The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

Encroachments removed at Kaimbwala
Tribune News Service

A family living behind Gursagar Gurdwara said it had been cheated by a person who had sold them his house, even though it was built an acquired land. Two young women of the family blocked the path of the bulldozers and pleaded with the officials, saying they had purchased the house from a man named Buta Singh. It later turned out that the purchase had been made after the notice under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act , 1894, thus making Buta Singh eligible for compensation. The family said they had paid Rs 50,000 for the five- marla plot. The girls, Renu and Poonam, who climbed on to the bulldozer, were brought down by the women police, even as they pleaded with officials to spare their house.

Chandigarh, September 10
About 11 acres of land, including a large part owned by relatives of former Punjab Chief Minister, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, in Kaimbwala was freed from private control today amid protests from residents in the presence of the police.

The land had been acquired by the Chandigarh Administration a few months ago and compensation paid. Some pucca houses and 40 jhuggis on the acquired lands were demolished. On the land owned by relatives of Mrs Bhattal, two structures were removed. The barbed wire was also removed. The occupants were given time to remove their belongings.

A total of 38 acres had been acquired north and north-west of the Sukhna lake for carrying afforestation in the catchment area of the lake on the direction of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.

The enforcement wing of the Administration this morning, with sizeable police presence, removed the structures in Kaimbwala. The drive was kept a secret. The entire land is on a natural slope from which water cascades down into the Sukhna. The land will now be used for forestation.

The land north of the lake is partly forest and partly village land. In the past, some jhuggies had come up in this area which were demolished.

Interestingly, the structures around Gurusagar Gurdwara were left untouched. Official sources said the case for allotment of land to the gurdwara was under consideration. Some surrounding structures may form part of the overall land development plan.

They have been spared for the time-being. The residence of a well-connected resident has also been spared.

Yesterday, a team of the Chandigarh Administration had earmarked the area which is with the Administration.

Election din ends with massive rallies
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 10
Campaigning for elections to the Panjab University Campus Student Council concluded here today with the police intervening in the evening to prevent car rallies to girls’ hostels. Rallies by the Student Organisation of Panjab University, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and the Haryana Students Association, were stopped by the police from proceeding towards the girls’ hostel.

Chand Singh Madaan, founder chairman of the HSA, said the ABVP camp was flooded with outsiders. Certain supporters were reportedly staying in the office of a political party.

A campaign manager of the ABVP dismissed this as a false propaganda spread by rival organisations. Interestingly, the campaigning for elections to the student council went on throughout the day on the campus, despite a university order banning canvassing 72 hours before polling. Mohit Sareen, press secretary of PUSU, said campaigning till the last date before the elections was routine. The day was dominated by car rallies of different organisations, each biggar than the other. Each rally had more than 40 vehicles.

The police stopped the ‘cavalcade’ of PUSU (Shailay) group, saying there were too many outsiders. The Shailay camp was following the PUSU rally.

The HSA, the ABVP and the SOPU converged at one place at certain times which caused traffic jams. An open house will be organised at the Student Centre tomorrow which will feature two speakers from each group in fray for the elections.

Sheer volume of poll material baffling
Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service

Urmil whose tricyle was damaged by campaigners.

Chandigarh, September 10
Panjab University campus students face not just problems in pursuing their academic curriculum but also in getting for themselves basic facilities expected in hostels.

This is what appears from the manifestos of various groups contesting elections to the Panjab University Campus Student Council slated for Friday.

Each student body has listed more than 100 priorities each in different wings of university affairs. Several demands are picked from the old manifestos, a pointer that once the elections are over, these issues remain buried under the bulk of poll material.

While stressing on quantity in campaigning, the quality has definitely suffered. Certain crucial issues remain relegated to the background. Aman Singh, a student of the Law Department, said individual problems of each department could be handled at the personal level, but the election manifestos should serve as a reflection on the intellect of those in the fray through the concerns that they address.

It is pointed out that the national scenario has undergone a sea change in matters of education and more relevantly placement opportunities. With an increase in the number of the educated unemployed, the country is passing through a crucial period with repercussions for the future. The students here are silent on these issues. Instead of voicing concern about falling education standards, they only want things like a “centralised cell for placements”.

