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Controversy courts Gymkhana Club
It's a not-so-imposing building with parts of it almost unsafe for use. But that is just beside the point. What is interesting, though by no means remarkable, is that the Jullundur Gymkhana Club, the nerve centre of the crème da la crème here, has been courting controversies over the past few years. Allegations flew thick and fast during the club's elections for office- bearers held in the month of June this year. These allegations and counter-allegations were the culmination of the dissolution of the general house of the club four years ago and the subsequent "barring" of some of its members from contesting the club's elections. In the wrangling that followed, some members went to court. Finally, the High Court directed that the elections be held in March 2004. However, post-elections, the rumblings, instead of quieting down, have become even noisier. It still rankles in the minds of many members that the elections were "not free and fair" and "impersonation" was rife during the polling. The charge, however, is vehemently denied by others, who are among the new office- bearers. The club's own members are overseeing the demise of its hallowed traditions, say astute observers. Food, facilities, developmental charges, decorum, financial crunch, tottering of old values -- the contentious issues-- are as varied as chalk and cheese. Nevertheless, they continue to hog the members' attention. One group, hinting at vested interests, alleges that things are getting worse, while the rival faction counter alleges that have inherited a bad state of affairs and that they are already on the path to improvement. Old-timers recount the "good old days". "The club is a shadow of its former glory. When Mr Yashpal Mittal was the secretary things were worked out meticulously. Efforts were made to improve the club-working and decorum was maintained at all costs," says Dr M.S. Sethi, who has been a member of the club's executive committee since 1982. But this is countered by those in charge of the things these days. They assert that they are "absolutely sincere in their efforts". "There's no problem now. Earlier, members had to approach bureaucracy to sort out their problems. But now things have changed for the better," adds club's treasurer, Mr Parveen Gupta. The tug-of-war among members on the issue of wresting control over the "coveted" committees has added yet another dimension to bitter politicking, say sources. The formation of these committees is in a state of limbo. Dr Sethi says, "Earlier, committees used to be formed on the basis of seniority. Not now." "Three committees - bar, entertainment and catering - are hot favourites among the members. They want to be included in these committees. We have asked them to resolve their differences amicably. The president of the club is the final authority and we have left things to him," says Dr Mann. The vice president says the "biggest" challenge is to improve the facilities in the club. The membership that is well over 3500 poses certain practical problems. "There are 3600 members. Many
of these members have not paid their monthly dues. The foremost task before us is to recover the pending dues from these members," he explains, adding that the club needs a new building. However, the "resource crunch" makes the shifting to a new building not feasible in near future, he says. "The new building venture would run to the cost of Rs four crore. So, as of now, we are concentrating on landscaping. We are also thinking of getting sponsorships for our programmes." Interestingly, the treasurer has a slightly different version of the "fundscape". "There is no paucity of funds. Renovation is in full swing," he tells us. There are some issues, which even the elected office bearers would like to be dealt with at the earliest. "The club's constitution needs to be reviewed. New laws, keeping in view the changing times, need to be framed. Committees should be formed at the earliest, so that there is accountability. Money play and muscle power should not be allowed to gain upper hand during elections," says the vice president.
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Roundabouts' removal stirs a hornet's nest The move of the local Municipal Corporation to remove two roundabouts — Guru Nanak Mission Chowk and BMC Chowk — and its plan to spend Rs 60 lakh on installation of traffic lights and execution of other renovation works has snowballed into a major controversy. The opposition parties have dubbed it as "a wasteful exercise at the cost of the state exchequer." But the authorities concerned term it as an attempt to ease traffic congestion. The leader of Opposition in the MC House and senior BJP leader, Mr Kishan Dev Bhandari, alleged that spending Rs 60 lakh on renovation of two roundabouts was a clear attempt to "waste" taxpayers' money for nothing. He maintained that the plan was primarily aimed at "favouring a lobby of private contractors, who would be the ultimate beneficiaries". The Mayor, Mr Surinder Mahey, however, thinks otherwise. He says, "We are removing these roundabouts just to ease traffic congestion and the project has been planned after receiving several suggestions from public. The Opposition, it seems, is in habit of criticising us without taking into account the problems being faced by the residents." The Opposition also slammed the MC authorities for not attempting to get these chowks renovated on Built, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis. “The MC officials want the projects to suit their own vested interests," alleges Mr Bhandari. The Opposition has yet another grouse. The "estimate files" of these two projects have been prepared in illegible handwriting, alleges the Opposition leader. "So much so that the Executive Engineer concerned and the Superintending Engineer expressed their helplessness in comprehending these estimates," he alleges, demanding that the tenders for these two roundabouts be "declared cancelled and the amount, thus saved, be spent on providing drinking water to residents". When contacted, Mr Talwar said , "We are ready to cancel the process of inviting tenders for the project, if anybody is ready to work with us on BOT basis." Mr Mahey, however, has his own version of the things. Flaying the Opposition for "creating unnecessary impediments", he says, "There is a ban on putting up huge advertisement hoardings near roundabouts. Besides, we are spending money to give the city a new look. We are not in anyway diverting funds meant for other developmental projects."
