 |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Security stepped up
Chandigarh, October 29 Besides this, the police used the public address system to warn the residents in the shopping complexes about the perilous implications of picking up abandoned and unidentified objects. They also asked the residents to inform them about the movement of persons roaming under suspicious circumstances. A senior police officer said they had not received any report from the intelligence agencies regarding the possibility of bomb blasts in the city, but they “were just not taking any chances”. A visit to the Sector 17 bus stand late in the evening revealed that the bags and baggage of the passengers who were about to board the buses were being checked thoroughly. They were also being frisked. The situation was hardly different at the Sector 43 bus stand with the cops checking the luggage from inside the buses to check them thoroughly with the help of metal detector and other devices. At some places, the police also took the help of sniffer dogs. Dustbins and other objects, including empty tins strewn all over the platform were checked at the railway station. Besides this, the police lost little time in setting up barricades around the shopping complexes in Sector 17, Sector 22 and other places.
|
|
Hawara granted bail in jailbreak case
However, it would take time for him to walk free as he is still the main accused in the Beant Singh assassination case. In their bail application, Mr Amar Singh Chahal and Mr Arvind Thakur, counsels for
Hawara, contended that the charges against the alleged militant in the jailbreak case were
trilable by a Judicial Magistrate. Even in the Beant Singh assassination case, Hawara was being tried under Section 302 of the IPC and sedition charges had not been slapped against him in the case, the counsels said pleading for bail. It may be recalled that while dropping the sedition charges against the Burail jailbreak accused, the former Additional Session Judge, Mr Balbir Singh, had released certain accused on bail. After his escape from the high-security Burail Jail, Hawara was declared a proclaimed offender at that time. The counsels argued that even the order of Mr Balbir Singh was not challenged by the prosecution in the Punjab and Haryana High Court as per the law. The Chandigarh police had recently filed supplementary challans against the jailbreak accused and charged them with waging war against the state under Sections 121 and 121-A of the IPC. The order on Hawara is likely to benefit the suspended jail officials, who had been apprehending arrest in the wake of filing supplementary challans.
|
|
|
Power Grid officer ends life
Chandigarh, October 29 His neighbours who were in a state of shock after the incident, Salim’s body which was hanging from the fan was discovered by his wife, Shah Bano Parveen, at about 12.45 pm after she returned from Sector 46 Government College where she is working as a professor in economics. The neighbours said they rushed to the house after hearing her cries. After informing the police, Salim’s body was brought down. A neighbour had seen Salim carrying the rope from the store to the rooms but had not suspected anything. In fact, he thought that Salim was cleaning the house before Divali. Another neighbour said their two children were at home because of Saturday being a holiday. But they neither heard nor noticed anything. As the police reached the house jam-packed with neighbours, the children were inconsolable. A senior police officer said Salim, hailing from Aligarh, was scheduled to visit the hospital along by his wife this afternoon for further treatment. Quoting relatives, he said this was not for the first time that Salim had tried to end his life. Around one-and-a-half year ago, he had made an attempt to end his life by consuming a poisonous substance. The officer added that an inquest proceedings had been initiated under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
|
|
Ministry’s SMS targets IT evaders on their mobiles
Chandigarh, October 29 Many of the mobilephone users, whose name does not figure on the record of the Income Tax Department as assesses, are also getting the message “Happy Divali, have you filed your income tax return for the assessment year 2005-06? If not please file by October 31. For queries: 0124-2438000, www.incometaxindia.gov.in” The message came as a rude shock to a substantial numbers of mobilephone users who believe that possessing a mobilephone does not meant that one has to file the return. Mr Chaman, an employee with a government department, said: “I am a tax assesse and I have already filed the return. The message came as a shock to me when the message came on my mobile”. The Income Tax Department officials are receiving a number of inquiries regarding the message. The SMS from the Income Tax Department made the users sit up and notice it. Sources in the Income Tax Department revealed that under a national-level strategy to reach out to the tax evaders, the Finance Ministry has launched an SMS campaign from October 27. The SMS is being sent to all mobile users whose bills are in excess of Rs 1000. A senior Income Tax officer of the North West region of the department said the campaign was required as hardly 3 per cent of the country’s population pay income as a result the collection rate had remained stagnant at around 10 per cent of the gross domestic product.