This demand is not a new one, but a mere repetition.

There are certain issues that should have been taken up with the university whether in or out of power, it is felt. These include clean toilets cleanliness and better mess facilities.

There are certain PU issues which need to be debated — central university status for PU, provision of computers in all departments, time-bound dissertation, upgradation of labs; student representation in the Senate; and implementation of a single-window system.

A violence-free campus is another prominent issue that is being discussed. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the Student Organisation of Panjab University and the Panjab University Student Union (Shailay) have openly spoken against violence.

“We contest elections and do not fight them”, Saurabh Joshi, ABVP presidential candidate said.

A former ABVP president said student organisations were wasting time, money and energy in preparing “shoddy” manifestos. No one had the time to even read the issues.

Movies for campaigning

In a novel idea there are reports of certain student organisations, including the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the Student Organisation of Panjab University and the Panjab University Student Union, taking out supporters for a movie.

A senior ABVP leader said the party was not paying for the tickets. It was just an occasion to get together and have a respite from campaign rallies. Girls raised slogans in favour of Saurabh Joshi, the presidential candidate, during the film interval, it was reported.

The PUSU too, planned a break, a former presidential candidate of the party said.

Pawan Singh, presidential candidate of the Haryana Students Association, said this ‘movie business’ was unfair because largely the UIET students were the ones who were being taken by these groups for an “outing”. They were young, impressionable students who could be influenced into voting for a group.

There are allegations of free passes having been distributed to film-goers but this is denied by both groups.

Student’s loss

Urmil, an M Phil student of the Zoology Department, has paid a price for poll campaigning, despite his not being aligned with any student organisation. “Hooligans” destroyed her tricycle during the election campaign at Mata Gujri Hostel.

Urmil said she has been a student at the campus since B Sc (honours). She had faced a similar situation last time as well. This time however her tricycle that was parked in front of the hostel gate, had been damaged.

PUSU agenda

The Panjab University Student Union released its “voluminous” agenda, assuring work on more than 100 fronts. The lists have been drawn under different heads.

Meanwhile, Pavit Mattewal, a student of the Law Department, was made acting president of PUSU. He said PUSU had stood for student rights eversince its inception.

Council constitution needs relook
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 10
The constitution of the Panjab University Campus Students’ Council needs a relook (with existence of several loopholes) in ensuring compliance with laid out aims and objectives of the office.

The council presence on the campus is visible largely through the welcome function for freshers and the farewell for seniors. There is negligible presence felt in a range of activities underlined in the constitution under heads of academic, discipline, dramatic and hostel affairs, besides others.

A former president of the council said the council does constitute committees comprising students on most of the fronts. He, however, accepted negligible contribution for highlighting student issues through these fora.

The council activities are also expected to be related to the arena of library, sports and tours and hiking committees as provided for in the constitution. A senior student said even the much awaited annual prize distribution function, exclusively catering to the campus students, has been discontinued. This function has been discontinued from the past over five years and there is no indication from the university concerning revival of the same.

In a related aspect, the constitution clearly says: “The members of the council shall not organise or participate in any strike, demonstration or ‘dharna’ nor shall encourage other students to do the same to get the grievances of students removed.” The university campus is witness to several ‘dharnas’ and demonstrations in a year where the council members lead the agitation. This has been done in case of the matters pertaining to the fee hike and credit system in the B.Sc (honours school), to name only a few.

Malwinder Singh Kang, a former council president, said sometimes when the university officials did not respond at all to a genuine demand it became necessary for the council to “raise” its voice. It was not with the aim of embarrassing the university but just to give more strength to the demand of students. The university response in accepting “majority of the demands” showed that there was a justification in the demonstrations.

The council is also required to “help in the allocation of amalgamated fund for different authorised purposes and activities connected with the student welfare”. This is a provision which exists only on papers because the council is not involved in the activity of allocation of funds, Kang said. “ I was only provided with details of the expenditure on a special requisition,” he added.

Nirmal Singh, Dean, Student Welfare, agreed that the council here largely was associated with organising cultural activities.The council should relook into its real objectives. “Seminars, quiz, debates and other literary functions are purely for the student interest and council should be more serious on this account,” Professor Nirmal Singh said. He said student organisations staged several functions in individual group’s name.

