Mind the speed trap
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12
Speeding motorists, beware! Beginning today, the traffic police has begun charging enhanced penalty for overspeeding and racing following a notification by the administration.

The police had recommended a hike in penalty for traffic violations to curb recklessness on city roads. DSP (Traffic) Jasbir Singh Cheema said the recommendation was the outcome of the motorists’ tendency to pay fines and defy the rules. It was found that most violations were made knowingly.

According to the police, the composition fee for offences under Section 177 of the Motor Vehicles Act has been raised from a minimum Rs 100 to Rs 300 and for subsequent offences Rs 600. The offences under Section 177 include failure to produce driver’s licence on demand, driving without displaying “L” plates, non-payment of road tax, plying auto without fare meter, disobeying police signal, driving on the footpath/cycle track, use of high beam, overtaking from the left, driving on the wrong side, wrong parking, riding two-wheelers without helmet, unauthorised use of beacon light/spotlight/search light, unnecessary use of fog light, smoking while driving, driving without seatbelt and illegible number plate.

Similarly, the penalty for disobeying the challaning officer under Section 179 has been enhanced to Rs 800 from Rs 500 and the subsequent penalty fixed at Rs 1,200. For overspeeding, the penalty will be Rs 700 for the first time and Rs 1,200 thereon.

For trial racing and stunts on roads, the penalty is Rs 1,000 for the first offence and Rs 1,500 for subsequent offences.

Pick your theme this Valentine’s
Rajiv Bhatia

MC proposes Rs 281-cr budget
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has proposed a budget of Rs 281.38 crore for the next financial year. The Finance and Contract Committee at its meeting today approved the budget estimates of Rs 281.38 crore under plan head and Rs 225.05 under non-plan head.

An amount of Rs 65.65 crore has been earmarked for improvement of roads. The MC will spend Rs 19.60 crore for upgradation of sewerage treatment and Rs 11.17 crore for augmentation of infrastructure in villages. Rs 3.7 crore has been proposed for streetlights improvement, modernisation of dhobi ghats and cremation furnace.

The budget has provided a quantum jump in allocations on plan side against the current financial year estimates of Rs 216.45 crore. There is a proposal of Rs 281.38 crore in the next financial year, thus recording an increase of 30 per cent.

The major developmental schemes, which have been provided under the Plan head for the next financial year include:

Man let off after 30 years
Swati Sharma
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12
It took 30 years for Jasbir Singh to get justice who was finally acquitted by judicial magistrate Atul Marya today.

Pronouncing the orders, the court observed that the case file could not be traced. Thus, the court had to depend on supplementary challan to pronounce the orders. Interestingly, the court proceedings were recorded in urdu. Complainant Shiv Singh handed over his passport and a sum of Rs 30,000 to 52-year-old Jasbir Singh for going to Dubai. Another person, Avad Kishore, gave Rs 6,000 and his passport too.

After sometime, Jasbir returned everyone’s passport except that of Shiv Singh and Avad Kishore. The two went to Jasbir on July 4, 1978, and demanded that their passports be given back. The complainant alleged Jasbir took him to a house in Sector 34 and assaulted him with a hockey stick with the intention of killing him.

As Jasbir, a resident of Kapurthala, was booked under TADA, trial in the case was slow. Later, the case file also went missing.

Defence counsel Harish Bhardwaj said: “I got this case in 1999 and till date five judges have heard the case.” The court had directed the record keeper to trace the file of the case in August 4, 1999.

Tagore Theatre: It’s a monster
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12
It’s strange that an outsider should voice his anguish over things going wrong in Chandigarh, and hope he would be heard too.

This time it’s about Tagore Theatre, whose new design shocked M.S. Sathyu, the renowned filmmaker, when he went to visit the space during his visit to Chandigarh in the first week of February. Sathyu, who made “Garam Hawa”, was in the city to attend Chandigarh Film Festival.

A celebrated theatre designer himself, he has written to UT Administrator S.F. Rodrigues (retd), urging him to look into the faulty design of Tagore Theatre and stall the progress of renovation work. In a letter to Rodrigues, a copy of which has been sent to local theatre person Rani Balbir Kaur, Sathyu writes: “It was such a shock to me to see how they have destroyed a very good theatre space. How can we have a stage in a triangular space converging to a dead corner? There is no wing space whatsoever. Nowhere in the world have I come across a stage in one corner of a building.” Administrator's office, however, did not confirm the receipt of letter.

