The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

Poll fever reaches climax on university campus
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 11
Allegations and counter-allegations were central to the open house conducted on the eve of elections to the Panjab University Campus Student Council here today.

All candidates spoke vehemently against violence and projected that records of their organisation were ‘spotless’. They spoke at the top of their voices in their effort to match the noise created by the crowd. All attempted to project their group participation in aiding students of different classes who faced “problems”, particularly the students of the honours school in science classes.

Malwinder Singh Kang, presidential candidate of the Panjab University Student Union, said, “PUSU has been the voice of students for the past more than two decades. This was reflected in the work done by us for students’ cause. We don’t make election promises. We only guarantee to stand with each class and each student whenever needed.”

Saurabh Joshi, presidential candidate of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, said, “Their organisation has made a place in the hearts of students by taking stand in their favour on all issues, be it hike in the fee, problems of the B.Sc students or even hostel-related issues.” He said a campaign was conducted by the ABVP under which several departments were visited on the campus and problems were identified.

Khushbaz Singh Jattana, presidential candidate of the Student Organisation of Panjab University, said, “SOPU has always stood for brotherhood and camaraderie on the campus and will continue to work in the same direction. We will always strive for maintaining a peaceful atmosphere on the campus.” He said friendly relations would be maintained with all organisations under all conditions.

Pawan Singh, presidential candidate of the Haryana Students Association, said, “Working for a placement cell will be their top priority, if voted to power.” He made a special mention of a book bank for poor and needy students. He said his association would give 50 per cent representation to girls in the council office. He said the university authorities would be asked to fix certain time in a day when the Vice-Chancellor and the Dean University Instructions would be available for direct interaction with students.

Gurparvez Singh Shailay, presidential candidate of a rival PUSU group, said, “Students need to pause, think and then cast their votes for a candidate who is above petty politics. I have never participated in any violent activity and this is by biggest asset on this platform where majority are involved in bloody battles and come here with folded hands to seek votes.”

Others who spoke on the occasion included Subhash Sharma (ABVP), Harman Deol (PUSU, Shailay), Yogesh (PUSU), Ravinder Sheoran (HSA) and Satinder Pal.

‘Lifting’ voters

Following the conclusion of campaigning process ‘lifting’ voters is the new drama on the campus election scene. The voters being ‘lifted’ are largely from the University Institute of Engineering and Technology and the Chemical Engineering Department.

The action plan is simple. Send a vehicle, lead the students and take them to undisclosed destinations. They will be housed for the night and brought on the campus once the polling starts.

Today’s proceedings were preceded by late night parties in private accommodations outside the campus and even at Sukhna Lake.

Students were being taken to an undisclosed location in an ABVP vehicle when Chandigarh Tribune reporter reached the spot. When enquired, it was said the students were being requested to go to some place where they could relax in the tense election scenario. “Nobody is being kidnapped. This exercise is being done with their consent so there was nothing illegal,” a spokesperson said.

The police picked up certain vehicles of the Student Organisation of Panjab University that were parked near the UIET for ‘transporting’ voters from the University Institute of Engineering and Technology.

Girls’ representation

Rajwinder Kaur, vice-presidential candidate of the HSA, spoke openly against discrimination against women, particularly in the council affairs. She said girls, who constituted more than 60 per cent of the campus population, were given only the post of the vice-president. It was merely an eye-wash, she said. This time the HSA had given two seats to the girls, she added.

Help promised

The Haryana Students Association assured help to Urmil, a research scholar of the Zoology Department, whose tricycle, parked outside the Mata Gujri Hall, was damaged by the campaigners on Tuesday.

Chand Singh Madaan, founder chairman of the HSA, said his organisation would work to collect funds from students to give a new tricycle to the girl on behalf of the association.

Tension at PU on election eve
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 11
Tension prevailed on the Panjab University campus in the evening after the campaign concluded on the eve of elections to the student council scheduled for tomorrow.

The police intercepted at least three vehicles earlier during the day with students allegedly owing allegiance to the Student Organisation of Panjab University. At least three students were taken to the police station as a preventive measure. However, they were let-off later.

Mr Mohit Sareen, press secretary of the PUSU, alleged that a large number of outsiders had been camping on the campus owing allegiance to different organisations, the ABVP in particular. However, no action had been initiated against them.

