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Come 2010, hell will rule city roads
Every year, 30,000 new vehicles (excluding commercial ones) are registered with the registering and licensing authority. The year-wise vehicle strength is 2004 5,37,049 (2004) ; 563845 (2005); 593326 (2006) and 6,15,000 (2007). The UT engineering department looks after 350 km road length, including the length of the national highway passing through the city. But only 10 per cent of the total budget (which comes to Rs 20 crore ) is allocated for maintenance and upgradation of roads, despite the fact that the UT has surplus budget. Road-emption All vertical road sections moving east to west and horizontal roads moving north to south are chocked. No alternative plan to regulate traffic on these busy sections has been put in place. “It may take at least five to 10 years for the metro to take shape. Till then, no multi-level transport system to reduce traffic on city roads has been planned,” said an official. A senior official said work on widening major vertical and horizontal road links was being undertaken. But more needed to be done. Several road engineering proposals like installation of traffic signals, providing more slips roads, road dividers on the busy road
intersections, widening of road sections and additional parking are pending since the past many years. While connectivity with Mohali is good, this is not the case if anyone from the city wants to go to Panchkula. Around 1700 km length of city roads comes under the MC for maintenance and repair. These roads include the ones starting at your door step to the those separating sectors. Mayor Pardeep Chabbra says: “Widening of roads has started but the re- carpeting process is only once in five years and for slow carriage roads it has not been done for the past 10 years.” Concrete roads is a costly but effective solution, the Mayor feels. But the problem is lack of funds with only 20 per cent of the MC budget directed towards roads.
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Chitleen K. Sethi
Mohali has
Mohali: Once called poor cousin of Chandigarh, Mohali is now Punjab’s “showcase” town spearheading urbanisation, growing at a rate faster than the infrastructure can support.
The gap is already showing. While several roads connect Mohali to Chandigarh, perpendicular roads that run within the township and cater to Mohali residents are already bursting with vehicular traffic. The main arterial road that connects various phases remains choked through the day. This road has markets, hospitals, houses and link roads into residential areas on either side. Since there is no road divider, vehicles that turn (left or right) spill chaos. Blocked on both sides, this road cannot be widened any further. With the growing number of cars and two-wheelers on the road, commuting on the road is turning into a nightmare. Other than this road, Mohali has just one more road to share the burden. This road is narrower. Heavy
Two more parallel roads which have been planned are yet to be put to use. A proposed road that runs next to YPS School will be the first perpendicular road for those entering Mohali from Chandigarh. However, its construction is yet to begin. The other road that runs next to the Sohana light point and would connect the newly developed Sectors 76 to 80 is only half-constructed. Litigation with a grain mandi that falls bang on the planned road has led to the delay in making the road functional. Proposed private residential projects that dot Mohali’s periphery are located on roads that spread out to Banur, Kharar and Fatehgarh Sahib. These roads are narrow. The Landran-Kharar road that has almost 10 housing colonies on both sides is slated to be 200-ft wide. For now, the road is narrow and in bad shape owing to the sharp increase in trucks carrying construction material. District Transport Officer Balbir Singh says other than population increase, enhanced capacity to purchase vehicles and substitution of vehicles by residents are the two other main reasons for increase in traffic.
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Arun Sharma
Panchkula: Even as Nano is to roll on to the roads, already one lakh vehicles ply on the raods of this satellite town, which has a little over 25,000 residential units.
Though the municipal committee has started strengthening and widening the roads in Sectors 2, 4 8 and 12, the problem is bound to increase with the development of town as well as introduction of new and cheaper cars. Internal sector were designed before the boom in the car market, said
O.P. Sihag, EO, Municipal committee, Panchkula. Now there are more than two vehicles in most houses, resulting in jams and reducing parking space in markets as well as localities. A majority of town’s inner roads can be used as testing tracks by automobile companies to check the quality of shock absorbers. Potholes and rough edges full of mud and sand are a common sight in residential areas. Though Rs 10 crore have been spent on city roads during the past one year, these remain a nightmare for pedestrians and those on two- wheelers during the rains, with potholes as potential death
traps. Secotor 6,7, 8, 9,10, 15, 16 and 17 roads and those in Industrial Area finds often see the problem of water logging. Deputy Commissioner Rajinder Kataria admits that many roads need repair. He said orders had been issued to challan those damaging roads while erecting tents and flag poles for functions.
