Panchkula, September 19
Twentyfour-year-old Varun Nath of Dhakoli in Zirakpur died of stab wounds while four others were injured in a drunken brawl between two groups in front of a liquor vend in Sector 5 here last night.

Varun’s father Dinesh Nath with relatives in Sector 6, Panchkula

Deepak, one of the accused in the murder case, at the General Hospital, Sector 6, Panchkula, on Tuesday. — Tribune photos: Malkiat Singh

Chandigarh, September 19
The Punjab Governor and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh, General S.F. Rodrigues, today called upon senior citizens to utilise their potential, expertise, knowledge and experience for building a bright future for the younger generations.

He also urged them to contribute effectively for the benefit of the society at large through their active involvement and participation in the socio-economic and developmental processes.

Delivering the valedictory address on the closing ceremony of the Senior Citizens’ Computer Literacy Programme at DAV College, Sector 10, here today, General Rodrigues said senior citizens constituted an enlightened group with vast knowledge and experience. He emphasised that they should be enabled to remain active and adequate opportunities must be given to them to participate in the activities for the uplift of society.

He appreciated the initiative of DAV College for starting this novel programme.

He appealed to the college management to develop it further, with innovative and modern techniques. Mr Subash Marriya, Principal of the college said they had been conducting free computer literacy training programmes for equipping senior citizens with essential skills to lead a meaningful and happy retired life since 2002.

Five batches of 60-70 ‘students’ consisting of IAS/IPS officers, senior armed forces officers, doctors, engineers and businessmen had already benefited from the programmes. The sixth batch consisting of 65 senior citizens in the age group of 60-80 including 21 women, completed the programme today.

Strongly advocating the need for modernisation of our primary education system, he said the process of modernisation of education was started by great pioneers of education like Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo.

General Rodrigues also distributed certificates to the senior citizens.

Justice S.S. Sodhi, a former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, also graced the occasion.

Chandigarh, September 19
The scooter on which Sanjay Kumar, a milk vendor of Dadu Majra, was travelling on Monday morning was hit by a speeding Maruti Zen coming from Punjab at the road intersection in Sector 38(West) which cuts the main road coming from Mohali. He was rushed to the General Hospital, Sector 16, with dangling arms and legs.

Mr Baljit Singh, Assistant Sub Inspector on duty, said: “He survived with fractures in his legs. A case has been registered. Accidents are a very common occurrence at this spot, at least three every week.” Nothing else, except official apathy, can best describe non existence of any traffic lights, roundabout or traffic signs at two junctions in Sector 38(West).

Mr Jaspal Singh, who was driving survived with minor scratches. He started shouting and the Zen was chased by certain local residents. The driver along with a lady left the car and fled from the spot.

“This is not the first time. The point of intersection is at right angles with no vision of traffic on the main road. Travellers from outside the city cannot make out the road intersection which is heightened because of green hedges. Accidents are very common”, the ASI said. Mr Om Prakash, a senior citizen, also seconded the police official’s comment mentioning “very frequent accidents”.

This is not the only point which witnesses freak accidents very often. The road intersection of Sectors 38 and 38(West), on the other side of the sector, is another trouble spot in the area. Mrs Amritpal suffered several fractures in her arms and legs last month, when a speeding Travera from Punjab hit her Kinetic Honda. The police and the local public is full of harrowing tales of accident victims. “I have not heard any death in any of the accidents. However, anything can happen in this situation”, Mrs Neelam Jha, a local resident, said.

Mrs Bhupinder Kaur, a resident of Manimajra, was hit by a speeding mini-truck coming from Mohali, recently. “The driver just said he was sorry. He did not see because of high hedges. I looked around and only believed that he was speaking the truth because the turn is very difficult”, she said.

Drivers on the inner sector road from the market to the MIG flats are often caught unaware by the speeding vehicles of the vehicles from outside. The road bends are not visible to the drivers on the main roads.”

Mr Ajay Sharma, a resident, said, “there are no signboards showing the sudden turn into the sector. A traveller is caught unaware”.

The ASI said “we are aware about the problem and have to rush to the spot very frequently on emergency calls. The spot needs a small roundabout or traffic lights. In the first place, at least the road markings should be made bold”. 

Chandigarh, September 19
The 9th Battalion of the Punjab Regiment commemorated the 41st anniversary of its Battle Honour Kalidhar, awarded for its exceptional performance while deployed in the Akhnoor Sector during the 1965 Indo-Pak war, by recalling the sacrifices and acts of valour of its men in the war.