|
|
Kawasaki disease still baffles researchers
Chandigarh, October 29 It was this very unpredictable nature of the disease which baffled Dr Kawasaki and led him to discover the disease which was then named after him. In Chandigarh today to attend the third National Conference of the Rheumatology Chapter of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics, Dr Kawasaki shared his experience of the febrile illness which, if not detected in time, caused permanent cardiac damage among children. “When I saw the first case of a four-year-old boy in Japan, I was baffled by its strange symptoms. The child ran very high fever for a week, his eyes and mouth were unusually red, his lips cracked and then swelled. Inside of his mouth was red with sores and the tongue gave a strawberry like appearance with sores all over. The skin developed rashes which changed forms,” said Dr Kawasaki who wrote his first paper in 1967 which was published in the Japanese Journal of Allergy. It was, however, in 1974 when Dr Kawasaki published his path-breaking research in English that the mysterious disease captured world attention. Since then Dr Kawasaki has found many partners in the cause but he is concerned about low acceptance of the disease in the world. “Few doctors can diagnose the diseases because it poses no specific symptoms. Also symptoms change over a period of time and there is no laboratory test to confirm anything. Very often the disease looks like measles. Countries still struggling with measles are likely to misdiagnose Kawasaki as measles, thus posing threat to the future of a child,” said Dr Kawasaki who later interacted with 15 children infected with Kawasaki. The children came to the PGI with their parents who have now formed a Kawasaki awareness society to help other infected children who cannot afford expensive treatment. At the PGI alone, 80 cases of Kawasaki have been handled in the past 10 years. Last week 10 fresh cases were reported - the highest so far. Along with Trivandrum, Chandigarh tops the list of places where Kawasaki is most prevalent. As for the incidence, Kawasaki occurs in 150 per 100000 children below five years of age in Japan. Every year 80,000 children in Japan are diagnosed with it. In Hawai where the disease is being studied by Dr Marian Malish, 80 per 100000 children are infected every year. Dr Malish, also present at the conference, said, “We are most concerned about helping doctors gain awareness about the diseases and prevent its severe consequences. The disease is acute and also causes swollen hands and feet and redness of palms. It may also lead to development of lymph glands in one side of the neck.” Untreatable for 20 years after its discovery, the disease was first opened to prevention in 1985 when Dr Furusho of Japan discovered “Gamma globulin”, which, if injected into patient’s vein within a week of diagnosis, would prevent occurrence of severe cardiac disorders. Aspirin has been listed as another preventive measure for heart problems among suffering children.
|
|
Discharge of LMC soldiers may cripple insurance scheme
Chandigarh, October 29 According to available information, an unprecedented number of soldiers being discharged in the past two years had resulted in the Army Group Insurance doling out about Rs 250 crore as disability compensation. A letter written by the Deputy Director, Army Group Insurance, some time ago has stated that the discharge of LMC personnel who have
very little residual service left has placed a heavy burden on the scheme, threatening
to make it financially unviable. Though the Army Chief has stopped discharge of LMC personnel on account of excessive strength, sources said that the heavy drain of resources would have to be given a serious thought by the financial managers. Till the recent past insurance compensation was being paid to discharged troopers. The letter had advised the Army against discharging troopers who had just a few months to go before the expiry of their colour service. If personnel had already been retained in service for a long period, sending them home just two or three months earlier made little sense. In the past two years, the Army resorted to
discharging several thousand LMC personnel. Reported miscalculations on the posted strength
and consequent intake in various arms and services, led to excessive manpower holdings in the Army. This led the Army to
discharge LMC personnel. They were placed in the LMC on account of some medical problem or physical disability. Army regulations state that a person in the LMC can be retained in service and be given a sheltered appointment as long as he is able to perform duties required in such posts. Personnel who are discharged from service on medical grounds before the expiry of their colour service are entitled to insurance benefits commensurate with their scale of disability. This runs into several lakh rupees per person.
|
|
Passing Thru
What brings you to the city?