It is also felt that the university has not clearly defined disqualification of a candidate. The qualifications part at one place reads that a student will be guilty of gross misconduct if he “is accused of a non bailable offence” and at other place says “brings bad name to the university by his misconduct on or outside the campus”. Being accused for fights as was visible from the spate of violent incidents during elections in the past few years was bringing a bad name.

“Surprisingly, the a number of faces involved in brawls have occupied the council seats. The university needs to relook into the matter,” Chand Singh Madaan, the founder president of the Haryana Student Association, said.

College candidates elected unopposed
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 10
Candidates to a few posts were declared elected unopposed while others geared up for the elections to students’ councils in city colleges due on September 12. While some face direct elections, a triangular contest would be held in others, the clear picture emerging after the withdrawal of nominations, which were completed here today.

While students of Guru Gobind Singh College for Women, Sector 26, elected the students’ council panel unopposed, Madhumeet of BCA III as president, Manmeet of BA III as vice-president and Navreet of BA I as Joint secretary, no candidate came forward to file nominations for the post of general secretary.

At MCM DAV College, Sector 36, too, Rupali Setia of BA III was declared president, Shefali Kwaria was declared vice president while Maninder Kaur Thind of BCA I was chosen general secretary. Elections would be held for the post of joint secretary.

While GGDSD College, Sector 32, is heading for a direct contest for all four posts of the council, elections would be held for the post of president and general secretary at Government College for Girls, Sector 11, with Nandini Shukla (vice president) of BA III and Surbhi Verma of BA I (Joint Secretary), elected unopposed.

Manmohan Jalta was declared general secretary unopposed for the DAV College Students’ Council in addition to six class representatives while elections would be held for the other six. At GCG-42, a triangular contest is on the cards for all the posts while the maximum number of candidates are in the fray for the council posts from Government College, Sector 11.

After the withdrawal by candidates, the colleges released their final list. Elections would take place at the following colleges for the following posts:

MCM DAV College: Joint secretary: Preeti Chauhan, Gurpreet Khera and Suanshu-BA I.

GGDSD College: President: Sarvdeep Singh Brar, Amanpal Singh; Vice President: Namita Joon, Ruhi Singh; general secretary: Gaurav Chakravarty, Saransh Sharma; joint secretary: Sirjant Singh Chahal, Manpreet Kaur.

GCG-11: President: Annapurna, Kusum Mehta-BA III, general secretary: Meenakshi Yadav, Gangandeep Aulakh-BA II.

DAV College: President: Dilip Singh Virk, Raj Kumar; vice-president: Kamaljit Brar, Anup Gupta, joint secretary: S Sharatchandra Singh; Rachit Bansal.

SGGS College: President: Navdeep Singh Batth-B Sc III, Sandeep Verma-BA II; vice president: Kirti Gupta-B Sc I, Navneet Singh-BCA III; General Secretary: Jagmandeep Singh-BA I, Anukriti Sharma-BCA II, Joint Secretary: Ravi Walia-BA II, Sandeep-BCA III.

GCG-42: President: Gayatri, Nidhi, Tapinder Dev-BA III; vice president: Amanpreet Kaur-BA III, Navpreet-BA II, Seema-BA III; general secretary: Mandeep-BA III, Neeru and Prerna-BA II; Joint Secretary: Bharti Rani, Kanika, Kamaldeep-BA II.

GC-11: President: Inderpreet Singh (Happy)-BA III, Sumit Sood-BA III, Karanbir Singh-BA III, Devinder Jaglan-BA III; vice president: Lovedeep, Sudhir Singh, Ashsih Sharma-BSC III,; general secretary: Achhar Kumar-B Com III, Robin Goyal-BA III, Varun Bansal-BA III, Abhishek Sood-BA III; joint secretary: Ajit Chahal-BA II, Vikas-BA II, Paramvir Singh-BA II, Nitin Sharma-B Com I, Gangandeep Goyal-B Com III.