The gates of Kasturba and Sarojni girls hostels were closed at 6.30 pm to which party supporters reacted strongly. The hostel gates were, however, opened at 8.30 pm, sources said.

All set for students’ poll today
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, September 11
Panjab University and eight city colleges are all set to elect their respective student councils tomorrow, with the college, university and the police authorities making ‘foolproof’ arrangements. A Deputy Superintendent of Police or Inspector will be posted at all colleges and the university.

The polling will start at 10 am and the results are expected to be declared in the evening.

A heavy police consignment led by seven Deputy Superintendents of Police and 15 Inspectors of the UT police have been deputed. A total of 63 Sub-Inspectors and Assistant Sub-Inspectors along with 440 head constables and constables, including 65 women constables, and 215 Home Guard jawans will keep a vigil on the students. Commandos of the Punjab police will also be deputed in the university and colleges during voting and counting.

A police force has been kept in reserve in case of emergency. A Police Control Room Gypsy will be stationed on gates of the colleges and the university. No outsider will be allowed to enter the college and the university without producing the identity cards. In addition to the police, the colleges have deputed teachers and formed committees to ensure that the elections are conducted peacefully. There are 22 polling booths in the university and four to seven booths in different colleges. Police sources said while the police presence would be relatively thinner in girls’ colleges than boys’ colleges. The police presence, however, will be maximum on the University campus, which had witnessed at least two incidents of violence.

There will be no voting in the Guru Gobind Singh College for Women, Sector 26, as the council has been elected unanimously.

PU POLL
Students’ open house a farce
Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 11
The open house held in connection with elections to the Panjab University Campus Student Council is a farce. Noise created by supporters, who blindly raise slogans in support of their candidate, makes it impossible for anyone to understand what the speaker is saying. The disorder is heightened by the clamour of opponent groups.

The same ‘drama’ is enacted each year, since 1997, when the election process was revived. Surprisingly, neither the student organisation that occupied the council office over the years, nor the university officials, who conducted the house, have ever bothered to bring about any improvements on this front.

The first aim of all supporters is to occupy the space adjacent to the podium. The only aim of these groups seems to ensure that no body except their candidate is heard. When everyone pays back in the same coin, the entire exercise is rendered futile.

The proceedings today were a little more rowdy than the preceding years and the speakers were greeted with flying pieces of papers and even wooden poles that supported the panels. The podium was set up near the sidewalk to the coffee house at the top floor of the Student Centre. Pieces of paper and even wood caught certain people unawares on the podium. The police had to rush to the well of the house. One of the party supporters of PUSU was whisked away by cops.

The proceedings were stopped midway and Prof Surinder Sharma, convener of the open house, requested the students to behave and keep it in their mind the fact that even teachers were seated on the podium where the flying objects from the crowd were landing.

The organisers had originally decided to give opportunity to three candidates from each organisation to voice their issues. The chance for presidential candidate was common to all parties. Seeing hooliganism, the number of speakers from each group was reduced to two. This could have denied girl speakers a chance to speak had Dr Meenakshi Malhotra, Dean Student Welfare, not interfered. Rishwant Kaur, a candidate of the Haryana Student Association, and Bhavna of the Panjab University Student Union (Shailay), got a chance to speak.

The speakers repeatedly urged the students to observe silence and keep patience, but to no avail. A senior university teacher said it was surprising that such an activity (open house) was not regulated. She said the entire exercise was rendered a mockery of the election process and was definitely not a good reflection on the standard of student activism on the campus.

A presidential candidate said the university should organise open house like other functions, with proper seating arrangements and by involving student leaders in efforts to maintain peace. This would lend more grace to the event and also make it more meaningful. In case the house was conducted properly, all candidates would have got ample time to voice their opinion and it could have been followed by a question-answer session.

Banks to collect property tax
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 11
Even as officers of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation are undecided about when to begin the collection of property tax, a system to streamline collection of the tax is being put in place. Certain banks, having branches in different sectors, are being authorised to accept the tax amount.

Expecting a revenue of around Rs 10 crore from the property tax, the corporation has decided to call a meeting of the representatives of the short listed banks to collect the fee for the convenience of the tax payers. The tax could be paid biannually or after an year, said sources in the corporation.