A host of events were organised during the week-long celebrations by the battalion at its location in the Western Sector. These included a special sainik sammelan, pagal gymkhana, religious functions and a glittering ‘Kalidhar dinner’ in the Officers’ Mess. A large number of serving as well as retired regimental officers attended the event.

During the war, the battalion, along with other units, was tasked to defend the Kalidhar Ridge, east of the Tawi. It withstood heavy artillery bombardment as well as air raids on various strategic locations held by it for four days, the battalion’s former Commanding Officer, Brig K.S. Chandpuri (retd) recalled.

A number of resolute and simultaneous attacks on two posts held by it were repulsed. The enemy managed to cut-off a third post, but a swift counter attack by other companies of the battalion forced the enemy to withdraw. The battalion captured a large number of enemy weapons, equipment and ammunition.

“The battalion was awarded Battle Honour Kalidhar for its dogged determination and grit to hold a feature, the capture of which would have opened the gateway to Jammu,” Brigadier Chandpuri said. The battalion earned one Vir Chakra, three Sena Medal, four Mention-in-Despatches and three Chief of the Army Staff’s Commendation Cards in the battle.

Chandigarh, September 19
Screening of a documentary produced by the North Zone Cultural Centre (NZCC), Patiala, on the life of Maharaja Aggarsain will be the highlight of Aggarsain Jayanti celebrations on September 24 here.

Addressing a press conference here, office-bearers of the Aggarwal Sabha, including Mr Prem Chand Gupta and Mr Gian Chand Gupta, president and vice-president, respectively, informed that a blood donation camp and cultural programme would also be organised at the Aggarsain Bhavan.

Prominent persons from the community, including Mr Pawan Bansal, Union Minister of State for Finance, Mr C.P. Bansal, Managing Director of the Haryana Police Housing Corporation, Mr Bajrang Lal Garg, Chairman of Confed, and Mr Rajan Gupta, Managing Director of Hafed, will attend the function.

The sabha has also decided to honour Mr Kapur Chand Aggarwal, Mr Amarnath Aggarwal, Mr Kewal Garg, Mr R.K. Gupta, and Mr Mewa Lal Gupta besides journalists Mr Yoginder Gupta (The Tribune ) and Mr Rakesh Gupta (Punjab Today), for their services to society.

Meanwhile, the sabha has demanded the withdrawal of the resumption notice by the Estate Office to the Aggarsain Bhavan as the premises was used to charitable and social functions and no commercial activity was undertaken.

Chandigarh, September 19
Cycle tracks — traversing the privacy of so many city residents — have failed to achieve their perceived objective. Though the use of the tracks — even with all the ditches and potholes — is compulsory for slow-moving vehicles, the Chandigarh Police has just not deployed enough personnel at the entry points to force the cyclist and rickshaws to commute on these paths.

Otherwise also, instead of making the roads safer for the slow-moving traffic, the tracks running throughout the length and breadth of the city have only encouraged “smalltime operators” to scale the walls of the houses situated alongside for committing petty thefts.

All along these tracks, so many residents have either raised the walls of their houses or installed barbed-wire fences, converting the residents into mini-fortresses. Yet, the incidents relating to the thefts of household items have been rising steadily.

“The tracks have actually been making the task easier for the transgressors,” says Sector 45 resident Gurjinder Pal Singh. “The uninterrupted view and the surmountable back walls of some houses only help them in carrying out the operation without the fear of being caught in a precarious situation.”

The sources in the police headquarters assert that data regarding thefts of household goods due to scaling of rear walls adjoining the tracks is not available. But they agree that the number is much more than reported. For, several cases relating to the theft of “not so consequential goods” are not brought to the notice of the police due to complicated legal formalities involved in the process.

“Or else in several cases the cops either refuse to register a first information report or make the matters so complicated that the complainants simply turn their back towards the law and walk out of the police stations,” says Punjab and Haryana High Court advocate Anil Pal Singh Shergill.

Quoting an example, Mr Shergill says: “It’s almost impossible to get a case registered if someone has stolen a cycle from your backyard. For, the cops will ask for the purchase receipt which most residents forget to keep in safe custody.”

In any case there is no light at the end of the trail. Almost all the tracks are still practically useless especially after dark due to poor-illumination. The presence of encroachments, improper entry and exit points, potholes and even ditches due to sinking of ground at so many places along the tracks have only worsened the situation.

The use of the tracks is all the more essential after sunset in the light of the fact that a substantial number of accidents involving slow-moving vehicles, including cycles, take place in the dark.

The sources in the police headquarters assert that so far this year 365 persons have sustained injuries in road mishaps. Besides this, as many as 104 persons have lost their lives to road accidents in Chandigarh alone from January this year till date.