GC-46: President: Amandeep Singh Dhaliwal-BCA III, Harish Attray-BA III, Puneet Verma-BA III; vice president: Amarpreet Singh Chattha-BA II, Dipesh Jindal-B Com III, Zoravar Singh-BA III, Mayank Assija-BA II; general secretary: Anil Bhonsle-BA III, Gautam Gupta-BA III, Satinder Singh-BA III, Sandeep Guaba-B Com III; joint secretary: Jagpreet Kaur-B Com III, Khemraj Billa-BA II, Mohit Sharma-B Com.

Land mafia men attack Nagar Panchayat chief
Bipin Bhardwaj

Condemning the attack on Mr Narinder Sharma, Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat president, the general secretary of the Shiromani Akali Dal and former Finance Minister of Punjab, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, said the law and order situation had deteriorated in the state.

Zirakpur, September 10
The controversy surrounding the grabbing of village-common-land (shamlat) by an alleged powerful and well-connected “land-mafia” took a serious turn with some members of the mafia firing shots at the President of the Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat and his family members at later’s residence in Lohgarh village last night.

Some vigilant villagers came to his aid also opened fire at the assailants accompanied by a Sub Inspector (SI) and two Home Guard jawans. Nobody, however, was injured in this 15-minute cross-firing incident.

Meanwhile, the Senior Superintendent of Patiala police, has suspended SI Rattan Lal, following the allegations that the cop along with two Home Guard jawans had been accompanying some members of the “land-mafia” to the Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat president’s house at the time of incident.

The issue had been simmering since Tuesday morning after Mr Narinder Sharma, president of the Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat, removed over 20 unauthorised structures from 3 acres of government land behind the Lohgarh police post, late night.

According to eyewitnesses Satinder Singh Dhaliwal, a property dealer, along with SI Rattan Lal, two Home Guard jawans and about seven to eight armed companions reached the residence of Mr Narinder Sharma at about 12.45. They entered the house of Mr Sharma after scaling the main gate.

After a scuffle the alleged assailants threatened Mr Sharma and his family members with dire consequences. Sharma’s brothers raised the alarm and consequently some neighbours took position atop their houses with guns.

When people started gathering on the spot, Dhaliwal and his companions opened fire. The villagers also fired shots in turn but luckily no one was injured. A mob of villagers chased the assailants for a long distance and smashed the windowpanes of a Balano Car ( HR-01H-9194) used by the ‘mafia-men’.

In protest against the high-handedness of the police personnel, scores of residents of the Nagar Panchayat assembled in Lohgarh and gheraoed the Lohgarh police post for over four hours. Besides arrest of the “land-mafia” men, the agitators were demanding the suspension of the SI and home guard jawans involved in the shoot-out incident. They were also demanding the registration of a criminal case against S.S. Dhaliwal, SI Rattan Lal, and other assailants.

The protectors were pacified when Mr Prit Pal Singh Thind, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Rajpura and in charge of Dera Bassi police, reached the spot and visited the “disputed land”. He said no encroachments would be allowed on government land.

While talking to The Tribune, the DSP, confirmed that the SI had been suspended with immediate effect on the directions of the Senior Superintendent of Police, Patiala. He said the case against Mr Sharma would be cancelled after conducting an enquiry.

He also asked Mr Sharma to go ahead with the job of sinking tubewells at the site. If necessary, Mr Sharma would be provided police security, he added.

Meanwhile, a case under Sections 148,149, 336, 452, 506 and 34, IPC, has been registered against Dhaliwal, a resident of Sector 38, Chandigarh, with Lohgarh police post on the complaint of Mr Narinder Sharma. The case was registered by the local police on the directions of Mr Thind, DSP, Rajpura.

In his complaint to the police Mr Sharma alleged that Mr Dhaliwal had been making false claims on the said piece of land.

The assailant also allegedly painted the warning boards, installed by the Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat at the site, white late last night to strengthen his claim.

On the other hand, Mr Dhaliwal had got a case registered against the president of Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat, alleging that Narinder Sharma along with a government official and three-four others entered into his office at Modern Housing Complex, thrashed and abused him. He also damaged the boards and other goods inside the office besides threatening him with dire consequences.

Mr Tajinder Singh, SHO, Dera Bassi, said a case under Sections 323, 452, 506 and 120-B of the IPC has been registered against Narinder Sharma, on the complaint of S.S. Dhaliwal, who visited the Dera Bassi police station at about 9.30 pm.