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Residents weather biting cold
Chandigarh, January 20 On the night of January 1, the minimum temperature had dropped to 1.4 degrees. After hovering around 9 to 12 degree from January 16 to 18, the night temperature also fell one degree below normal at 5 degrees.The day remained clear of fog and sunny but the biting chill kept people indoors. The weather department said chilly winds were lashing the higher reaches and Manali had been put on an avalanche alert. The cold wave returned, with the minimum temperature in northwestern stations reaching zero degree celsius. At Amritsar, it was 1.8 degrees, Halwara (Ludhiana) 5 degrees, Pathankot 3.8 degrees and Ambala and Jammu 1 degree each. In Himachal, Pooh in Kinnaur remained cut off from the state for the 12th day today, owing to snowfall; icy winds continued to lash Shimla where the minimum temperature plunged to freezing point, while Kalpa recorded a low of minus 8.2°C.
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Pressing matters can’t get past Delhi babus
Chandigarh, January 20 An example of decision making (or the lack of it) is the fact that the issue of converting commercial and industrial leasehold property into freehold has been pending with the union urban development ministry since March 2003. The administration sends "periodic reminders" and no more. This, even as property disputes in the city are rising as leaseholders do not have clear titles.The first settlers, who arrived here four decades ago, are facing problems in selling property. In case the actual leaseholders have died, the legal heirs are put in a bind with the estate office forcing them to seek "external help" for a fee. Another
example. The administration wants to strengthen the PCR wing. It asked the ministry of home to allow recruitment of 60 SIs and 98 ASIs, besides constables. Also, the administration wants 1,135 more posts of cops at various levels at police stations as the city's population has gone up. There has been a 41 per cent increase in population from 1991 to 2001.The ministry has not cared to reply back. The administration asked the Bureau of Police Research and Development to assess the requirement for 259 more wireless operators and 239 constables. After a year the bureau now says it has shortage of manpower and will outsource the study. The administration wanted that a cash compensation of Rs 5 lakh be paid to wards of government employees who could not be given a job in case of death of parent while in service. The last reminder was sent in January 2007. There has been no response since. The national tobacco control programme launched to enforce tobacco control laws has not been given money. The administration has informed the union health ministry about the names of nodal officers and sent several reminders but to no avail. The administration has been seeking permission for recruitment of Class II, III and IV employees on a contract basis to be deployed in various hospitals. The sanction has not came. Every small detail has to be sent to the union ministry of home affairs for approval but often there is no response.
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Depressed woman sets herself ablaze
Chandigarh, January 20 The victim, Ram Kali, was reportedly suffering from depression and it is supposed to be the main reason behind her taking the extreme step, the police said. Her husband Ram Kishan was out in the sun outside their house when she set herself on fire at around 1 pm. Attempts to save her proved futile as she had bolted the door from inside, the police said. She died on the spot. Ram Kali’s 15-year-old daughter had died of tuberculosis in 1993. Another daughter had died after 10 days of birth. Later, Ram Kali suffered two miscarriages that led her into depression, the police added. The police said a case had been registered
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City produces Harvard’s youngest-ever pupil
Chandigarh, January 20 The only thing that makes him unique in the crowd is his confidence level, otherwise how could a candidate rejected by a number of renowned business schools make it to the topmost institute with the same percentile? “Yes, it was quite unusual that I applied for admission at almost eight top business institutes in India with my GMAT score of 750/800, but could not live up to their expectation. Then, I applied at Harvard. Getting selected there was like a dream come true,” said
Mohinder.
“It’s only your efforts, perseverance and hard work that help you achieve the impossible. I think life is like a gold mine. From top, it looks like a heap of garbage and you need to pull your cuffs and make your hands dirty to dig into it and take gold out of it,” he said. An alumnus of St John’s High School-26 and Punjab Engineering College, Mohinder has been an average student. After completing his studies in metallurgical science, he took up an assignment as technical assistant to the CEO with JMD Steels in Karnataka. But, as he had always dreamt big, he quitted the job and moved to Chandigarh to take one-year coaching with the Jamboree Institute, Sector 17, Chandigarh. Mohinder owes his success to his father Pradip Rajput, a metallurgist and Sajjan Jindal, MD, JSW Steels. “His selection has broken the myth that the highest marks in GMAT can ensure you a seat in prestigious business schools,” said Rashi Sethi Gupta, head, admission division,
Jambooree.