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‘The Queen of the Battle’ wins hearts of people
Tribune News Service Major General B.J. Gupta, Chief of Staff, Vajra Corps, and Lt Gen S.S. Sangha (retd) laid wreaths at the memorial and paid a tribute to the martyred infantrymen of the state. Speaking on the occasion, Maj Gen Gupta said that Indian infantrymen have earned the respect and admiration of their counterparts the world over. Besides, zealously guarding the nation's frontiers over 58 years of independent India's turbulent history, the Indian infantry battalions have earned for themselves a unique pride of place, he said. The COS said that if the army had stood the nation in good stead through a difficult phase of its history, the credit went mostly to the selfless devotion of India's gallant infantrymen for whom sacrifice was a way of life. Through their dedication and disciplined professionalism, they had managed internal security and counter-insurgency operations over prolonged periods, he added. Later in the day, a Sainik Sammelan was held in which the glorious past of the infantry was recalled. Replete with the glorious history of warfare spanning over a couple of centuries, the infantrymen proudly discussed the vital role that they were playing in managing the security and safety of the country. This was followed by a "barakhana" in which the Infantry ex-servicemen from adjoining areas of Jalandhar joined and shared the brotherhood of the infantry. Later in the evening, a social interaction was held in the cantonment in which serving and retired infantry officers participated.
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Underground sewerage still a distant dream
MORE than 20,000 residents of four residential colonies situated near Maqsoodan on Jalandhar-Amritsar Road here are being forced to live in miserable condition on account of the failure of the local Municipal Corporation to lay underground sewerage system in the past two decades.
The affected localities include Ravidass Nagar, Anand Nagar, New Anand Nagar and New Jaswant Nagar. In the absence of any sewerage system, the sludge water generated out of the houses flows down to the nearby railway under bridge (RUB). This converts the area around the bridge into a temporary pond. The situation worsens during rainy season when the sludge water enters into the nearby houses. Besides, it is a breeding place for mosquitoes and other insects. According to residents, the Municipal Corporation officials had never sprayed DDT or other anti-insecticides to stop the generation of mosquitoes. The residents alleged that though they had met the Commissioner of Municipal Corporation, Mr Satwant Singh Johl, on several occasions in the past, nothing concrete was done. Only hollow promises were made. "The sludge water pond is causing damage to the boundary wall of my house. Besides, the foul smell makes living there very difficult for us," Ms Kulwant Kaur, a resident of New Anand Nagar alleged. During a visit to the affected localities, The Tribune team found that more than 30 vacant plots near the railway line were full of sludge water. The threat of an animal or a child getting drowned in the sludge pond due to the absence of any boundary wall around it looms large. Another problem being faced by the residents is the threat of mixing of sludge water with that of the underground potable water. The residents alleged that sometimes the colour of the drinking water was yellowish. "We usually drink water after boiling it" they said. C.J.S. Public School, with strength of 700 students, is also situated in New Anand Nagar. "We have time and again approached the Assistant Divisional Engineer of Northern Railway and the MC Commissioner for redressing the issue, but to no avail. We fear that one of these days the pond water would enter the school playground," said Ms Veena Katyal, Principal of the school. The pond, according to the residents, posed a serious health risk to them. "The officials concerned have visited the place on several occasions in the past, but they have not taken any steps so far," Mr Jagtar Singh of New Jaswant Nagar rued. Sources in the Northern Railway, however, maintained that if the problem was allowed to remain unattended, it might pose a serious threat to the railway track. "The erosion of sand and earth due to the increasing level of the sludge pond may lead to derailment. The department should take corrective and immediate measures to avoid any tragedy," they added. The Superintending Engineer (Operations and Maintenance), Mr A.K. Parbhakar, was not available for comments, even as MC sources maintained that a plan was being made to connect the sewerage system of the affected localities with that of the main sewerage pipelines passing through Jalandhar-Amritsar Road. It would take about one year for the project to be completed.