I have tied up with Fresh California Grapes, to promote the fruit, grown in California, USA. These grapes will be available round the year, including the off-season, from November 2 onwards. In order to coincide with the launch of these grapes, we have decided to introduce a grape festival in the Yellow Chilli chain of restaurants, and delicacies using grapes will be on offer. How important is novelty in the food business? In the fluid world of hospitality, novelty is the mantra. It is for this reason that we keep on organising food festivals, where new menus are introduced. It is not just important to maintain quality, but also to introduce new recipes to maintain the consumer interest. What is your latest venture? I am all set to launch my own line of ready-to-eat foods and spices in USA and Britain. I am also applying for an international patent of my recipes, in order to avoid any plagiarism. Besides this, we are also set to launch a new restaurant in Ghaziabad. — Ruchika M. Khanna
|
|
|
ECS facility for power bills discontinued
Chandigarh, October 29
The facility saved travelling to banks or to the Electricity Department bill centres. Under the facility an online account was created and payments could be made right from your homes. A consumer could open his account number and punch in the computer his bill number and the corresponding account number. The payment was cleared and the amount was debited from the bank account of the individual. The Electricity Department had tied up with a bank, which was charging 50 paise per transaction as the handling fee. Adding up the fees for the total transaction, including stationary, a consumer paid Rs 4 extra on each slip. Mr V.K. Bhardwaj, Chief Engineer, while talking to The Tribune, said, “we have not closed the facility. At the moment we had arrangement with only one bank, a multinational. In the total payment, a customer shelved Rs 4 extra. We are having communication with other banking institutions for a better deal, so that customers were charged lesser”. Major Gen R.N. Dogra(retd), a resident of Sector 34, said, “I had been clearing my bills through the ECS for the past more than two years. I did not have any knowledge about the ECS facility being closed until I got a copy of the bill saying the practice was discontinued. My clearance got delayed by a day and I am being charged fine”. “My problem was peculiar because I cannot even walk to the bill depositing booth because of physical problems”. He urged the department to have a relook into his case. A senior official said, “the electricity bills now are largely paid at the e-sampark centres. The centres are air-conditioned and there are no long queues unlike the billing stations. There are facilities for coffee, newspapers and magazines and also plenty of space to sit down and relax. We are trying to make the procedure as people friendly as possible and the matter concerning the ECS will also be sorted out at the earliest”. Mr Vinay Mittal, a resident of Sector 45, said, “I am employed in an industry near Dera Bassi. It is difficult for me to find time on a weekday to deposit my bills because I return later during evening. The ECS was a very big service provided by the Electricity Department because I cleared my bill from home. I hope the facility is revived at the earliest”.
|
|
Police plans high mast tower lights
Chandigarh, October 29 The development is significant as approximately one third of the accidents take place in the city after sunset primarily due to poor illumination of roads. Quoting rough figures, sources in the police headquarters say that as many as 1,633 accidents were reported to the police from January 2000 till April this year. In 2004 alone, 396 accidents were reported. Out of these, 141 proved fatal. A substantial number of these mishaps occurred between 7 pm and 5 am. In so many of them, poor illumination played a direct or an indirect role. The sources add that the problem is particularly bad during rainy and foggy seasons when reduced visibility leads to serious head on collisions and other accidents. In one such mishap, a city-based pilot lost his eye after the car he was travelling in rammed into a roundabout near the Sector 16 General Hospital a few years ago. After the mishap, a fresh coat of paint was applied to the roundabouts all over the city. Luminous sign boards indicating the presence of a rotary were also installed. But in the absence of proper streetlightning, the measures proved grossly inadequate, the sources agree. Giving details of the proposal, the sources say that senior Chandigarh Police functionaries have asked the UT Engineering Department to install towers with sodium vapour lights at all major intersections. Compared to the mercury vapour, sodium vapour lights are able to pierce the fog and illuminate the roads in “a much better manner”. Otherwise, the height of the tower allows the light to spread evenly and cover a larger area. Confirming the receipt of the proposal, a senior Engineer Department officer says that the same is currently being studied by a team of experts. He adds that the department, after working out the modalities, is likely to accept the recommendation and start the work of installing the lights. “After all, precious lives are involved,” the officer says.
|
|
|
Minister
feels need to educate policemen, press Mohali, October 29 These were the views expressed by most of the speakers at a seminar
on the “Press, police and politicians in the present context”
organised by the Chandigarh-Punjab Union of Journalists here today.
Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Deputy Chief Minister, Punjab, who
inaugurated the seminar, said that there was a need to look within
ourselves and eliminate bad elements among us. A number of people from
the police, the press as well politics had adopted a negative attitude
which was wrong. Every category had a responsibility towards society
which had to be taken care of.
A number of politicians were misleading the public for the sake of
retaining power. Instead of working for the welfare of society they
were merely indulging in “time pass”. If all this went on for long
people would lose faith in political leaders.
Mr S.S. Virk, DGP, Punjab, said everything had gone out of focus
and that they were moving away from the main objective. Something had
gone wrong somewhere. The police was going haywire and the press out
of control. The right and the wrong had to be identified and
parameters had to be fixed in connection with the duties. He said the
duties of the police also needed to be redefined so that it could act
according to the expectations of the public.
Mr Birender Singh, Finance Minister, Haryana, said there was a need
to find out who was responsible for the situation that had come up. He
stressed on the need of providing the required education to policemen,
politicians, and the press to bring about an improvement in the
system. If the aberrations were removed one could hope of positive
results.
Mr Nirmal Singh, DGP, Haryana, said no system prevailed in all
three institutions as most of the members were working for personal
gains. Something had gone wrong with human values. Even when the
police force was working under pressure due to limited resources, it
was not getting its dues. The policemen were treated as unskilled
workers and you should not expect them to become intellectuals.
“We are already maligned people, don’t malign us more”, he
added.
Mr Surinder Kapoor, Director, News and Current Affairs, ANI, said
even though the press was working under great pressure due to stiff
competition it should not forget to report incidents after going into
the depth. The laws needed to be changed to have a good perception of
the police, the press and political leaders.
Mr Vipin Pubby, Resident Editor, Indian Express, said political
leaders generally felt that they could do no wrong and whenever
something negative was published by the media against them they tried
to use pressure tactics. Stopping the release of advertisements to
newspapers was one such tactic adopted by them to pressure the press.
|
|
Lost money orders add to migrants’ woes
Chandigarh, October 29 Several of them have complained that they have to make rounds of post offices repeatedly to know the fate of their money. Thousands of rupees sent by these harried labourers from different post offices in the Punjab Postal circle have allegedly not been delivered at the respective destinations. Some complaints of postal orders, booked from the city and not being delivered in Himachal Pradesh have also come to light. A few months back, the Punjab Circle of the Postal Department had taken up the case with the authorities concerned in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. In one specific case, Hari Chand, had booked a postal order of Rs 1000 on November 8, 2005, from the Sector 26 Post Office but it never reached. “Despite repeated visits to the post office, the fate of the money is not known”, said Hari Chand. Officials in the Punjab Circle said the postal employees concerned in Bihar and Eastern districts of Uttar Pradesh were to be blamed for the non-delivery of money orders. Though information about the money orders was sent through the VSAT, it was not being downloaded at the other end on a regular basis. As per the norms, a computer printout of the payment receipt has to be taken by the Extended Satellite Money Order (ESMO) unit concerned and sent to the post office concerned for the delivery of payment. Sources in the postal department said the status of money orders sent through the Punjab circle shows that there was no delay in the delivery of money orders being received in the post offices under the Punjab circle. At times, reminders sent to the post office concerned have failed to elicit any response.
|
|
Heavy fireworks disturb the eco-system
Vishal Gulati
Divali — the festival of lights is also the festival that increases the concerns of eco-sensitive groups and departments. Every year during Divali the air pollution level in City Beautiful witnesses a steep increase.