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24 villages face power crisis
Khamano, January 20 In 2002, the Punjab government had launched a scheme to ease the load on power grids. During that time, about 43 power grids were approved in the state. Out of these, a power grid of 66 KV was also approved at Kheri Naudh Singh village. At that time, officials of the electricity board had visited the proposed site, the map of which was also approved and tenders invited. But sarpanch Harbhajan Singh of Kheri Naudh Singh village had affiliation with the Akali Dal while the Congress was in power at that time.
Harbhajan Singh alleged that the site for the grid was shifted from his village due to political reasons. Later, new sites were explored at Kalewal and Dholewal villages. However, Hargana village was selected as the final site for the grid.
Harbhajan Singh alleged that people of 24 villages were facing hardships due to vendetta of the Congress government. He said two other grids of Baho Majra and Nandpur Kalaur villages were also approved along with this grid in 2002 and were to be completed by 2004. While the grids at BahoMajra and Nandpur Kalour became operational two and a half years back, the one at Hargana was still non-functional. At Hargana village, the building is ready and the petition for fitting the machinery is also ready but the work on the grid has not started yet even after the completion of nearly a year of the Akali-BJP government. During elections, the project was the main issue but it is still incomplete. Village sarpanch Ram Singh said he was unable to understand why the work was being delayed. Chief parliamentary secretary Bikramjeet Singh Khalsa said he would take up the matter with the officials concerned and it would be completed soon. Substation chief engineer
H.S. Brar said the work of the grid was pending due to some technical problems which would be solved shortly and the work would start soon.
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Marriages ruining school playground
Mohali, January 20 “We have gathered here this morning to clean up the place so that students do not injure themselves tomorrow when the school opens and the ground is used for playing,” said Arvind Puri, a resident of the area. He added that the village panchayat allows the ground to be used for marriages in lieu of a small payment. “The Munna Lala Puri foundation has been asking for a small piece of land from the panchayat so that a community centre can be constructed. But that proposal is pending,” added Puri. Cleaning up of the grounds a day after any marriage is no mean task either. “The place is full of filth and leftover food attracts all sorts of animals into the school premises. It also becomes the breeding ground for diseases. Broken crockery is, however, the most difficult to gather and discard. It can lead to serious injuries to students,” Puri informed.
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They herald death
Chandigarh, January 20 Every year cases are reported to the city police in which people suffer injuries, sometimes grievous, as their vehicles collide with animals especially during late hours. Though the figures available with the accident cell of the Chandigarh traffic police show that there are, on an average, one or two serious accidents in a year involving stray cattle, sources said not all accidents are reported to the police. Only those accidents in which someone is killed or seriously injured are reported. The roads of Sectors 25, 24, 37 and 38 remain blocked by cattle during the late hours. The situation is even worse in southern sectors that share borders with villages in Mohali as villagers throng the roads with their cattle. Apart from these, the main roads besides the inner roads of Sectors 47, 48, 49 are ruled by the animals at night. Cattle dung makes the roads slippery and poses high risk for two-wheeler riders. Last year, a student of Panjab University got injured after his motorcycle skidded due to cattle dung. On asking about the free movement of cattle, a cattle-owner said, “It is our daily routine. After midnight, I take the cattle from the dairy for grazing at roadsides. If it is an illegal practice, then I am not the only one to do so; there are several others who come from Kajheri and Dhanas to the city with their cattle. GC Bansal, municipal health officer, said, “I am not aware of the menace, but I will send a team to look into the problem”.
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Kashmiris lament exodus of Pandits
Chandigarh, January 20 Tej Magazine, president of the sabha, recalled the terror created by repeated announcements, ordering the Pandits to leave the valley or face death. Sanjoo Pandita, general secretary, termed January 20 as the “black day” in the history of Kashmiri Pandits as 3.50 lakh were rendered homeless overnight. G.L. Kaul, former president of the sabha, regretted the attitude of the state government and the centre in turning a blind eye to the rehabilitation of the community even after 19 years of exile. B.L. Sadhu, chairman, KSS Charitable Trust, lamented the erosion of Kashmiri culture due to dislocation while R.K. Dalal, vice-president of the sabha, exhorted the centre to rehabilitate displaced Pandits on a quasi-permanent basis wherever they were.
