam Sabha was constituted. A dharna was also organised by the sabha members. “It would continue till the issue was resolved,” members asserted. Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Dr Sharma said he had merely ordered the removal of encroachments, but not the demolition at such a large scale. He said “unskilled” staff was responsible for the state of affairs. The area, where the religious structures were located, would be earmarked for such structures to avoid the repetition of such incidents in future, he asserted. Earlier during the day, Dr Sharma visited the demolition site and reportedly assured the residents that the possibility of providing alternative sites for religious structures would be explored. The Congress members, at the same time, alleged that the ward Councillor, Ms Anu Chathrath, was not consulted. Even the heads of different religious organisations were not taken into confidence before launching the drive. Condemning the action, they alleged the drive must have been launched with the consent of the institute President, Ms Sushma Swaraj. They also demanded an explanation from the local BJP leader, Mr Satya Pal Jain. Claiming to have met the Director, the Sarav Dharam Sabha convener, Mr R.K. Khanchi, and other members asserted that Dr Sharma was asked to order the re-construction of the demolished structures. The Director was also asked to ensure the payment of expenses by the PGI, they added. The members also demanded strict action against the ‘officials’ responsible for the demolitions.
	Demolition drive will continue: Admn Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 10 The Chandigarh Administration today said the drive to remove encroachments from government lands will continue till it recaptures its acquired land. Only those who are not entitled to re-settlement and can be branded as “patent encroachers” are making a noise. Some vested interests might have joined hands with them to further their own agenda, a spokesperson for the Administration said. It will be incorrect to say that a demolition drive has been started by the administration. This is an ongoing process and will continue, the Administration says. After all, public money is invested in the acquisition of land for specified projects which should not be allowed to go waste. At the same time, the development of the city also gets a beating if such lands continue to be in the hands of encroachers. It has also been made clear that those responsible for slackness, which led to the present situation, will also be dealt with appropriately. The slum-dwellers who are getting displaced in the process are being resettled as per the rehabilitation scheme in force. The Chandigarh Administration clarified that over 1,200 acres of land in the city had been acquired in the past decade and payment was released to the entitled persons and parties. In some of these cases, payment was also released for structures standing on such land. In spite of that, the land could not be taken over by the Administration for the purpose for which it was acquired. It has, therefore, been decided to take over the possession of the chunks of such land and put them to use they were slated for. In March-April alone, more than 100 acres of such land was taken over by the UT Administration for handing over the same to the beneficiary departments for developments as per the notification or land use. In May-June, another 100 acres of land has been taken over and is in the process of being handed over to those for whom it was acquired long back. The Estate Officer is responsible for screening of encroachers. A committee headed by Mr I.S. Sandhu, Additional Deputy Commissioner, is assisting him in screening the encroachers who are eligible for resettlement as per existing policy.
	Did Bhardwaj surrender? Kiran Deep Chandigarh, June 10 Even as the CBI claimed that the suspended Judicial Magistrate, S.S. Bhardwaj, was arrested from a house in Panchkula, Bhardwaj and his counsel denied it, saying that he surrendered before the CBI at its office in Sector 30 this morning. While coming out of the Government Hospital, Sector 16, after being examined by doctors at about 8.45 pm, Bhardwaj told mediapersons that he had surrendered before the CBI as the bail application moved by him was dismissed by the Supreme Court yesterday. A CBI spokesperson in New Delhi claimed that Bhardwaj was arrested by the bureau from Panchkula following information that he was staying there with his relative. Alleging that the CBI had made a false claim, counsel for Bhardwaj, Mr Ashish Sharma, talking to Chandigarh Tribune, said earlier they had decided that Bhardwaj could surrender in Panchkula court, but when a CBI official contacted and persuaded them to convince Bhardwaj to surrender before the CBI, they did so. Refuting the claim made by the CBI that Bhardwaj was arrested from his house in Panchkula, Mr Subhash Sharma, a close relative of Bhardwaj, said he had persuaded Bhardwaj to surrender before the CBI. Meanwhile, the news of Bhardwaj’s arrest by the CBI kept mediapersons on their toes throughout the day. Since morning, reporters remained present outside the CBI office, the District Courts and the General Hospital, Sector 16, to confirm the news. In the evening, they got some respite when a CBI Sub-Inspector reached the District Courts and said the CBI was likely to produce Bhardwaj in the court after 5 pm. Following a CBI request, the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr C.L. Mohal, remained in the court till 5.30 pm. Bhardwaj, however, did not appear. Mediapersons gathered outside the Duty Magistrate’s house in Sector 7. A senior official of the CBI, meanwhile, informed mediapersons outside the office in Sector 30 that Bhardwaj would instead be produced in the court tomorrow, following which the mediapersons dispersed. Interestingly, at about 8.45 pm, Bhardwaj was taken for medical examination.

TALHAN VIOLENCE
BSP lashes out at Congress, demands
govt’s dismissal
Tribune News Service

TEMPLE DEMOLITION

BSP leaders also lashed out at the state government and the district administration of Roopnagar for their alleged role in demolishing the 30-year-old Valmiki Temple in Tira village, 15 km from Chandigarh.

