O P I N I O N S

EDITORIALS

Bribes for loans
Rid banks of black sheep
Those familiar with the functioning of Indian banks will hardly be surprised at the revelation that bribes were paid to facilitate corporate loans. The surprise, if any, is that the CBI has made some arrests, and that too at the top level. 

Change of guard in Andhra
A challenging job for Kiran Reddy
Mr K. Rosaiah’s resignation as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday was as sudden as his replacement by Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy on Thursday. Whether Mr Rosaiah has quit office voluntarily on health grounds or was summoned to New Delhi and served the marching orders by the Congress high command, the cold reality is that the state has been deprived of a strong leader ever since Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s death in a plane crash 14 months ago.

Korean crisis deepens
War must be prevented
Tuesday’s North Korean attack at a small South Korean island, Yeonpyeong, sent alarm signals across the world with many influential capitals reacting in their own way. Some like Washington DC, London and Tokyo described it as a “belligerent” action and others such as Beijing and Moscow called for preventing an escalation of the tensions between the two Koreas, which fought a bitter war in the early fifties.

• Thought for the Day

ARTICLE

Bid to stop Start treaty
Obama opts for risky showdown
by Inder Malhotra
BUOYED by its impressive triumph in the recent mid-term elections, the Republican Party has decided to stymie almost everything President Barack Obama wants to achieve during the rest of the year as it has demonstrated during the lame-duck session of the outgoing Congress so.

MIDDLE

Nautch girl and Faraz
by Mukul Bansal
Few know that early on in his career as a poet, Ahmad Faraz, the revolutionary Urdu poet of Pakistan, who passed away two years ago, had a rather enigmatic encounter with a nautch girl who he used to visit as he was away from home and had plenty of money and time to spare. The nautch girls those days, history tells us, were quite accomplished in various arts and well versed in literature especially poetry.

OPED THE TRIBUNE CAMPAIGN

Preserve pristine Chandigarh
The Tribune investigation "Chandigarh skyline in danger" has received an overwhelming response from readers. Here is the second instalment of some letters that we have received.
Due to space constraint, not all views can be accommodated in the print edition. However, readers’ responses will continue to be published on The Tribune website www.tribuneindia.com 

Corrections and clarifications

EDITORIALS

Bribes for loans
Rid banks of black sheep

Those familiar with the functioning of Indian banks will hardly be surprised at the revelation that bribes were paid to facilitate corporate loans. The surprise, if any, is that the CBI has made some arrests, and that too at the top level. Though details about the size of loans granted or bribes paid are yet to become public, the bribery scandal is unlikely to shake the Indian financial system, which had emerged unscathed even during the 2008 global financial crisis, thanks to a strong regulatory mechanism put in place by the RBI.

The stock markets did get a beating when the news first broke out but thereafter it is the handful of financial companies and banks involved that have borne the brunt of the scandal. The “mediator” that paid bribes for corporate loans has been named as also the beneficiary companies, mostly in the realty sector. The RBI has off and on cautioned banks against advancing loans to realty firms and contributing to the building of “asset bubbles”. Realty firms need huge cash flows to complete the capital-intensive existing projects and build on land banks. Hence, they often engage middlemen to get loans.

It is not yet clear whether the arrested officials gave any interest rate concessions or bent the rules to advance loans without collaterals or favoured firms otherwise ineligible for loans. The firms named have large assets and it will not be difficult to recover or cancel the dubious loans except in cases where collaterals have been done away with. If banks in general and the RBI in particular simplify procedures, eliminate “go-betweens”, blacklist the wrong-doers and ensure stricter enforcement of the rules, irregularities in advancing individual or corporate loans can be minimised. The erring banks and firms will take a hit and will be justly de-rated in the stock markets, but the clean-up process, if taken to its logical end, can benefit loan takers in future. 

Change of guard in Andhra
A challenging job for Kiran Reddy

Mr K. Rosaiah’s resignation as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday was as sudden as his replacement by Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy on Thursday. Whether Mr Rosaiah has quit office voluntarily on health grounds or was summoned to New Delhi and served the marching orders by the Congress high command, the cold reality is that the state has been deprived of a strong leader ever since Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s death in a plane crash 14 months ago. It would be unfair for one to question Mr Rosaiah’s rich experience in politics and government. He has served the state in various capacities over the decades to the best of his abilities. At the same time, one has to admit that he failed to stem increasing factionalism in the party and was unable to ensure effective coordination between ministers and secretaries to the government. As a result, governance suffered. More important, the ministers and the legislators are sharply divided over Telangana. The agitation not long ago cost the state heavily and one does not know how things would take shape after the Justice Srikrishna Committee submits its report to the Centre on December 31.