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24 army men to get medals
Chandigarh, January 20 The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, Lt Gen T.K. Sapru, will give away the awards. Sena Medal (gallantry) would be given to nine personnel, while the Sena Medal (devotion to duty) would be given to eight men. Seven Vishist Seva Medals would be presented for distinguished service. The Sena Medal for gallantry would be awarded posthumously to Grenadier Virender Singh, who laid down his life fighting terrorists. His widow Geeta Devi would receive the medal.
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Aneurysm surgeries save life of 20-yr old
Mohali, January 20 To save Taashi's life, a combination of open and key-hole surgeries were performed by a highly specialised team of doctors including Dr. Ravul Jindal (consultant, vascular surgeon), Dr Jagmohan Varma, DM, senior cardiologist and director interventional cardiology, Dr. Manoranjan Sahoo (anaesthetist) and Rashmi Saluja (anaesthetist). In India, such complicated surgeries are still not very common as there are only 16 vascular surgeons available. In fact, there are less than 50 cases like Taashi's published in the world literature so far. A resident of Ladakh, Taashi was initially suffering from severe abdominal pain, breathing problems and had lost almost 3 litres of blood due to internal bleeding when he was admitted to hospital.
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Fauji Beat
DURING the Raj days, a majority of the girls preferred to get married to Army officers. It was the glamour of the military uniform that created a magnetic attraction for the nubile girls.
Today, Army officers have been driven out of the matrimonial market. So much so that most parents of the girls rule them out by saying that apart from leading a risky life, they do not have any money. Time was when soldiering was considered as one of the best professions in India. In fact, the only service that had an edge over it was the Indian Civil Services (ICS). Yet some ICS officers sent their sons to the Army. Both these services enjoyed an enviable status and offered good life to their members. There was no lure for money those days and this kept most of the services free from corruption. No one could imagine those days that the Army will lose its battle as a service and will have no takers one day. The youth has turned away from the Army because of its “unattractiveness”. It is time that the government and the Army realised that what is needed is a total change in the terms and conditions of service, a quantum jump in pay and perks and restoration of the lost status of the Army.
Display of military might
India, barring France, perhaps is the only democracy that displays its military might on a day of national rejoicing. Some people have started questioning the necessity of holding a military parade on January 26. Public response to the parade has also declined over the years. Are we doing it to tell our adversaries that we are militarily very strong or to restore confidence in the public about our military prowess? Today, there is nothing that remains hidden from the enemy, thanks to a major breakthrough in information technology. As for the public, the knowledgeable people among them are well aware of our capabilities and weaknesses, but the man on the street, in any case, cannot tell a Bofors gun from a tank. It is time we gave a thought to doing away with this extravaganza year after year, which involves crores of rupees in moving military manpower and hardware from all over the country and then tying it down to the capital for about two months. Apart from observing Republic Day as a day of national rejoicing, we should take stock of over achievements and weakness, honour our brave soldiers and give special recognition to the honest people in our corruption-ridden country on this day.
Award
The Garhwal Rifles Regimental Centre (GRRC), Lansdowne, is the first regimental centre to have received the top national award called “Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar” for environmental conservation. The award, a silver lotus trophy and a cheque for Rs 5 lakh, was presented by external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee to brigadier Ajai Prakash, Commandant of the GRRC at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, recently. It was in 1999 that the GRRC started working on environment conservation and ecological restoration in a planned manner. The work involved conservation of natural resources, tree plantation, pollution control, construction of check-dams, rainwater harvesting and creation of new nurseries and ecological parks.
— Pritam Bhullar
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Simplify transfer policy, CHB urged
Chandigarh, January 20 They asked for the transfer of ownership of discretionary quota houses and transfer of ownership directly to those who had the will without getting it probated. They also said issuing demolition/cancellation notices on a pick-and-choose basis and dismantling structures was not a solution to the problem. The board authorities should involve councillors in handling the issue, they said. The board should think of the regularisation of structures on encroached land that did not interfere with the public utility system by charging money from users, they said.