When contacted Mr S.S. Dhaliwal, claimed that Narinder Sharma had mislead the police by concealing actual facts. He said there was some case pending before the court over the ownership of the land and denied accompanying the police to Mr Sharma’s house and opening fire.

Decision to send IPKF to Lanka disputed
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 10
With the exception of Bhutan, India’s relations with all other neighbours are running into problems. Stating this while interacting with mediapersons here today, former Foreign Secretary Jagat S Mehta said relations depended upon the chemistry of trust, which had broken up with most countries.

Mr Mehta was here to deliver a talk on “Principles and populism in foreign policy under the Haksar memorial lecture programme being organised by the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development.

He said “if we have to solve the problems, we have to put ourselves in others’ shoes. It is not ourselves that we are negotiating with. We also have to think from the point of view of others.”

He said 1980 was a turning point in Indo-Pakistan relations when things started going bad. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, the USA thought that the former was coming for oil. India broke ranks and aligned itself with the Soviet Union following which the Reagan Administration initiated a massive programme to arm Pakistan and the ISI too stepped into the gambit. From 1972 to 1979, Pakistan had respected the Line of Control, he remarked.

He credited this to the diplomatic strategy of the then Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi. “Diplomacy”, he said, “Is not public relations but the ability to persuade a sovereign nation to do something.” India’s foreign policy, he added, had centered around the containment of Pakistan.

The former diplomat was of the view that bureaucrats had, by and large, failed to provide professional advice to the political establishment. During the Nehru era, bureaucrats looked upon Nehru as if he was a demi-god and had all the right answers. “They looked up to him for advice instead of giving him advice and inputs on vital matters. This was what led to the Chinese debacle,” he said.

Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to Sri Lanka on the grounds that the move was “unprincipled”.

Time to revamp education system
A.S. Prashar
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 10
Prof K.K. Aggarwal, president of the Institution of Electronics (IETE) and Telecommunication Engineers, says that the time has come for the country’s educational system to be to be revamped completely to prepare the younger generation to face an increasingly complex, hi-tech and sophisticated world.

“Our educational system has become very routine, linear and stereotyped”, observed Professor Aggarwal in an interaction with TNS here recently. “But life is not linear. Education must teach a student to grow beyond the classroom and laboratory and learn to face the complexities of life”.

An old alumnus of Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Professor Aggarwal, who is also Vice-Chancellor of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi, was in the city to address a symposium to mark the golden jubilee of IETE and silver jubilee of the Chandigarh chapter of the IETE. He recalled when he chose to study electronics about 40 years ago, many of the teachers of PEC did not appreciate his choice because they felt that electronics was an unknown stream and had an unpredictable future. But time had proved him right.

In the last century, he said, changes in the world had been very rapid. But in the 21st century the progress will be even faster.

“Hence, the need for constantly updating one’s knowledge and skills. The other day, I told doctors at my university that you keep on warning your patients that they must check the expiry date on the packaging of a medicine before buying it and that they must not ingest any medicine what has ‘expired’. But what about your own ‘expiry date’?. Don’t you think that the education you received and the knowledge you acquired years ago has also expired? It must be constantly updated to keep oneself abreast of the latest developments in the field of science and technology. Therefore, our universities and educational system must be reoriented to impart life long learning to individuals”.

He was of the view that more than the formal education it was the attitude which helped an individual to rise higher and higher in life. “It is Information Technology that teaches us that one plus one is not equal to two but something more than that. Networking of computers is important but more than that, it is the human networking which is important.”

Alternative site no condition for ejection, rules High Court
Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 10
It may not be necessary to provide alternative site at state expense to an encroacher as a condition for his ejectment — the Punjab and Haryana High Court today ruled in a significant judgement.

In a ruling on a petition filed by Faridabad residents, Mr Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel held: “No right can be claimed to encroachment upon public property.... As held by the Apex Court, it is for the authorities to take necessary steps to meet the housing needs of all citizens. At the same time, public property cannot be allowed to be encroached upon. The authorities concerned have to ensure constant vigilance on encroachments”.