The state president of the BSP, Mr Avtar Singh Karimpuri met a delegation of Valmikis from Tira village and assured them that the matter of demolition of the temple would be taken up with the Governor.

Hundreds of Valmikis, including men, women and children, from Tira and adjoining villages attended the BSP rally and extended their support to the common cause of Dalits.

Chandigarh, June 10
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) today demanded the dismissal of the Congress government in Punjab for its failure to protect the life and property of Dalits in violent incidents at Talhan and other areas of Jalandhar district.

In one of the largest attended Dalit rallies ever held in the city, the speeches of BSP leaders were hard-hitting, reflecting bitterness and anguish of Dalits in the state.

While addressing the gathering, Mr Narindra Kashyap, a former Cabinet Minister in the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh and coordinator of the party affairs of northern states, said the government had failed to protect the rights of Dalits in the state.

He raised the slogan, “UP me sarkar hamari hai, ab Punjab ki bari hai” We have our government in UP, Punjab is our next bastion). Appealing to the Dalit community of Punjab to unite together under the banner of the BSP, he said in UP, they were in power with just 22 per cent of Dalit vote bank. However, they were still miles away from power in Punjab despite the fact that 35 per cent of the total vote bank in the state comprises of Dalits.

Holding the present state government squarely responsible for the alleged attacks on Dalits, Mr Avtar Singh Karimpuri, president of the state unit of the BSP, said, “The Amarinder Singh government should be dismissed immediately and those responsible for attacks on Dalits at Talhan and in other parts of Jalandhar district must be booked”.

Protesting against the killing of a Dalit youth, Vijay Kumar Kala, in the police firing in Jalandhar, he demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should probe into the entire episode and police officials allegedly involved in the firing incident should immediately be suspended and arrested. He demanded a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for Kala’s family, besides asking for a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each, for the injured.

Both BSP leaders also charged the state government with engineering attacks on Dalits for creating a “divide between the two communities”. Other senior leaders of the state unit of the party who addressed the gathering included Mr Maan Singh Manhera, Mr R.C. Tayagi & Mr Pawan Kumar Tinu, general secretaries Mr Harbhajan Singh Sarinh, Mr Sukhvir Singh Shalimar, Mr Gurmail Singh Saini, Mr Ravinder Singh Sohal and Mr Darbara Singh Kamboj (vice-president), Mr Hargopal Singh and Shingara Ram (former MLAs).

After the rally, BSP workers marched towards the Punjab Raj Bhavan to submit a memorandum to the Governor in support of their demands. But the local police stopped them at Matka Chowk. Later, a five-member delegation, led by Mr Kashyap, went to the Raj Bhavan and submitted the memorandum to the Governor demanding immediate dismissal of the Congress government.

COMMUNITY

Councillors oppose hike in water, sewerage charges
Our Correspondent

SAS Nagar, June 10
Municipal councillors from the opposition group have opposed any hike in the water and sewerage charges in the town as notified by the Department of Local Government.

The matter of the upward revision of the tariff is scheduled to be taken up at the next meeting of the Municipal Council to be held later this month.

Mrs Manmohan Kaur, councillor, said the hike would put an unnecessary financial burden on residents who were already groaning under heavy taxes. The charges were revised about a year ago and she would oppose any further increase at the coming meeting of the general house of the council. She said that the government must withdraw its decision on the charges.

Mr Amrik Singh, another councillor, said there was no justification for the hike. The charges were earlier hiked while they remained unchanged in other places in the state. He said that instead of burdening the people, the government should cut down on its expenses and take effective measures to curb corruption.

The council president, Mr Kulwant Singh, declined to express any views on the issue and said the matter would be decided by members at the coming meeting of the civic body.

The Local Government Department had in a notification on May 2 directed municipal councils and nagar panchayats in the state to implement the hike in the charges “with immediate effect.”

Under the notification, user charges for unmetered water connections (domestic) are to be fixed as follows for the current financial year.

Plots upto 5 marlas Rs 50 per connection per month; above 5 marlas and up to 10 marlas Rs 75 per connection per month; and above 10 marlas but less than one kanal Rs 100 per connection per month. In the case of plots of one kanal and more, only metered connections will be permitted. The charges will go up every year for the first three categories of consumers reaching Rs 100, Rs 105 and Rs 140 per connection per month, respectively, in the fiscal year 2007-2008.

The user charges in the case of metered water connections (domestic) are to be fixed at Rs 2 per kilolitre per month for the year 2003-2004. These will go up on the yearly basis reaching Rs 3.80 in 2007-2008.

The user charges for sewer connections (domestic) are also to be revised for 2003-2004 as follows: plots up to 5 marlas Rs 50 per connection per month; above 5 marlas and up to 10 marlas Rs 75 per connection per month; above 10 marlas but less than 1 kanal Rs 100 per connection per month; 1 kanal and above equal to the water charges; and in the case of own sources of water supply equal to water charges for metered supply.