Earlier, Aditya Prakash, original architect of Tagore Theatre, had objected to the proposed alterations in the structure of Tagore Theatre. As a member of the committee constituted to look into renovation, Prakash had categorically stated that tampering with the basic structure would destroy the beauty and acoustics of a beautiful performance space. Changes were nevertheless made.

“I had told them that they could improve air conditioning, lighting and sound. Earlier, they harmed the acoustics by making a false ceiling which was unnecessary and against the spirit of the original design. Now, they are reversing the concept. They are taking the stage to the opposite side, which is bizarre,” Prakash told The Tribune today.

He finds support in Sathyu, who was a consultant for the theatre at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. In his caustic letter to the administrator, Sathu writes, “There was no need to increase the audience capacity at Tagore Theatre from 570 to 885. How can anybody see an actor’s facial expressions sitting so faraway? Today the trend is to make intimate theatre and not the kind of monster under construction.”

Rani Balbir, who has been performing at Tagore Theatre for ages, said the new design was not at all artiste-friendly. “You are compressing the space and dishonouring the artiste by allocating to him just 10 per cent of the area; 90 per cent has been reserved for the audience. They are turning Tagore Theatre into a lecture hall,” she said.

Sathyu for his part adds: “All you needed to do was increase facilities and modernise the lighting and sound equipment. You could have built a new theatre space in Chandigarh with the amount that is being wastefully spent. I wish some good advice was taken from some theatre person/designer rather than leave the matter to government officers.”

Tagore Theatre was opened to public in 1961. It was part of the then minister Humayun Kabir’s plan to have theatres after Tagore in every major city of India. The year in question was Tagore’s centenary year. It’s now being expanded and renovated by UT engineering department, which has already missed three deadlines.

Panel to focus on remote border areas
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12
The 13th Finance Commission would be laying stress on the development of remote border areas in the north-western part of the country.

This is for the first time that a finance commission would address the issue of border area development.

Stating this here today, director general, Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development, Dr Rashpal Malhotra said that such areas are affected by poor infrastructure, lack of industry, water and soil problems, dependence on agriculture for sustenance and limited development.

A study was done on the border areas by CRRID recently and recommendations were forwarded to the commission.

The chairman of the commission, Vijay L Kelkar had invited members of CRRID for an interaction with experts at Delhi a few days ago on matters pertaining to the commission’s terms of reference.

Among other recommendations put forth by CRRID is the need to manage ecology, environment and climate change in consistence with sustainable development, need to improve quality of public expenditure to obtain better output and the need to review distribution of taxes between the union and the states in the light of changes in the nature of economy.

Dr Rashpal said that CRRID is also recommending that local industry be encouraged at the village and block level where adequate raw materials are available and the end products can be distributed and consumed optimally and economically for all round benefit.

CRRID has also pointed out that the commission would consider demand for resources inter-alia on account of projected gross budgetary support through central and state plan.

This could mean that the finance commission would make budgetary provision for the plans and in such a case, sharable pool of taxes may have to be raised.

Further, it was not clear that the provision of sharing profit from petroleum and other minerals had been dropped.

CRRID was of the view that its scope should be extended to other commodities.

Polythene ban: Draft notification issued
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12
The administration has invited objections from the public on the use polythene bags in the city. A draft notification has been issued and objections can be made in writing to the secretary environment, Chandigarh administration, within 60 days. A final notification will be issued after members of the public had expressed their objection.

The draft notification says the Administration intends to declare the entire area of Union Territory of Chandigarh as "the polythene/plastic carry bag-free area".

This decision was made after it was found that the ban on the manufacture, sale, store, import, transportation and use of polythene/plastic carry bags of thickness less than 30 microns and of size less than 8"x12", had not worked and the expected results have not been achieved.

Polythene carry bags are non-biodegradable, choke drains and sewerages and pollute soil, water and air. The polythene bags are also being used to deliver food-stuffs and may cause the toxic affect.

The Administration has opined that the use of polythene carry bags is detrimental to the environment and the health of human beings as well as animals.

The bags and ancillary products are grossly responsible for blockage of gutters, sewers and drains resulting in serious environmental problems.

The Administration now plans that no person, including a shopkeeper, vendor, whole seller or retailer, trader, hawker or rehriwala will use polythene carry bags for supply of goods.