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From the schools
Students of III class, Apeejay School, Model Town, presented an impressive show that was an amalgamation of dance, drama and music, that left an indelible mark on the minds of the spectators on Monday. The programme began with the welcome of the Chief Guest, Ms Kaamna Raj Aggarwal, Principal, Ms Ranjana Sud and Headmistress, Ms Usha Malhotra. The show started with the invocation of the blessings of Goddess Saraswati. The next item of the show was an English play "The Earth Day" emphasising the need for a healthy, green and clean environment for future generations. The play was followed by a dance-drama depicting the fact that enjoyment and discipline are two sides of the same coin. The audience enjoyed the melodious and rhythmical song "Brown girl in the ring". The story enactment "Munni ka chamatkar" emphasised that one cannot change one's basic nature. The significance of reading books and going to the library was highlighted in the play "The book brigade". A glimpse of the Indian classical dances was presented in the form of a fusion dance. Inter-school
basketball
A four-day North Zone-II Basketball Tournament being organised by the Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) was inaugurated at MGN Public School on Wednesday. As many as 20 teams from Delhi, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab arrived in the school for participating in the event. BSF Commandant Anil Punj, who is an Arjuna awardee, inaugurated the event. The 10 teams participating in the boys' fixture were divided into two pools. Eight matches were held on the first two days, Wednesday and Thursday. Two semi-final matches will be held on Friday, to be followed by two final matches to be held on Saturday. Similarly, the 10 teams of girls have also been divided into two pools, each with five teams. The schedule of their matches tallies that of the boys' fixture.
Inter-house debate
Middle section students of Lawrence International School, GT Road, participated in an inter-house debate competition organised on Saturday. The topic of the debate was "Reservation policy of the government should continue". Sonali Bedi of VIII class won the first prize. Anu of the same class was declared second and Harleen of VII class stood third. Mr G.S. Bajwa, Principal, gave certificates to the winners and appreciated the efforts of the organisers in conducting the event.
Mock fire drill
With an aim to train the students and the staff to respond adequately to any fire outbreak in the school, the management of Eklavya School held a mock fire drill on Friday. Smoke coming out of a small piece of paper set on fire raised fire alarm fitted in the centre of the building. Hearing the alarm, all students and staff quickly lined up in a queue and started climbing down the stairs and assembled near the school gates. The staff tested the fire equipment to test its efficacy. Ms Sapna Bakshi, Principal, said that the exercise was performed so as to train the students to react fast to any untoward incident. She said that all students participated actively and the school was vacated in five to seven minutes.
Annual function
The management and the staff of Modern School organised their annual prize distribution at Red Cross Bhavan on Thursday. The programme began with Saraswati Vandana, followed by choreography. Punjabi skit presented by Raja, Rahul Gill and Vishavjeet stressed on the need to create awareness about the menace of drug addiction. The
programme came alive as the students of VIII class presented dandiya. The students of primary and nursery classes presented a fancy dress show, in which Sahil of IV class acted like Sachin Tendulkar, Rubal of III class mimicked Jazzy B, Harleen of II class acted like an air hostess, Karan of I class came dressed up as an apple, Yashu of UKG acted like Rajguru, Shatakshi of LKG acted like a Kashmiri girl and Inderpreet of nursery pretended to be a drummer.
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Youth fests keep students busy all through week
IT was talent all the way as zonal youth festivals were organised for students from Punjab Technical University (PTU) as well as for those from Guru Nanak Dev University. While the two-day PTU Zonal Youth Festival concluded at Lovely Institutes, Phagwara, on Wednesday, the three-day Guru Nanak Dev University zonal youth festival for men concluded at Ladhewali on Thursday.