As the corporation was scheduled to begin by October — following the July 31 meeting of the municipal corporation, the officers said initially a policy of self-assessment would be pursued so that there was no pilferage of the tax and there was no harassment to the tax payers. All other formalities regarding the various slabs to levy the tax, penalty and time schedule have already been finalised and it would require few days to begin the process.

The Mayor of the Corporation, Mr Subash Chawla, had already constituted a committee having two councillors who would listen to the appeals from the payers of property tax.

After the general house of the corporation rejected the notification to impose property tax at 5 per cent, it was sent to the Administration for its direction. The Administration had already rejected the property tax at 2 per cent approved by the House and increased the rate of property tax to 5 per cent. Though the corporation is waiting for the final reply from the administration, the Administration is likely to reiterate its earlier direction, delaying the process, said the sources.

The Mayor said the administration should honour the mandate of the general house to impose tax at 2 per cent instead of 5 per cent. He said it would take some time for the residents to get used to system of paying tax. He opined that the slab of the tax could be increased after some time. In House proceedings said the notification at 5 per cent of the rate came only for information and the opinion of the House was not required on it. In this scenario, there is no need to send the resolution of the House to the Chandigarh Administration.

While the Mayor has set up a two-councillor committee to listen to the objections of the tax payers, a meeting to negotiate the terms and conditions of the banks was being held tomorrow. Apart from this, the temporary staff on contract basis for the tax collection was to be approved.

Indo-US ties better, says Peter Burleigh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 11
Indo-US relations have broadened since the September 11 terrorist attacks rocked the USA two years ago, Mr Peter Burleigh, a former US Ambassador and Deputy Assistant Secretary, said here today. The USA was using its influence with the Pakistani Government and working very hard through diplomatic channels to control activities that had cross-border implications. “We are trying to be supportive of India,” he remarked.

He was here to deliver a talk on “International co-operation on counter-terrorism” under the Haksar memorial lecture programme being organised by the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID).

Mr Burleigh said the 9/11 attacks had galvanised the world to act in close cooperation against terrorism. There had been significant changes in strategic and tactical alliances between the USA and other countries as well as those between countries which did not involve the USA. Indo-US relations had have never been warmer.

Since the 9/11 attacks, there had been a number of terrorist strikes across the globe, noticeably in South, East and West Asia, Russia and Africa while two wars were launched against terrorism by the USA, in Afghanistan and Iraq, he said, adding that the US rationale for launching attacks had triggered debates.

The credibility of the USA had been damaged following recent developments in America and the UK over the reasons advanced to launch the Iraq war. The key question now was the US Government’s ability and willingness to rebuild Iraq.

He also dismissed reports that the USA was trying to realign international borders in West Asia. The USA respected the borders of Iraq which would not be changed.

About the US relationship with Saudi Arabia, he said there were some disagreements with it prior to 9/11 but despite some tension, government-to-government relations continued to be close as the USA had strong interests to have stability in the region to ensure a reliable and continuous flow of oil.

About the US correlation with the United Nations, Mr Burleigh said the credibility of the UN had been affected to some extent with the USA bypassing it on issues relating to the war on terror. The UN Secretary-General had proposed some reforms and the UN was likely to be successful in its efforts in all spheres if the USA and the UN worked closely.

Gujral takes over as Adviser
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 11
Mr Raminder Singh Gujral, Home Secretary, Chandigarh, took over as Adviser to the UT Administrator this afternoon, thus relieving Mr Virendra Singh of the charge. Mr Gujral, a 1976-batch IAS officer of the Haryana cadre, was appointed Adviser following the orders of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs last night. The outgoing Adviser left for New Delhi even without getting a formal farewell.

As expected, in the morning the Administrator issued orders to relieve Mr Virendra Singh and appointed Mr Gujral, who formally took over around 2 p.m. The orders were signed by Mr Ashok Sangwan, Joint Secretary, Personnel, on behalf of the Administrator. Mr Virendra Singh even did not attend the scheduled coordination meeting with the Administrator where the fourth phase of the Kajauli water supply was discussed.