Out of the total a substantial number of victims were cyclists hit by speeding vehicles late in the evenings or at night. Although the authorities concerned are enlightened about the grimness of this dim reality, hardly anything has been done in this regard.

The decision to lay down the tracks throughout the city was taken by the Administration way back in 2004. In all the city is to have around 106 km of cycle tracks to be laid at a cost of around Rs 7 crore by the UT Engineering Department.

UT Chief Engineer V.K. Bhardwaj says almost 80 per cent of the work relating to the laying of tracks is over. The remaining work of “topping” some portions of the tracks will be undertaken immediately after the rains.

“Once the work is complete, you will not find even a single pothole on any track as the Administration has laid stringent quality standards for itself,” he says. Describing the problems as “initial hiccups”, he says, “the residents should bear in mind that the tracks are for their own benefits as driving from them, too, will be safe with slow moving vehicles out of their way.”

HERE was a man! A persuasive lawyer. A just Judge. Above all, a gentleman. He walked alone through the labyrinths of life. He toiled each day of his existence. He completed 93 milestones on the road of life. While walking towards the 94th he decided to leave this land of the dying. Unfortunately, Justice Prem Chand Pandit is no more in our midst.

Born on St. Valentine’s Day, even his name spelt and symbolized love. A product of the DAV institutions, he lived by the principles enunciated by the great founder. He was generous and gracious, humane and tender. For him, labour was the sweetest of all pleasures. Idleness the cradle of all disease. As in geometry, so in life, a straight path was his only way to reach the goal.

As in life, so in law, he combined accuracy, comprehension, diligence, hard work with patience to plead for the protection of the innocent and the punishment of the guilty. Eloquence and impassioned oratory gave him an edge over his adversaries. He had a vast practice and was elevated to the Bench more than four decades back on March 4, 1960.

He was tailor-made for the job. Even the dull moments were enlivened by an inexhaustible fund of anecdotes. The misery of the litigants on opposite sides in his court was alleviated by his compassion. He always held the scales even. Sturdy independence, a strong mind, a great heart, two ready hands were his contributions to the high office. As a Judge, he was a tall man who lived “above the fog in public duty and in private thinking”.

He never deviated from the path of righteousness, but guarded his honour zealously. In May, 1974, he was unfortunately superseded for the office of the Chief Justice. The chastity of his honour felt the stain of supersession. He resigned without delay or demur. And then, he did not accept any job. The “lure of office” never tempted him. The privileges of office could not win him over. He hated the thought of a retired judge being seen in the corridors of the secretariat seeking favours from those whom he had once judged. Probity and unimpeachable integrity were his constant companions.

More than everything else, he was a virtuous man. To him, a drink was a “man’s way to the devil”. Punctilious about punctuality, for him it was always a minute too soon but never a minute too late.

Crowns are always stuffed with stones. The passage to the throne is thorny. Justice Pandit walked on this passage with grace and wore the crown with glory. Some are good some are great, but he was one of the few who are good and great.

Today, he may not be there in flesh and blood. He shall live in the hearts of the people. For a long time.

— The writer is a former Chief Justice of the Kerala High Courts

Mohali, September 19
The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, will not be inaugurating the Chandigarh-Morinda railway line in Mohali during his visit to the township on September 27.

The IG Patiala Zone, Mr S.K. Sharma, said the decision to start the railway line had been reviewed and the inauguration finally cancelled since preparations for the same were not complete.

He added that the Prime Minister would, however, lay the foundation stone of the science institute on the premises of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) and not at the proposed site in Sector 81, which was under litigation.

Mr Sharma had along with the SSP, Mohali, Mr Naunihal Singh, today visited the NIPER auditorium, which would be the venue for the function, to oversee security arrangements.

Mr Sharma also checked the route to be followed by the Prime Minister and the venue where the main function was being held at NIPER.

“Nearly 1,200 police personnel were being deployed at strategic points as part of the security arrangements for the visit,” pointed out the SSP, adding that Dr Manmohan Singh would be coming to NIPER at 6 pm and stay in the town for about an hour.

His convoy would proceed on the road leading to the PCA Stadium from Chandigarh and would then divert towards NIPER.

Traffic would be diverted for some time. He said the main route would be sealed for 15 minutes when the VVIP came to the town and for another 15 minutes when he left.

Chandigarh, September 19
The Electricity Department of the Chandigarh Administration today decided to give an opportunity to the consumers to get their unauthorised load regularised keeping in view the fact that many consumers had non-sanctioned load.

The lack of information on exact connected load makes planning difficult for adequate infrastructure.