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CPI demands houses for needy
Chandigarh, January 20 The council unanimously decided to mobilise the city residents and struggle for the fulfilment of its demands. The acquisition policy of the Chandigarh administration was criticised by the council. At least 30,000 houses should be constructed for needy people and given to them at nominal prices. No house should be constructed on less than three marlas and should not be more than 10 marlas, CPI secretary demanded. The CPI also supported the demand to make Punjabi as the official language in the city.
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Schools, hospitals can’t fell trees
Chandigarh, January 20 The orders are part of the UT’s effort to check the city’s shrinking green. Sources in the administration said the planning department had been asked to save the maximum number of trees which came in way of planning of government projects. This applies to sites where permission to cut trees has been given already.
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Preserve nature
Incidents of cutting of trees are on the rise. Human beings are cutting trees for their selfish interests. This is causing a lot of damage to the environment. We take so much from the nature and in return, we give nothing to it. This is unfair on our part. We should realise the importance of nature in our lives and make conscious efforts to preserve it. Shreya Khanna
Readers are invited to write to us. Send your mail, in not more than 200 words, at
news@tribuneindia.com or, write in, at: Letters, Chandigarh Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh – 160 030
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Experts take stock of democracy
Chandigarh, January 20 Threads of the debate organised by the department of mass communication, PU were held together by moderator B.S. Brar from PU’s political science department but its tone was set by H.K. Dua, editor-in-chief of The Tribune. “After 60 years of freedom, we are yet to ensure basic amenities for our people. Our parliament has 40 MPs with proven criminal records; our judiciary is wrought with conflicts. Naxalites have gained ground in 165 districts. The democracy is under serious strain and unless put on a healthy platform, it will continue to suffer,” he said, inviting Rajiv Pratap Rudy, BJP’s national spokesperson, to change the complexion of the debate by throwing questions at the audience. “In India, brilliant minds opt for protected services like the IAS. No one wants to enter politics,” he said, arguing that “if you don’t contest elections, someone will. And then you will not have any right to criticise politicians.” A former PU alumnus, Rudy’s remarks resonated in the cogent speech of Punjab chief secretary R.I. Singh. Singh said, “Politicians’ equity base is their vote bank and to keep it intact, they pressurise the executive at times. As for democracy, it will evolve as we go by, but the challenge is to make it part of our ethos, just as England has.” Lawyer Anupam Gupta’s remarked, “The judiciary is deemed too dangerous to speak about,” making a case for judicial accountability as essential for the success of the Indian democracy. His case for judicial reform was supported by Punjab advocate-general H.S. Mattewal, who also objected to the system of judicial appointments in India. Pankaj Paul, managing editor, Hindustan Times, said, “As the media, our role is to help the arms of democracy negotiate conflicts and find resolutions.” D.S. Bains, principal secretary, Punjab, celebrated the performance of Indian democracy, sure that it would see better times.