Mr Virendra Singh visited the UT Secretariat in the morning and handed over the charge to Mr Gujral. He then met the Administrator, Justice O.P. Verma (retd), before leaving for Delhi. The tenure of Mr Virendra Singh was second shortest stint as Adviser.

With love from Land of the Rising Sun
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 11
It’s hard to trace glimpses of your culture in the gestures of people from faraway lands. But whenever such a rarity meets the eye, one can’t but feel proud to be part of a heritage that makes the world go round. So when members of the Japanese delegation in Chandigarh for a special presentation tomorrow, greeted the gathering with the traditional “Namaste”, an instant bonding was what followed.

In the city to present the first-ever Japanese musical and film show, Nobuko Furihata, Kumiko Mori and Elena Tomioka, swore by the richness of Indian culture, saying: “We have been all over the world promoting our paper puppet theatre, called ‘panel theatre’, which aims to educate through theatre. The project targets school children and holds immense importance for the developing world. After long, we have got the opportunity to come to India, where we will show how we use panel theatre to tell tales and teach children the nuances of languages, especially scripts.”

Famous for their music group “Twinkle”, formed five years ago to enhance the popularity of panel theatre evolved in Japan by Prof Ryoujun Kouda, Nobuko, Kumiko and Elena informed The Tribune that the Embassy of Japan and the Japan Foundation had required them to communicate with Indians and tell them how the Japanese loved their history. Interestingly, Nobuko, has been camping in New Delhi, holding panel theatre workshops in reputed schools, including the DPS, where she is training people in this puppet theatre form that uses cutouts of drawings on paper.

Talking about the concept which Kumuiko and Elena help popularize through music, Nobuko said: “We use this theatre to introduce sex education to children in Japan. We also teach scripts of languages through this form, which we have already taught in Malaysia, Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Nepal. We are now bringing it to India.”

Using a harp-like instrument (a combination of Indian santoor and surmandal), Elena introduces the gathering to the theme of panel theatre presentation. She held a demonstration for the Indian gathering today, when she greeted them with music and puppets. A trained guitar, violin and piano player, Elena said: “I have had the privilege of performing at the Nagamo Winter Olympic Games. I mainly play Arpa, which I learnt in South America. Presently I am promoting the instrument through performances wherein I attempt to present Japanese folk songs on the instrument. I also work to promote panel theatre.”

About panel theatre, which has caught the attention of Indian educationists, Nobuko said: “This is a puppet show except that it is based on cutouts of drawings on paper. It seeks to disseminate knowledge through music and theatre, exchange emotional ideals between the player and kids and establish coherent relations between children and parents.”

The artistes will perform at Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, tomorrow morning. Later they will will perform in Tagore Theatre. Japanese films will also be showcased at Shivalik Public School tomorrow and day after at Hansraj Public School, Panchkula.

COMMUNITY

“Pinjar” to bare women’s travails during Partition
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 11
Once again the frozen moments of bloodstained tales of Partition will start melting soon through “Pinjar”, a film based on Amrita Pritam’s famed Punjabi novel with the same title.

Mrs Sarla Sharma, an 82-year-old freedom fighter, who has the most authentic account of what happened to Hindu, Sikh and Muslim women during the bloody days of Partition, says “those were the most shameful and barbaric moments of human history in the Indian subcontinent”.

Unfortunately, the makers of “ Pinjar” have not consulted Mrs Sharma, who shuttled between Lahore and Jalandhar from 1948 to 1951 to perform the difficult task of recovering Hindu, Sikh and Muslim women, who were molested, raped and abducted by human beasts. Pinjar, according to Dr Chander Parkash Diwedi, director of the film, is a story of women savaged during Partition.

Pinjar, the novel, is one of the masterpieces written in Punjabi, Hindi and English to tell the blood-chilling account of Partition by writers like Amrita, Khushwant Singh (Train to Pakistan) and Bhisham Sahni.

The storyline of Pinjar has emotionally shaken actress Urmila Matondkar, who has played its main character “Puro” in the movie. At the Wagah border where she released the music of the film, Urmila was in tears, unable to speak when she tried to tell the story of film. “What happened to women during Partition could not be described,” she murmured.