The following officers will implement the ban: The DC, the director, Environment, all SDMs, joint commissioner-I & II, Municipal Corporation, district food and supply officer, inspectors, food and supply department, medical officer, health, Municipal Corporation, sanitary inspectors in the office of the medical officer health and food inspectors of health department.

Book on patriotism released
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, February 12
The UT finance secretary, Sanjay Kumar, released a book on poetry entitled ‘Talash zindagi Ki Khandraharon Mein’ at a simple ceremony attended by many scholars and principals of UT schools at the UT conference hall.

The revised and comprehensive second edition of the book is written by a famous Hindi writer and educationist Dr. Dharm Sarup Gupt who had served as a principal in various government colleges.

Speaking at the function Sanjay Kumar appreciated the poet's endeavour for specially emphasising on patriotism and moral ethics through his verses. He called upon the creative poets to write literature projecting the ethos and problems of people and the society.

Vivek Atray, DPR, S.K. Setia DPI (S), V.N. Singh, former director Govt. Museum, and others expressed their views on the literary work of the author while noted poet Prem Vij conducted the function.

NCC cadets felicitated
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12
Felicitating the contingent of the Chandigarh NCC Naval Wing for standing first in the Republic Day Parade-2008, held in the city, Commander D.V. Singh, Commanding Officer, No.1 Chandigarh Naval Wing, awarded certificates to the cadets at a function held here today. Merit certificates were also given to the cadets who attended the Combined Annual Training Camp held from January 22 to 31.

Appreciating their efforts and their commitment to social causes, Commander Singh congratulated the cadets and also awarded certificates of merit to senior division and senior wing cadets. Chief instructor of the unit, Petty Officer M.S. Grover was also awarded The Chief of Naval Staff’s Commendation for exemplary service during the conduct of various camps and training activities.

The cadets of the unit were also presented awards for actively participating in the Pulse Polio Drive held on February 10. The cadets continuously manned the polio centers from morning till evening at various locations, including the General Hospital and Medical College, Sector 32, and various civil dispensaries in the city.

Sukhna Lake
This service stinks
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12
It seems that the public amenities at the Sukhna Lake are only for a few. At least two public toilets along the joggers track remain closed during the time when visitors stroll on the pathway along the artificial water body.

As a result, the visitors are forced to ease themselves in the open area or have to walk a long distance to reach the lake cafeteria area.

Being maintained by CITCO, the public toilets are opened from 5 am to 10 am and from 5 pm to 10 pm. The opening timings have been selected to suit the morning and evening walkers. Officials claim that one of the reasons for keeping the toilets closed was that there have been cases when the toilets fittings were stolen.

Being winters, a number of people prefer to stroll on the pathway between 11 am and 4 pm. But during this time, the toilets remain closed.

A number of tourists are facing difficulty due to the odd timings of the opening of the toilets.

Managing director of the CITCO Jasbir Singh Bir said a decision had been taken to hand over the toilets to the Municipal Corporation which would run the amenity round the clock.

The decision had been taken after it was realised that visitors were facing problem in using the facility.

Letters
Babus should show respect to public

Whenever we write a letter to any government office, we address the officer concerned respectfully. Even when we make a call, we wish him/her. But memos from government offices are never addressed respectfully. Even wishes made on phone are never returned.

Under these circumstances, one fails to understand as to whether we are working for them or they are working for us.

They should be asked to show at least some decency towards the public.

R. K. Garg, Chandigarh

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

Now, law entrance exam in Hindi, Punjabi
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12
Panjab University’s entrance for admission to the department of laws can also be taken in Hindi and Punjabi besides English, after the syndicate gave it a nod at a meeting, held today. This was done in the wake of a letter received from University Grants Commission to hold the exam in Hindi and Punjabi too. The syndicate also approved to revert the old pattern of internal assessment in the department. Internal assessment in LLB courses was introduced in the academic session 2006.

According to the old pattern, a student clears a paper on the basis of aggregate of the internal exam and theory exam whereas, under the new pattern, a student had to pass the internal exam as well as the theory paper separately.

The members also accepted the recommendations of the committee regarding the cancellation of the admission of a girl student in MCA, which was wrongfully approved by the syndicate on January 8.