About 300 students from 14 colleges (affiliated with the PTU) from Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Nawanshahr and Gurdaspur participated in the festival. The festival was inaugurated by Dr M.S. Grewal, Registrar of the university. Mr Jaspal Singh, Coordinator, Cultural Affairs, PTU, supervised the cultural show. In the two-day festival, the students competed in literary competitions like quiz, debate and elocution. The fun and excitement was at its peak when the teams dressed in colourful traditional dresses performed in folk dance contests. Bhangra and other folk dances impressed the audience. On the occasion, the students of Lovely Institutes gave a scintillating performance of Malwai gidha. Dr S.K. Salwan, Vice Chancellor, PTU, was the chief guest during the valedictory function. Mr Ashok Mittal, President of Lovely Institutes, said that education was incomplete without extra-curricular activities. Meanwhile, the zonal youth festival of Guru Nanak Dev University had participants from as many as 20 colleges, including those from Jalandhar and Kapurthala. The festival was inaugurated by the Vice Chancellor of the university, Dr S.P. Singh. The programme began with the contest for bhangra in which teams from as many as 13 colleges took part. On the first day of the event, the fancy dress contest was held in which most of the students came dressed up like politicians. On Wednesday, there were contests for skit, mime, group shabad, group song Indian folk, orchestra, Western
vocal, etc. Results: Overall winner: DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology Classical dance: Tarangini of DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology (1), Surbhi Babbar from Rayat Institute of Engineering and Technology and Kamal Preet of Lovely Institute of Management (2) Western vocal solo: Kunal Jhangi from DAVIET (1),
Kalpana Thakur from Lovely Institute of Technology (2). Skit: Lovely Institute of Technology (1) and DAVIET (2). One act play: DAVIET (1), Lovely Institute of Management (2). Light vocal Indian: Navraj Hans from LIM (1), Kunal Jhangi from DAVIET (2) Classical vocal solo: Navraj Hans from LIM (1) and Ravinoor Singh from LIT (2). Classical instrumental solo (percussion): Param Puneet from RIET, Phagwara (1), and Ramandeep Sandhu from LIM (2). Classical instrumental solo (non-percussion): Vaibhav Mittal (LIT) (1) and Jasmandeep (LIM) (2) Collage making: Rishi from DAVIET (1) and Deepak Singh Chauhan from RIET, Phagwara (2). Clay modelling: Gaurav from DAVIET (1). Western group song: DAVIET (1). Quiz: DAVIET (1), and Rayat Institute of Engineering and Technology (2). Group song Indian: DAVIET (1), Lovely Institute of Management (2). Mimicry: Varun Garg of DAVIET (1), and Rajesh Kumar of Lovely Institute of Management (2). Mime: Apeejay Institute of Management (1), and DAVIET (2). Folk dance: DAVIET (1), and Lovely Institute (2). Elocution: Prabhu Dayal Mattoo of Lovely institute of Technology and Varun Garg of DAVIET (1) and Isha Kataria of Apeejay Institute (2). Debate: Dolly Kansal and Varun Sharma of Beant College of Engineering and Technology, Gurdaspur (1) and Deepak Chauhan of Ramgarhia College of Engineering and Technology, Phagwara (2). Folk song: Gagandeep from Beant College of Engineering and Technology (1) and Kunal from DAVIET (2). On the spot painting: Gaurav Aman from DAVIET (1) and Nimrat Kaur from Lovely institute of Management (2). Cartooning: Gaurav Aman from DAVIET (1) and Manmohan Verma from Sant Baba Bhag Singh Institute of Engineering and Technology (2). Poster-making: DAVIET (1) and Rayat Institute of Engineering and Technology, Phagwara (2). |
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"The
June elections were a sham. One person hijacked the entire ballot
proceedings to bring in his chosen candidate. Duplicate identity cards
were made and bogus votes cast openly. We, on our part, are
professionals. We are incapable of indulging in hanky-panky
dealings."
"The club standard has plummeted abysmally. There was rigging in elections this time - a thing unheard of till now. The caucus with which the power vests these days is manipulating things for their vested ends."
"No comments on the elections. I have to watch the interests of the club. It's time to look forward and work with team spirit. Some changes, particularly in the club's constitution, must be affected. For instance, the elected vice president hardly has any powers."
"Everything is all right. The club is doing very fine and there are no problems, whatsoever. The elections held under the control of the administration were fair."