The scheme will be called Simplified Load Regularisation Scheme, 2006, and will be applicable to domestic and non-residential supply consumers, excluding industrial consumers. The scheme will start on October 9 and continue till November 8.

Under the scheme, a simplified application and agreement form carrying the details of the load calculations has been prepared. This form is available free of cost at the sub-divisional offices and can also be download from the administration website.

The load applied will be regularised from the date of the submission of the form. A consumer will have to install his own transformer if the load is above 100 KW. It has been decided that if the consumer (only NRS) having load above 100 KW applies under the scheme and does not install his own transformer. He shall pay 20 per cent surcharge until the supply is shifted to 11 KV.

A special drive for checking the load will be carried out for one year after the closure of the scheme and fines will be levied on defaulters.

Mohali, September 19
Employees of an industrial unit in Phase VIII blocked a stretch of a road to stop vehicles of the Municipal Council from dumping garbage near the premises.

Cars were parked on the road leading to the dumping ground to block the entry of vehicles carrying garbage. Some municipal vehicles full of garbage were seen lining up 
in the area.

Mr Naresh Nanda , Managing Director of the firm, said despite repeated complaints council employees kept dumping garbage on the vacant land close to his unit resulting in pollution of the environment. He said it had become difficult to function from there as the foul smell was unbearable.

He further said at the time waste was set on fire and the smoke thus emanating was creating breathing problems for the people of the area. The place was also breeding mosquitoes and flies adding to the problems which reflected poorly of the administration. He said industrial focal point was declared as a prime hub for IT in the northern region and renowned players in the global market had their establishments in this area.

Mr Rajinder Singh Rana, president of the council, said the civic body had assured Mr Nanda that the needful would be done and the matter was settled
amicably. 

Chandigarh, September 19
The failure of Ministry of Agriculture to extend subsidy on poultry feed to farmers in the states of Punjab and Haryana has led to the farmers incurring huge losses.

While Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka have got a subsidy of Rs 150 per quintal on the maize feed for poultry — to help the farmers in these southern states to overcome losses — farmers in the northern region have been left high and dry. Poultry farmers in southern India have been given the maize feed at the rate of Rs 450 per quintal, while farmers here are getting the same at the rate of Rs 660 per quintal.

While the price of feed (a major input) is increasing, the price of culled birds (layers) and broilers have hit an all time low. The wholesale rate of broiler is Rs 21 per kg, while that of culled bird is Rs 15 per kg. “However, in spite of these low prices, there are no takers, and farmers are forced to sell their produce at abysmally low price of Rs 38-Rs 40 per kg.

“Like our counterparts in the south, we too have suffered huge losses post the avian flu breakout. But the government seems to have ignored us completely while granting maize feed at subsidised rates. The Animal Husbandry Minister, Punjab, has made several representations to the Ministry of Agriculture, but these seem to have had no effect,” said Mr Mahinder Arora ‘Pappu’, President of Punjab Poultry Farmers Association, and who runs a poultry farm at Khanna.

Ever since bird flu was first reported in the country seven months ago, about 3,000 poultry farm owners in Punjab and Haryana, are facing tough times because of the decline in demand.

Many poultry farms are on the brink of closure, as they collectively suffer an estimated daily loss of Rs 10 lakh. Though India has been declared a bird flu-free country, Jammu and Kashmir has continued to ban the entry of culled birds (layers) from Punjab and Haryana, for sale in its markets.

“Had Jammu and Kashmir opened its markets for selling the produce, we would have been able to contain our previous losses. Last year, about 35,000 culled birds from Punjab were being sent to Jammu and Kashmir each day. Now, its only the broiler and eggs that are allowed for sale in the that state,” said Mr Rajinder Mittal, a poultry farmer in the Barwala poultry belt, which is the largest poultry belt in north India.

Farmers are also upset that though the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had announced slashing the interest rates by almost 50 per cent (from 8.5 per cent to 5 per cent), it would not be of much benefit to them. “This concession was announced for the cash credit flows taken before March 31, 2006. But it was only in the beginning of this fiscal that all cash credit flow to the farmers reeling under the avian flu scare was started. And we will now have to pay the 8.5-9 per cent rate of interest,” rued Mr Harminder Singh of Dasmesh Poultry Farms, Shahpur near Ludhiana.

Chandigarh, September 19
Two brothers residing in Sanjay Colony, Industrial Area, died of viral fever after struggling for life for hours at the General Hospital, Sector 16, here on September 17. Hailing from the Gaunda locality in Uttar Pradesh, Ram Kalap and his brother Bhola were migrant labourers. They had been admitted to the hospital with acute viral fever, but efforts by doctors to save them prove futile. Bhola was admitted to the hospital emergency late on the night of September 16 in an unconscious condition and he breathed his last before doctors could diagnose the ailment.