The syndics also considered the representation of MCA students regarding fee structure of the project/thesis work. The members considered the recommendations of the committee constituted by the vice-chancellor, regarding adjustment of tuition fee and other charges in the next session of UIET and UILS. The syndics also approved implementation of rules and regulations meant for M.Sc (IT) to Master in Business Administration, Commerce and Information Technology (MBACIT) and MBE to Master of Entrepreneurship and Family Business, session 2007-08. Other decisions included the extension of last date of admission to the department of correspondence studies till February 29 and extension of the term of DUI Prof S.K. Kulkarni to December 3, 2008.

The syndicate also approved around 22 new self-financing courses from the next academic session 2008-2009, including M.Sc. (microbial biotechnology), 5 year integrated course of BE (chemical) with MBA, MCA programme evening shift, master’s course in stem cell and tissue engineering, MBA in department of correspondence studies, master in disaster management besides others.

From Schools & Colleges
American maestro gives scintillating performance
Tribune News service

Chandigarh, February 12
Dev Samaj College of Education, Sector 36, in association with the N.S.C.A, Readers and Writers Society of India, organised a two-session function on the college premises. Kumari Satyawati, chairperson of the college, Dr. Shashi Jain, director of the college and Dr. I.D. Singh, secretary, N.S.C.A., welcomed the novelists and the poets on the occasion. The first session had a scintillating performance by American Maestro, Tim Hoffman. Maestro Tim is an expert in the field of music having mastery over not only Indian classical music but also Japanese.

He played Saraswati Vandana on violin. Dexterous Tim set the environment of music by displaying his skill in playing Japanese instrument, Sakuchi.

The second session was the multi-lingual mushaira. Janab Nasheer Naqvi and Dr. Kiran Chopra welcomed the poets and guests. Janab Kashmiri Lal Zakir, a renowned Urdu poet, was the chief guest. The mushaira started with Sanskrit poetry recited by Prof. Shankar Jha followed by Urdu poetry by Rupa Saba and Arabic poetry by Mashhoor from Yemen.

Observed: Department of Economics, Government College, Sector 11, observed National Productivity Day. An essay writing competition on the topic ‘Productivity for sustainable development’ was held on the occasion.

Blood donation: SD College, Sector 32, organised a blood donation camp in the memory of Paras Sharma and Matul Chauhan, who lost their lives in a tragic road accident last month. A team of doctors and paramedical staff from Rotary and Blood Bank Society, Resource Centre, Sector 37, coordinated the camp.

Observed: February 22 will be observed as World Thinking Day to pay respect to Lord Baden Powell, the founder of scout and guide movement. S.K. Setia DPI (S) said, “A state-level function by Bharat Scouts and Guides Association of the UT will be organised by the Education Department on the premises of Government Girls’ Senior Secondary School-20, in which 6,000 scouts and guides are expected to assemble.

Extended: In view of extreme cold condition and due to the closure of primary wing of all the schools during the last fortnight, the Chandigarh Librarians’ Association has decided to extend the last date for receipt of entries of ‘CLA Library Related Competitions 2007’ from all categories of participants to February 29, 2008.

Rubaroo: The Punjabi Department of MCM DAV College for Women, organised 'rubaroo' with Sardar Gursharan Singh, an eminent theatre personality. This programme was organised with the collaboration of Panjab Sahitya Academy, Chandigarh. Dr. Nhar Singh from the academy appreciated the efforts of the college. The principal of the college, Dr. Puneet Bedi congratulated the department for its efforts to acquaint the students with Punjabi drama and its social relevance.

Campaign: During a campaign started by the SSA dept., 243 child labour cases and 42 child baggers has been traced till today. According to S.K. Setia, state project director, of the SSA, 40 beggars have been enrolled in the newly opened centre of GMHS-Mani Majra and the list of these beggars have been submitted to the head of the school.

Transfer: After reviewing the case of principal of Government Model Senior Secondary School-44, Sanjay Kumar, who is to be repatriated to his parental state Haryana, Education Department has decided to transfer him to Government Senior Secondary School, Dhanas. Education Department had decided earlier to send Sanjay Kumar to his parental state in case of a slapping incident. He was blamed of slapping a child of his school. Prem Joshi has been shifted to Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 44, in place of Sanjay Kumar.

PU to organise research convention
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12
Panjab University is organising Student Research Convention in collaboration with the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi, from February 13-15.

The university is playing host to students from the entire northern region. Over 25 entries from 13 universities in the region have been received in various disciplines falling under the three broad fields of science.