The charges in the case of the first three categories of residents will go up on a yearly basis reaching Rs 70, Rs 105 and Rs 140 in the year 2007-2008, respectively.

The charges for industrial and commercial connections have also been fixed by the department. In the case of yellow card holders, the charges will be 50 per cent of the normal rates applicable up to 5 marlas houses.

Officials say that if the House of the Municipal Council fails to clear the charges as notified, the Local Government Department may go ahead an implement these at its own level.

Thundershowers bring respite
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 10
A strong duststorm, at times touching a speed of 80 km per hour, followed by brief sharp showers in and around Chandigarh this evening gave a respite to residents. Widespread rain has also reported from the nearby areas of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana.

The maximum temperatures continued to stay a few degrees below normal for the third day today in Chandigarh and other neighbouring towns in Punjab and Haryana.

Weathermen predicted that thundershowers may again lash the city and the surrounding areas during the next 24 hours. Rain or thundershowers were also likely to occur at nearby places of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana over the next 24 hours.

Chandigarh and the neighbouring towns of Panchkula and SAS Nagar recorded a high of 37.2°C, three degrees below normal.

All throughout the day the city witnessed dusty weather and the sun remained hidden for most part of the day. In the evening the city had thundershowers. Normal life was thrown out of gear for at least a couple of hours.

Yesterday’s temperature in the city and the surrounding areas was 37.4°C while the day before the maximum temperature was 34.4°C.

The power supply to rural areas of Barwala and Raipur Rani tehsil in Panchkula district was reportedly disrupted when a large number of electricity poles were damaged and transmission lines broke down following high-velocity winds. Senior officials of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam said they had still not assessed the extent of damage, but assured that the power supply would be restored soon.

Patiala recorded a maximum temperature of 39.2°C, 1.3°C more than yesterday.

City may soon have women-run auto garages
Geetanjali Gayatri
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 10
Reservation of 20 per cent seats for girl students for the two vocational courses of automobile repair and air conditioner and refrigerator in government schools at the plus two level is now official.

While these courses might be established male bastions, having attracted no girl student ever since these were introduced in 1990, the UT Education Department has given the go-ahead for reservation of five seats in the 25-seat courses available at GMSSS-23 as an incentive.

After 12 years of lack of interest shown by the girls for the two courses, the UT Education Department is willing to take the chance of opening doors for them through reservation. And they are expecting it will elicit a positive response.

Sources in the department said that after toying with the idea for a considerable length of time, the decision to reserve seats was taken following a successful Bangalore experiment.

Under this experiment, girl students who passed out with a degree in a course similar Automobile repair opened a garage of their own. This proved to be a big hit with lady customers who preferred this work station for car repairs to others managed by men.

Taking cue from this and working on similar lines, the UT Education Department first increased the number of seats from 20 to 25 and then reserved these increased seats for girls.

“With more and more women having vehicles of their own, any such project in the city, too, would be a welcome step. We are just providing the girls the launching pad. It is up to them to make the most of this opportunity. Besides, if girls are available to repair ACs and refrigerators, women who are hesitant to open their homes to men mechanics, would be at greater ease with women substituting for them,” an official said.

While other vocational courses being offered at the plus two level have always drawn both boys and girls, these two courses have had only boys for students. Though all boys passing out from this course have found employment with private companies or are self-employed, it has never attracted any girl students.

The Education Department is keeping its fingers crossed and hoping all this will change during the forthcoming admission season scheduled to take off on June 16 with the sale of forms and prospectus.

BUSINESS

‘Implement industrial policy guidelines’
Our Correspondent

SAS Nagar, June 10
The Industrial Welfare Association, Phase IX, here today demanded the implementation of various guidelines contained in the state industrial policy for fixing the enhancement cost of plots and formulating a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme.

Addressing a press conference, the president of the association, Mr Prabhjot Singh Sandhu, said Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC) and Punjab Financial Corporation (PFC) had not yet modified their schemes in line with the current industrial policy. The cost enhancement notices issued by the PSIEC, he said, contained inflated demands, beyond the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act Representations made by plot allottees against the demand notices had remained unheeded for years.

Mr Sandhu said allottees were at the receiving end till settlement of the issue by the PSIEC. They could not raise bank loans against the plots to set up or expand this industrial units. The sale or the transfer of plots was also not permitted. The corporation, however, went on charging interest on the enhancement amount at high rates.

He said the OTS scheme of the PFC contained elements that had led to the failure of earlier scheme. This scheme, he said, was “totally discretionary” in nature and was not in keeping with the latest RBI guidelines. It gave more relief to those loanees who had paid less amount and placed an extra financial burden on the loanees who had paid more.

He said trade and industry in SAS Nagar had been badly hit due to lower rates of taxes in neighbouring Chandigarh. He demanded the constitution of a special committee, having representatives of trade and industry, to suggest ways and means to solve the problem.