Recollecting Mrs Sarla Sharma says, “ I along with Mrs Sita Devi held a meeting with the Pakistan authorities in Lahore in the first week of January, 1948, following an agreement between the Indian and Pakistan Governments to recover the lost and abducted women in both countries.”

Most women were recovered in both Punjabs and certain parts of Rajasthan. “Punjab on both sides of the border was hit the most by the division of the country. There is no count how many women ended their lives or were killed by their parents, husbands to save their “honour”, says Mrs Sharma.

Mrs Sharma says she established her base camp near Company Bagh at Layalpur, now renamed Faislabad, in Pakistan. “My first encounter was with a graduate woman, who was held back by a sweeper in Layalpur. She refused to come to India. When riots broke out at midnight, her husband ran away leaving her alone to fend for herself. As my husband had ditched me then, why should I go back to him now,” said Mrs Sharma. But later she agreed to come back.

“I sent her to the main camp set up near Sir Ganga Ram Hospital at Lahore. From there she was moved to the Gandhi Ashram camp at Jalandhar, where all such women were lodged till their relatives took them along”. At Jalandhar, Ms Krishna Thapar, a cousin of Sukhdev, a revolutionary colleague of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, was made Superintendent of the ashram camp. Mrs Premvati Thapar, Principal of Mahila College, was the top person in charge of the camp. Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru had made Mrs Mirdula Sarabai from an industrial family of Gujarat as the woman in charge of the Recovery mission.

Even though Mrs Sharma does not remember the exact number of women recovered in both countries, they were in hundreds. However, she faced a threat to her life only once while performing this hard task. One woman was to be recovered from a driver at Issa Khel village in the Frontier area at a considerable distance from Mianwali in Pakistan.

“As I along with a policeman, a Maulvi and two other persons reached the driver’s house, he made the woman hide. He resisted to send the woman back to India. He called his friends who turned up at his house with rifles. The local police refused to extend any help. The Maulvi, fearing bloodshed, opted to leave the place,” says Mrs Sharma.

“But I did not leave the place and cajoled the driver to bring the woman at a place outside the village in the evening. As both came, I asked them to sit in my jeep. After covering 15 miles, I asked the driver to halt the jeep. The driver was offloaded there and we sped to Lahore through Sheikhupura. The driver and his friends chased us up to Lahore but we were able to dodge them,” she added.

She also worked in the Bathinda and Jaipur areas to recover Muslim women to send them back to Pakistan.

Mr Sarwan Singh Bir, who was active on the farmers’ front then, extended help to recover several women from the Bhikhi area.

Mrs Sharma, who remained in the Dharamsala and Lahore jails along with Amar Kaur, Mrs Pushpa Gujral, mother of former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral, and several other women, including the mother of Mr Krishan Kant, joined politics in 1952 after returning from Lahore. Besides being a member of the Punjab Assembly in 1957, she also remained a Minister of State for Local Bodies in Himachal in 1972 after winning the election from Hamirpur. She has retired from politics but her daughter Viplov Thakur is active as a politician in Himachal Pradesh.

British Ambassador calls on Verma
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 11
The British High Commissioner to India, Sir Rob Young, today called on the Punjab Governor and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh, Justice O.P. Verma (retd), at the Punjab Raj Bhavan.

Sir Rob Young discussed various issues of mutual interest with the Governor. The Governor informed him that Punjab was a progressive and vibrant state, which had made a mark especially in the agricultural sector. Justice Verma said there was, however, an urgent need to encourage the farmers to diversify in cash crops especially fruits and sought the corporation of British companies to set up their joint ventures in the state especially in the areas of food processing, agro-processing and post-harvest technology.

Justice Verma said Punjab was all set to augment power sector to make the state self-sufficient on power front and invited British companies to set up joint ventures in this sector also. Sir Rob Young informed the Governor that a British company had already bought 24 per cent stake in Punjab Tractor Limited and further assured that he would impress upon British companies to hold join ventures in the state.

Justice Verma added that Punjab with a large human resource base especially in the IT sector was the right place for British IT and biotechnology firms to invest in.

The British High Commissioner remained with the Governor for 45 minutes.

Asha Sharma questioned by vigilance
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, September 11
Complying with the directions issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Haryana’s Financial Commissioner-cum-Principal Secretary Asha Sharma today appeared before the UT Vigilance department in Sector 9 to join investigations.