His brother was admitted to the hospital emergency on the morning of September 17 with similar symptoms and he struggled for life for two hours before succumbing to the disease. Doctors conducted some tests on him and found symptoms of a certain type of viral fever.

The hospital authorities sent samples of the fluid collected from the stomach of the deceased to ascertain the exact type of viral fever.

Dr M.S. Bains, Director, Health Services, Chandigarh, said the cases were discussed by experts this morning.

He claimed that had the brothers been rushed to the hospital in time, they could have been saved. He said another patient from the same colony had been admitted to the hospital with a similar type of fever a couple of days back, but was discharged after his recovery.

Ramesh Meena, Regional Sales Head-North, Unit Trust of India (UTI).

Q: What brings you to Chandigarh?

A: I am here to launch the “UTI-wealth builder fund”, a new close-ended scheme with a maturity period of five years.

Q: What are the details of the scheme?

A: Available at the face value of units of Rs 10, the fund aims at building and maintaining a diversified portfolio of equity stocks that have potential to appreciate in the long run. The fund closes on October 11.

Q: When other options of wealth creation such as real estate and stock market are available, why should public invest in mutual funds?

A: Stock market is volatile, with a lot of risks involved, and for investment in real estate, you need huge money. Mutual funds, which combine security and appreciation, are basically suited for small investors.

Q: How do you compare the UTI with other mutual fund operators?

A: With assets of Rs 35,000 crore and an investor base of 7.5 million spanning over 60 domestic schemes, the UTI is the largest mutual fund in the country.

Q: What future do you foresee for mutual funds in India?

A: Mutual funds have great potential in a growing economy like India, as people here want to play safe. Moreover, the tax benefits and stiff competition among the fund operators will ensure that the funds will always keep catching the fancy of the general investors.— As told to Pradeep Sharma

Mohali, September 19
The police has arrested six members of a gang of smugglers and seized 432 grams of heroin worth about Rs 50 lakh in the international market.

Khushwant Singh, alias Jodha, Nakshdeep Singh, Satnam Singh, alias Sonu, all residents of Machhiwara, and Baljinder Singh, alias Jinda, a resident of Nurpur Bet under Machhiwara police station, were arrested by the police yesterday. They were booked under Sections 21/61/85 of the NDPS Act. The police today arrested Imdad Hussain and Mohammad Inam, both hailing from Jharkhand. About 180 grams of opium was seized from the two.

Mr Naunihal Singh, SSP, said at a press conference here today that on secret information a police party headed by Inspector R.S. Sohal and Inspector Tejinder Singh laid a naka in Phase III B 2 and nabbed the four smugglers. The police carried out a search of the Tata Safari vehicle in which the four were travelling and seized the heroin.

The SSP said the suspects revealed during interrogation that Baljinder Singh was engaged in transport business at Kuju village falling under Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand. There he came in contact with Mohammad Inam and Imdad Hussain. Imdad Hussain supplied a consignment of heroin to Baljinder Singh, who in turn planned to sell the contraband with the help of Khushwant Singh, Nakshpreet Singh and Satnam Singh. The SSP said both Baljinder Singh and Khushwant Singh were opium addicts and were being supplied opium by Imdad Hussain and Mohammad Inam. The SSP said Imdad Hussain was the kingpin of the gang.

He said persons arrested yesterday were allegedly looking for prospective buyers of heroin in Mohali.

Mr Naunihal Singh said it was suspected that the heroin seized was smuggled from Thailand. He said investigations were on. Efforts were also on to organise inter-state operations.

Chandigarh, September 19
Two unidentified conmen duped a woman of two gold bangles on the pretext of cleaning those at her house in Burail village here this afternoon.

Ms Parveen Kumari, a housewife, reported to the police that the duo, in their early twenties, came to her house and claimed that they could clean metals with powder. After winning her trust, they sought permission for a demonstration and cleaned some utensils with the powder.

Seeing the results, she was convinced of their skill, after which they offered to clean her gold ornaments.

Her brother-in-law, who was at home then, warned her, but she ignored his advice and handed over two gold bangles to them.

The duo asked her to bring a pressure cooker filled with water and she did as she 
was told.

They put some powder in the water and asked her to boil it for 20 minutes.

She came back with boiled water after some time, only to realise that she had 
been duped.

She raised the alarm, but it was too late and there was no trace of the duo.

Describing the duo, she told the police that they were clean-shaven and were of fair complexion, wearing black trousers and white shirts.

A case of cheating under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code was registered in this regard.