The Judge further ruled: “Once encroachment is allowed for a long time, authorities are required to act fairly, but it may not be necessary as a condition for ejectment of the encroacher that he must be provided with an alternate accommodation at state expenses”.

The judgement is significant as the encroachers in states of Punjab and Haryana, even the Union Territory of Chandigarh, were being provided alternate sites under the Slum Dwellers Rehabilitation Policy. However, the scheme, instead of solving the problem, was merely aggravating it as the removed dwellers were returning to the original place after disposing of the alternate sites. The policy was withdrawn by the Chandigarh Administration on August 28.

Regarding the slum problem, Mr Justice Goel asserted: “Problem of homeless is globally recognised and global strategies have been framed for the purpose. Absence of sufficient housing facilities to meet the ever growing demand of the population is leading to slums which have been ignored either on account of negligence or extraneous considerations.”

The Judge added: “There is no doubt that a person, in settled possession, can be granted injunction even against a true owner, though there is no absolute right to such an injunction particularly when there is encroachment of public land”.

In their petition, Chunni Lal and 12 other residents of Patel Nagar in Faridabad’s Sector 4 had earlier claimed that they were living in the houses constructed about 25 years ago. They had been provided necessary facilities, including street lights, water, electricity connections and even ration cards. Counsel for the petitioners had added that the authorities could not be allowed to demolish the petitioners’ houses after providing the facilities.

After going hearing the arguments and going through the documents, the Judge held: “Both the courts below have held that the petitioners have no prima facie case as they are encroachers and suit property belongs to the government.... Findings of the courts below that the petitioners have not, prima facie, become owners by adverse possession does not appear to call for any interference.... The revision petition is dismissed”.

CMC denial on infant’s death
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 10
Christian Medical College, (CMC) Ludhiana, has denied the charge that an infant died due to the negligence of the hospital authorities.

Responding to a report titled “Parents blame CMC for infant’s death”, which appeared in Ludhiana Tribune on September 8, Dr Rajeev Kapoor, Deputy Medical Superintendent, has clarified their stand in a press note.

“A 65-hour-old male baby was admitted on July 14 at 2.30 a.m. with two episodes of turning blue. He was born by a Caesarean section in a private nursing home at Sangrur as the mother had pregnancy-induced hypertension and foetal heart irregularity as per the referral slip. The baby had to be resuscitated at the time of birth at the private nursing home. He was admitted with cyanosis (blueness) and a diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia, low birth weight and neonatal jaundice was made and relevant treatment was started (oxygen, antibiotics, phototherapy and intravenous fluid therapy).

“The baby was seen by a senior lady paediatrician, Reader of Paediatrics Department and was diagnosed to have septicaemia (serious form of blood infection). It is totally wrong to say that any woman employee had posed as a doctor.

“In fact, according to the mother’s own statement she was not there at CMC on the night of the admission. The treatment was planned in consultation with the unit in-charge and was started on appropriate antibiotics which included fortum, amikacin, and ofloxacin. injection fortum was changed to injection magnamycin on the third day. The baby was seen by the unit incharge, a Senior Professor in Paediatrics on July 16 (as he was out on an official assignment on July 14 and 15) and was being regularly seen by him, morning and evening. The baby was being seen by duty doctors very frequently.

“Because of septicaemia (as evidenced by persistent hypoglycaemia and sclerema), his condition had shown deterioration for which appropriate change of treatment was done. On July 18 (5th hospital day) an injection of pentaglobulin was planned and administered after duly informing that although costly this injection may or may not help the baby. However, in spite of giving potent and appropriate antibiotics, the pneumonia of the baby had worsened and over the weekend, he developed more complications, including congestive heart failure, generalised bleeding, intracranial hemorrhage and peripheral circulatory failure.

All these complications, including heart failure, brain hemorrhage and big heart (Cardiomegaly) are well known complications of infection in the new born. The baby could not be saved because of his sick condition, in spite of the best efforts of the doctors.”

Wadali brothers get Akademi awards
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 10
The award giving function organised by the Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademi would have ended on a routine note, had the Wadalis brothers not been requested to weave a magical spell. With the legendary singers taking control of the performance space towards the end of the function, the mundane ceremony concluded with rhythms floating all around Tagore Theatre.