She was reportedly questioned for over an hour by Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Mr Arjun Singh Jaggi and Sub Inspector Jaswinder Singh of the Vigilance Cell today.

On September 9, the court had asked her to join the investigations. A case of an alleged cheating and forgery was registered against her under Sections 406, 420, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code at police station Vigilance here on May 3, this year. The court had earlier stayed her arrest in the case.

The case was reportedly registered after an inquiry was conducted into the allegations against the IAS officer on the complaint of her mother. The mother had accused her of forging documents pertaining to the family’s ancestral house in Sector 36.

As per the allegations, Ms Sharma had requested the then Assistant Enforcement Officer to “make available from the Estate Office the original file of a Sector 36 house for inspection”. Complying with her request, a clerk had handed over the file to Ms Sharma. It was later alleged that certain papers were found to be missing.

SAS Nagar Diary
Federation demands district status for Mohali
Our Correspondent

SAS Nagar, September 11
The Citizens Welfare Federation has demanded from the Punjab Government that SAS Nagar should be given a district status as the population of the town had crossed 2 lakh which was equal to the population of almost 20 villages.

In a letter to Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, the president of the federation said that residents had been making this demand since 1995 but to no avail. Panchkula which got developed after SAS Nagar had already been given the district status. As SAS Nagar did not have any judicial court thousands of residents from the town had to go to Ropar or Kharar. The letter said if the government was unable to fulfil the demand of the residents immediately then at least an Additional Deputy Commissioner, who had more powers than the SDM, should be posted in the town.

Move opposed

The Municipal Councillor of ward No. 13 has opposed the move of Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) of handing over the community centre in Phase V to Gymkhana Club. In a letter to the Chief Administrator, PUDA, Ms Deep Kaur Shyan, said that the community centre in the area was constructed after a long struggle by residents for the facility and it was fulfilling the basic needs of the people. If the centre was handed over to the club the residents of the area would be deprived of the facility. Even senior citizens, who have given a room in the centre, would be facing problems. Moreover, such centres were constructed by PUDA out of the money collected by it after allotting plots to people.

Federation plea

The Citizens Welfare Federation has demanded from the Punjab State Electricity Board authorities here to withdraw any order which stated that power drawn from more than one meter in one house would be charged extra power rates. The president of the federation said that additional meters in one residence were not bogus and had been installed only after taking the necessary permission and depositing the required fee.

Freshers welcomed

MBA freshers were given a warm welcome by their seniors at the Gian Jyoti Institute of Management and Technology. A cultural programme which included items like songs, skits, dances, mimicry was presented. Mr J.S. Bedi, chairman of the institute, while addressing students said that they should involve themselves in serious study and upgrade their knowledge and managerial skills to combat the challenges of the future.

Honour for disabled kids

The National Handicapped Welfare Council has decided to honour disabled children, especially who were deaf and dumb and visually impaired, from all over the state who had got good marks in the Class X and XII examinations conducted by the Punjab School Education Board. A merit list in this regard had already been prepared. The awards will be given at a state-level talent show.

BUSINESS

Single-window system at bank branch
Our Correspondent

SAS Nagar, September 11
To provide better services to its customers a branch of the State Bank of Patiala in Phase VII has started a single window system here today.

Transactions up to Rs 10,000 could now be conducted at a single window. Transfer entry of an amount up to Rs 50,000 would also be done at one seat. Officials who have to deal with the public coming for withdrawal or depositing cash have been made to sit in the frontline.

The bank has come up with a number of benefits for its customers. Cash payment and cash receipt up to Rs 10,000 will be made at all counters on the front line.

Frontline staff will be exercising powers for cash and transfer transactions. In case of cash receipt, counterfoils duly signed by supervising officials are given to the customers.

The formalities for opening an account are completed at the frontline and cash is accepted only after the opening of the account has been allowed by the authorised official. Stored cash is being provided to customers.

Token and transit vouchers are not used for cash payment falling within the powers of the computer operator.

The ATM facility has already been provided by the bank and now it plans to set up another ATM at the bank branch located at the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research in Sector 67 here. Out of the four branches of the State Bank of Patiala in the town, the Phase VII branch was the first one to start the single window system.