According to a report, “State of Environment Chandigarh — 2004”, prepared by the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology, the pollution level of Chandigarh is increasing every year. In the city, the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee is operating five National Ambient Air Monitoring Programme stations, including in Industrial Area, Kaimbwala and Sector 17. The Sector 17 station represents residential-cum-commercial area. According to the report, the presence of SPM in the air at the Sector 17 station remains high throughout the year. The maximum value (400 microgram per litre) was observed in June 2003. The permissible annual average limit is 140 microgram per litre in residential areas. This could be attributed to increase in the number of vehicles. In Industrial Area also the annual average of SPM level remains high. It was more than 400 microgram per litre in June 2003 against the permissible limit of 360 microgram per litre. However, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide levels are within permissible limits
The number of vehicles in the city is very high as compared to those in other cities. There is one registered vehicle for every 1.7 persons in the city, while in New Delhi
The report, quoting a study conducted in 2001, says the level of carbon monoxide is high on the Madhya and Dakshin Margs.
|
|
Sector 40 residents seek e-sampark centre
Chandigarh, October 29 The electricity and water bills, which were being deposited in the electricity office, would not be deposited there from this month. Apart from these services, for services, that are being provided in the e-sampark centres such as the issuance of birth and death certificates, identity cards to senior citizens, the submission of passport applications etc., the Sector residents have to go to Sector 43. Mr S.K. Khosla, general secretary of the residents coordination committee, MIG Houses, Sector 40 C, said to mitigate the problems of residents we urged the authorities concerned to open an e-sampark centre in this sector. The centre would also cater to the needs of surrounding sectors like 37, 38, 39, 41 and adjacent villages.
|
|
Pranachayra Award for Jagjit Singh
Chandigarh, October 29 The award would be conferred upon Vaid Jagjit Singh, at a function scheduled for this year’s Dhanwantri Jayanti, on October 30, at Hindi Bhavan, New Delhi. The Indraprastha Vaid Sabha, which is recognised by the AYUSH (Ayurved, Yoga, Unani, Sidha and Homoeopathy) Department of the Government of India, was formed more than 100 years ago.
|
|
|
Man donates Rs 50,000
Chandigarh, October 29 Capt Amar Singh has made the contribution through a demand draft handed over to the Tribune in response to the appeal made by the newspaper for the earthquake relief. It is interesting to point out that whatever the retired officer gets as pension, he donates for charity.
|
|
|
Trains cancelled
Chandigarh, October 29
|
|
Bomb blasts condemned
Chandigarh, October 29
|
|
|
Firing incident at Chandigarh Club
Chandigarh, October 29 Even as the police booked two persons in connection with the case, those close to the accused came out in open and blamed the police for implicating them in a false case. They went upto the extent of saying that the accused were in fact the victims. They are the ones who had called the police. But instead of acting on their complaint, the police proceeded against them. Giving details, sources in the local police said Harsharan Singh of Sector 37 and Ankur of Sector 38 were booked on the complaint of Ravinder Pal Singh. In his complaint, Ravinder alleged that the accused picked up a quarrel, threatened him and then fired a shot. On the other hand, those close to the accused said the two, along with friends Nitin and Sachin, were in the card room when the incident occurred. Sachin was playing cards with a person when Ravinder objected to it. When Harsharan intervened it resulted in a quarrel. They added that the shot was not fired by them. A senior police officer said all four were non-members and had trespassed into the club premises.
|
|
17-year-old girl killed in mishap
Chandigarh, October 29 The victim was reportedly on the way to buy colours for “rangoli” when the accident took place. Both the girls were students of class XII at DAV School, Sector 8. Amiti died on way to the hospital while Swati has received serious head injuries.
|
|
|
Banking hours extended
Chandigarh, October 29 He said the facility would be helpful for shopkeepers of Sector 17 market as cash transactions would be available up to 7 p.m. on week days and up to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Prof Minaj Bharti, a customer of the branch, inaugurated the cash counter. Mr P.L. Sevda, Chief Manager of the branch, pledged efficient customer service and requests the Sector 17 market to take benefit of the extended hours of banking.
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
.jpg)
Chandigarh, October 29.jpg)