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Students awarded for excelling in academics
Chandigarh, January 20 The students were honoured during the annual function organised by the Kerala Samajam, Chandigarh, a socio-cultural organisation, at the auditorium of Government Polytechnic for Women, Sector 10, today. Meanwhile, Saurabh and Anju Satya bagged the second prize for performing well Classes X and XII, respectively. K. Sankaranarayanan, Governor of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, was the chief guest. Among other dignitaries present on the occasion were Dr John V. George, DGP (prisons), Haryana, Air Commodore S.R.K. Nair, AOC, 12 Wing, and A.J. Philip, senior associate editor, The Tribune. A large number of Malayalees from the tricity attended the function. The samajam organised a variety programme which started with a prayer- Aryalakshmi-followed by the lighting of the traditional lamp. A souvenir of the samajam was also released. The participants brought alive the cultural heritage of Kerala through their dances and songs. Anjali Ashokan presented Bharat Natyam while Shrithi, Chhippi, Archana, Arunima, Arushi, Arathi, Appoorva, Shushmita, Neha, Sangeetha and Harleen presented a group dance based on Malayali songs. Divita enthralled the audience with a solo dance item. Jessi, Animesh, Kamal, Rashmi, Tripta, Gagan and Pramila presented a Punjabi folk dance. A recital of Bharat Natyam (Ellarippu) was presented by Archana, Arunima and Arathi. The programme concluded with the National Anthem. Special children honoured
Deepak Dhiman of Vatika High School for Deaf and Dumb, Chandigarh, were honoured during the annual Helen Keller Awards ceremony held at St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, here today. The other children who were honoured for excelling in sports, academics and extra-curricular activities were Abhishek Kanwar, Khosla School for the Deaf, Jalandhar; Sukhdev Singh, Mahant Gangapuri Badhir Vidyalaya, Khanna; Sonam Rani, M.G.D. School for Deaf and Dumb, Bathinda; Cherry Bansal, Nursery Speech and Hearing Centre for Deaf, Patiala; Rajjat Garg, Patiala Rehabilitation Care; Satwant Singh, Patiala School for the Deaf, Patiala; Deepak Kumar, Red Cross School for Deaf Children, Ludhiana; Aman Goyal, School for Deaf and Dumb Children, Ludhiana and Neha Kumari, Rotary School for Deaf, Ambala Cantonment. The programme was jointly organised by The Deaf Way, New Delhi, and Chandigarh Deaf Friendship Club and Family Services, Chandigarh. The programme started with a mime show by various deaf artistes from Delhi (Komal Popli, Sachin Kumar, Vandana Goenka) and Hyderabad (Ravi Babu, Charan Kumar). Some of the mimes highlighted the difficulties and prejudices that the deaf people face in social situations. The deaf duo from Hyderabad performed an exquisite mime on sports. This was followed by a scintillating bhangra performance by deaf young men from Patiala Deaf Friendship Club. The chief sponsors were Alchemist, Indian Oil, CITCO, Punjab State Sports Council, Society for the Promotion of IT in Chandigarh (SPIC).
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Seminar on Dalit consciousness organised
Mohali, January 20 He also referred to the role of various Ravidass Deras in consolidation of the Ravidassi Samaj in Punjab, particularly Dera Sach Khand Ballan, and the. role played by Dalit diaspora. Sriram Arash, a noted poet of the region, deliberated in detail on the contribution of the Bhakti movement and the Gurus in the proliferation of Dalit consciousness in Punjab. Shamsher Purkhalvi, president of the Dali Chetna Manch, said lack of proper leadership and social consciousness could be held responsible for the sorry state of affairs of Dalits. He assured that his Manch would continue to work towards uplifting Dalits in the state. Bhupinder Singh of the Manch read the annual report of the organisation and underlined the fact that by now the Manch has spent about 60 lakh rupees on welfare of the Dalits. Jasjit Singh Bunni, chairman of Punjab State
Co-operative Bank, was the chief guest on the occasion. He released the New Year Calendar of the Manch. On the occasion, some select social personalities were
also honoured.
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Priests join hands against foeticide
Chandigarh, January 20 Raji Srivastava, director, higher education, Chandigarh administration, and Dinesh Bhatt, SSP (operations), were the main resource persons. Bhatt emphasised on the importance of the girl child by saying “nanhi munni bachhi teri mutthi mein hai taqdeer hamari”. Srivastava said to fight foeticide, cooperation, dynamism and a drive was needed in which the entire society must participate. More than 60 priests and women members of Bhajan Mandalis and Satsang Samitis participated. They were invited to solicit their help in carrying forward the message. Participants pledged to fight against this evil and said they shall be playing the role of agents of social change. Promila Kaushal, principal of the college, said: “Now is the time to join hands in thinking and arriving at a meaningful solution against this menace. People can be motivated to change their thinking through religious sermons.” Several teachers from local colleges deliberated upon the various dimensions, causes and effect of foeticide. “Uska Aana - Vanishing Daughters”, a thought-provoking film by Anwar Jamaal, highlighted the problems involved in breaking the mindset and the role of women empowerment in saving the unborn girl. Students of the college staged a play, “Chhidi di Udaan”, depicting the agony a woman has to go through in a patriarchal society.
