Chandigarh, January 6
The Chandigarh District Council of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU) today condemned the brutal killing of Rita Bawa, principal of KMV College, Jalandhar, along with two security guards and one cook.

The incident occurred when some unidentified persons entered the official residence of Rita Bawa and killed two security guards and her cook this morning.

President of the local principals’ association Gurmohan Singh and senior vice-president Dr A.C. Vaid said the non-government aided colleges in Chandigarh and Punjab will observe a day’s closure tomorrow as a mark of respect to the departed soul.

Prof Rakesh Mehta, president, Chandigarh District Council of the PCCTU, while condemning the killing, said, “Such brutal act of violence leading to the killing of an educationist has sent shocks in the academic circles of Punjab and Chandigarh. The Chandigarh District Council of the PCCTU expressed solidarity with the Principal’s Federation of Punjab and Chandigarh. ”

Rupinder Chatha, secretary of the council, Prof Anil Sarwal, president, DAV College Teachers Union, Uma Joshi, president, MCM DAV College Teachers Union, Prof P.S. Gill, president, SGGS College Teachers’ Union and Jaspal Kaur, president, Dev Samaj College Teachers Union, also condemned the murder.

Chandigarh, January 6
Prof Arun D. Ahluwalia, who launched an environment outreach programme at Panjab University in July last year in accordance with the PU syndicate para, has appealed to students, residents, visitors, faculty, staff and their families to observe January 7, the first Monday of the month, as No Vehicle Day and walk or cycle as far possible. The students’ council has already become part of the campaign.

Chandigarh, January 6
The issue of dissolving the management committee of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Senior Secondary School, Sector 35-B, by the DPI (Schools), Chandigarh, was today discussed in an emergency general house meeting of the Chandigarh Gurdwara Asthapan Committee, Sector 22.

Niab Singh, president of the committee, said it was decided that senior officials of the Chandigarh administration would be requested to revert the orders of the DPI.

The committee also decided to take up the issue with political parties as the action of the DPI was unwarranted.

Chandigarh, January 6
In this age of hi-tech gadgets, typewriters continue to rule the district courts. Stenos continue to work on age-old typewriters in almost all courtrooms there.

However, those deputed with sessions and additional sessions judges seem to enjoy the privilege of having computers at their disposal.

Currently, there are around 50 computers at the 19 courtrooms of the district courts. Fifty more are needed to streamline working.

While the scheme to introduce computers at the courts was announced in January, 2006, they only arrived here around six months ago.

The court staff have to grapple among among themselves to use the only available computers in each courtroom.

Most of the computers are with judgement writers, while readers and stenos have to work on typewriters.

With the courts going online, the judgements are supposed to be posted online by the evening. The staff, however, have to make do with the few ones available.

In a survey carried out by Chandigarh Tribune, it was found that none of the judicial courts had computers for stenos.

Interestingly, the courts of additional sessions judge have been provided with three computers each.

To top it all, lower courts do not even have telephones.

Employees at the courts are, however, hopeful that they would get better facilities at the new courts complex coming up at Sector 43.