Earlier during the show, Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Justice O.P. Verma gave away the annual Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademi awards to artistes in three categories. In the music section, Wadali brothers from Amritsar walked away with the coveted honour, that comprises Rs 31,000, a citation and a shawl. Theatre personality Dr Ajmer Singh Aulakh won accolades in the category of theatre for enriching Punjabi literature with his unparalleled contribution in the field of play writing.

Last but not the least, it was time for the gathering to recall the masterly style of Balbir Singh Sekhon, who had walked to fame by presenting bhangra in the republic Day Parade in 1954. He later took the quintessential folk dance of Punjab to Mumbai, where Nargis, after watching him perform, was forced to remark,"For the first time I see a man dance like a man. Most of the time men dance like women."

Sharing his views on the occasion, Justice O.P. Verma said culture of the land was reflective of its civilisation. "Art forms form an essential part of this grand heritage, which is being secured by artistes through their dedicated works. Awards remain all important as they honour the labour of the artiste. The rich heritage that we have needs to be safeguarded with a lot of effort. The Akademi is performing a noble task by recognising and honouring talent."

Later, chairperson of the Punjab Arts Council, Mr K.S. Duggal, lamented that Punjab had lost much of its heritage, including the Patiala tradition and the 'tappa'. He said the Council was in the process of opening Virsa Vihaar (Heritage Homes) at six different locations in Punjab including Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Kapurthala, among others."

Control petrol prices, Bansal urges Advani
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 10
The protest against the proposed hike in petrol prices intensified today as the local MP, Mr Pawan Bansal, today shot off a protest letter to the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Lal Krishan Advani.

Mr Bansal said at present sales tax on petrol was levied at 20 per cent which makes it Rs 5.91 paise per litre. Though this already was quite a heavy tax, the Administration was reportedly considering to raise it to 27.5 per cent which would take the tax component to Rs 7.50 per litre. This increase would hit the city people very severely. It would also affect the revenue of the union territory.

By hiking the tax to levels of Punjab, the adjoining township of Panchkula should not be overlooked, where rates are much lower.

Mr Bansal said already many people of Chandigarh, were paying more in forms of various taxes. He urged Mr Advani to intervene in this regard and stop the proposed increase. Mr Bansal said he had been a votary of delegating more powers to the Administration but found that at times such powers had been used in an unbridled manner. For examples repeal of the rent restriction law through a notification, repeal of a housing scheme.

Meanwhile, Mr Chaman Lal Sharma, Mr Tejbans Singh Jauhar and Mr Amarjit Singh Sethi, president, senior vice-president and general secretary, respectively of the Chandigarh Nagrik Sabha, noted with alarm the reported move of Administration to hike sale tax on petrol from 22 per cent to 27 per cent to bring it on par with Punjab, thus making it dearer by at least Rs 1.50 per litre.

They alleged that it was being done by the Administration under the influences of petrol dealers and other influential persons from Punjab. The Industries Association in a statement said the increase in prices would push up the cost of finished goods.

Deforestation has affected climate: MLA
Our Correspondent

SAS Nagar, September 10
Deforestation has adversely affected the climate of Punjab, resulting in the elimination of a number of varieties of trees and certain species of birds and animals.

These views were expressed by Mr Bir Devinder Singh, Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and Kharar MLA at a function organised by the local Municipal Council in connection with Vanamohatsava in the Industrial Area, Phase IX, here yesterday. Mr Bir Devinder Singh planted saplings on the occasion.

He said human beings were forgetting the importance of trees which had led to global warming. Due to a change in the temperature, many types of crops could not be grown. And if deforestation was not checked now, coming years would bring in various kinds of skin diseases.

He said a comprehensive plan for forestation in the town was being drawn up.

Earlier, Mr Prabhjot Singh Sandhu, president of the Phase IX Industrial Welfare Association, said the area was facing water shortage and internal roads in the phase were in a bad shape. Heavier traffic moved on these roads and these needed regular repair.

He said the residents of the area faced problems due to an open outlet of the sewerage treatment plant of the Chandigarh Administration in the area.

He said the issue had been taken up with the authorities concerned but to no avail. He demanded that the local administration should take up the matter with the Chandigarh Administration to mitigate the problem.