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Varinder crowned Classical Mr North India
Mohali, January 20 In Junior Mr North India competition (below 55 kg group), Sandeep of Haryana remained first, while Sunny of Punjab and Haryana’s Chanchal finished second and third, respectively. Punjab’s Rajesh Arora clinched the overall championship in Junior Mr North India event. Co-operative Bank chairman Jasjeet Singh Banni and Chandigarh mayor Pardeep Chabra gave the prizes to the winners. The results: Junior Mr North India: below 55 kg: 1 Sandeep, 2 Sunny, 3 Chanchal; below 60 kg: 1 Hunny, 2 Pankaj, 3 Deepak Haryana; below 65 kg: 1 Atul Trehen, 2 Charanjit Singh, 3 Hemant; below 70 kg: 1 Lakhvir Singh, 2 Sukhwinder Sekhon, 3 Abhinash; below 75 kg: 1 Narendar, 2 Ranjot Singh, 3 Sonu; +75 kg: 1 Rajesh Arora, 2 Manjinder Singh, 3 Gaurav Rana. Master Mr North India: +40 yrs: 1 Ram Saroop, 2 Kuljeet Singh, 3 Zamaal Din. Mr North India (disabled category): 1 Sham Singh, 2 Raj Preet, 3 Hari Singh. Senior Mr North India: below 55 kg: 1 Bhisham Sharma, 2 Sandeep, 3 Gaurav; below 60 kg: 1 Neeraj Kumar, 2 Navneet Kumar, 3 Pankaj; below 65 kg: 1 Ashok Singh, 2 Atul, 3 Charanjit Singh; below 70 kg: 1 Jagjit Singh, 2 Vishal Sharma, 3 Vivek Sharma; below 75 kg: 1 Ashish Kumar, 2 Satnam Singh, 3 Pankaj; below 80 kg: 1 Varinder Mallan, 2 Rajesh Arora, 3 Ramesh Kumar; below 85 kg: 1 Ravi Yadav, 2 Manpreet Singh, 3 Gaurav Datt; below 90 kg: 1 Davinder Singh, 2 Narvinder Singh, 3 Ram Sroop; above 90 kg: 1 Gaurav Rana, 2 Aadil, 3 Kulwinder Singh. Classical Mr North India: 1 Varinder Mallan, 2 Davinder Singh, 3 Ashish Kumar.
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Job fest at GCG-11
Chandigarh, January 20 A substantial number of students, who cleared the NAC test held earlier, from partner colleges like GC-11, GCG-11, GC-46, GCG-42, MCMDAV-36, DSCW-45, GGSCW-26 and DAV-10 were interviewed. Companies like IBM, Accenture, Infosys, HCL, EXL, AuxiCogent, SerWizsol and many others interviewed eligible candidates. The administration has invested Rs 40 lakh to create a talent pool for the BPO/ITES industry in the region by means of NAC test and job festivals. This initiative will also give students an opportunity to get a national-level certificate under NASSCOM. Meanwhile, officials from NASSCOM, the IT department of UT administration and placement in charges from the government colleges were also present. The job fest was also a part of the campus placement drive of Government College for Girls, Sector 11, which proposes to invite many other leading multi-national IT companies in the coming days.
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From Schools
Chandigarh, January 20
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Custody, divorce cases in legal rigmarole
Chandigarh, January 20 According to court records, more than 500 cases pertaining to the Hindu Marriage Act are pending with the district and sessions judge at the district courts here. Though various schemes are announced to uplift the fairer sex, nothing is being done about the pendency of cases concerning them. A petitioner says, “One cannot blame the judiciary alone for the pendency of cases. In child custody cases, children are not able to choose between parents. A child’s mind is sensitive and coming to the court at such a tender age is traumatic to the child.” Advocate Asha Kumari Jaswal says, “I don’t want to disclose the identity of the petitioner, but a woman’s divorce case has been pending in the Panchkula courts for the past eight years. One of the reasons for the delay is that respondents take months to accept summons.” Talking about divorce cases, advocate Anchal Thakur says, “The process of getting a divorce is too long. One can never expect an easy divorce. First you have to give a petition to the court and then wait for the respondents to file a reply. Thereafter, the case is sent to a lok adalat. It takes very long to get a divorce.” Also, are many loopholes. For example, a married minor girl, whether her marriage was consummated or not, on becoming a major, can repudiate her marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act, but she cannot do so if her marriage was solemnised under the Special Marriage Act.
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Chandigarh, January 20