The opening day of the convention will see its inauguration by the secretary general of AIU, Prof. Dayanand Dongaonkar in the English Auditorium on campus with Prof R. C. Sobti, vice-chancellor, PU, presiding over the proceedings.

Murder trial quashed as GCM faulty
Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12
The Delhi High Court has quashed the proceedings of a General Court Martial (GCM) that had tried and sentenced a jawan to life imprisonment on charges of murder, on grounds that the composition of the GCM was not as per regulations.

The judge advocate detailed for the court martial had just one year and five months of service where as Army Rules stipulate that a minimum threes years commissioned service is required fro an officer to be part of a GCM.

A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice A. K. Sikri and Mr Justice J. M. Malik observed a few days ago that the court martial was not properly convened as the judge advocate detailed for the trial was not competent to act as such and the entire court martial proceedings were thus without jurisdiction.

The judge advocate plays a key role in a court martial as he is the advisor to the five-member court on all aspects of law and is also responsible to maintaining the record of the proceedings. He also sums up the case before the members deliberate upon the verdict and gives his opinion on the legal bearing of the case.

In her petition, the accused’s wife, Vidya Devi, had contended that the GCM did not have the jurisdiction to try and adjudicate the case on accounts of the judge advocate not fulfilling the required criteria. She had also alleged non-compliance of mandatory provisions of Army Rules, and extracting confession by force.

The GCM had in September 2000, convicted the accused for the death of a fellow soldier, Nanhe Lal at 223 Field Workshop in Lucknow. He was awarded life imprisonment, besides being reduced to the ranks and dismissal from service. The said incident had occurred on Holi that year after an altercation had taken place in the unit.

The Bench relied upon the judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of Charanjit Singh Gill Vs Union of India and also that of a division bench of the Delhi High Court in the case of ex-sepoy Ranjit Singh, where it had been concluded that a judge advocate is required to have a minimum three years service for conducting a GCM.

Quashing the sentence of the accused, the Bench ordered that the petitioner be set free and be reinstated in service. The Bench also ruled that since the GCM proceedings were set aside on technical grounds, the Army could hold a fresh GCM to try the accused in accordance with law.

Disability Pension
Officer quitting due to injury on a par with invalidated one: HC
Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12
The Punjab and Haryana High Court, in a significant judgement, today held that an army officer, who expressed unwillingness to continue and was discharged from service after sustaining injury attributable to military service, would be deemed to have been invalidated out of service.

He would be entitled to disability pension admissible to defence personnel invalidated out of service.

The ruling by a High Court Division Bench, comprising Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Mohinder Pal, comes on a petition filed by Paramjit Singh against the Union of India, the Chief of the Army Staff and other respondents.

Enrolled in the Corps of Engineers on October 16, 1984, the petitioner had earlier contended that he sustained injuries in an IED blast by anti-national elements on March 25, 1998, while performing duties at an insurgency prone area in Jammu and Kashmir.

His matter was referred to as a case of battle casualty and the Medical Board assessed his disability at over 50 per cent.

As, after an operation, he found it difficult to perform his duties efficiently, he expressed his unwillingness for a two-year extension in service and was discharged from the Army on October 31, 2004 after rendering service of over 20 years.

However, the percentage of his disability was reduced to 20 and he was getting service and disability pension in accordance with that rate.

Taking up the matter, the Bench held, “The respondents have denied the benefit of 50 per cent disability pension and discharge benefit cover under Army Group Insurance Fund to the petitioner only on the ground that he was discharged from service on the completion of the term of engagement and was not invalidated out of service. Thus, the only question involved in the petition is whether the petitioner is entitled to benefits, which are admissible to army personnel invalidated out of service”.

The Bench further held, “The petitioner sustained injury/disability during service, which was attributable to and aggravated by military service and recorded by Service Medical Authorities.

“We have no hesitation in holding that the petitioner will be deemed to have been invalidated out of service and is entitled to disability pension as admissible to defence personnel, who are invalidated out of service.”

Before parting with the orders, the judges held, “The petition is allowed and the petitioner is entitled to 50 per cent disability pension and to disability benefit cover under Army Group Insurance Fund for his disability. The disability pension at the rate of 50 per cent with all consequential benefits will be paid to him from the date of his retirement.”

10-year jail to foreign national
Nine years on, HC upholds verdict
Tribune News Service