The antics of Jaganmohan Reddy, son of the late Y. S. Rajsekhara Reddy, have also affected the party with some ministers pledging support to him. In fact, one reason for Mr Rosaiah’s exit was his failure to enforce discipline and check him. Defying the high command’s directive, though he has been undertaking his ‘Odarpu yatra’ and criticising the party leadership during his tour, neither Mr Rosaiah nor the Central leadership could take any action against him, fearing that he would split the party. The latest show projecting Mrs Sonia Gandhi as a “weak leader” beamed on the Sakshi television channel, owned by Mr Jaganmohan Reddy, did not lead to the disciplining of the latter.

Against this background, Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy’s assumption of office as the new Chief Minister assumes special significance. A four-time legislator, he is hardly 50 years old and has a clean image. His immediate challenge is how to constitute a ministry that would bring all factions together, including those in the Jagan camp. No doubt, the proposal to have a Deputy Chief Minister from the Telangana region and his own Hyderabadi connection and caste identity are aimed at neutralising the Jagan effect. He has also said that he will be guided by the party high command on all issues including Telangana. However, all eyes are on him and his own leadership skills will be put to test in the coming days.

Korean crisis deepens
War must be prevented

Tuesday’s North Korean attack at a small South Korean island, Yeonpyeong, sent alarm signals across the world with many influential capitals reacting in their own way. Some like Washington DC, London and Tokyo described it as a “belligerent” action and others such as Beijing and Moscow called for preventing an escalation of the tensions between the two Koreas, which fought a bitter war in the early fifties. China, which has the closest relations with North Korea, expressed the desire for resuming the unsuccessful six-party talks held a few years back for capping Pyongyang’s controversial nuclear programme. The dialogue failed to bring about the desired result because of North Korea’s uncooperative attitude. The US-led drive could also not succeed owing to China using North Korea for its own geo-political objectives.

Poverty-stricken communist North Korea has alleged that it is South Korea which first opened fire at a target in the North leading to Pyongyang’s “retaliatory” action. Whatever is the truth, the world community must act fast to ensure that there is no major armed conflict between the two Koreas, as such a development may cripple the economies in the region. South Korea has threatened to take punitive action to incapacitate the North from resorting to provocative tactics in future. It is believed that the North Korean ruler, Kim Jong-il, is in a hurry to promote his son Kim Jong-un as his successor. An escalation of tension between the two Koreas may help the younger Kim consolidate his position.

But most analysts are of the view that the North wants the South to prevail upon the US to resume the stalled talks and give a guarantee that Pyongyang’s nuclear facilities will not be attacked. North Korea fears a full-scale US strike as Washington did in the case of Iraq after the US is free from the Afghan war theatre. Japan and South Korea want an early resolution of the North Korean problem in the interest of peace in North Asia and beyond. But a lot depends on China, which has its own game plan. Beijing has been hinting that the North Korean issue can be handled successfully only when the US ends its disturbing activities in the Yellow Sea. The situation is quite complicated and only sustained diplomatic efforts can pave the way for a solution acceptable to all.

Thought for the Day

Basic research is what I am doing when I don’t know what I am doing. — Wernher von Braun

ARTICLE

Bid to stop Start treaty
Obama opts for risky showdown
by Inder Malhotra

BUOYED by its impressive triumph in the recent mid-term elections, the Republican Party has decided to stymie almost everything President Barack Obama wants to achieve during the rest of the year as it has demonstrated during the lame-duck session of the outgoing Congress so. On domestic issues of great import, such as the future of the Bush tax cuts that expire at the end of the year and aid to the long-term unemployed that ends on November 30, the US President is resigned to delay and difficult compromises in the New Year. But he has lost his patience with the Republicans over their resolve to block ratification by the Senate of the New START treaty he signed with his Russian opposite number, Dmitry Medvedev, last year.

He has, therefore, declared that he would rather have a “showdown” over this treaty — “imperative in the interest of national security” — during the lame-duck session of the old Senate rather than let the matter be deferred until the new Senate meets in January. From his point of view, this makes sound sense. In the outgoing Senate his Democratic Party has 58 seats out of 100, and in the new one only 53. Since 67 votes are needed to get any international treaty ratified, during December he would need to win over nine Republicans. Afterwards, he would need the support of 14 Republican senators which would be vastly more problematic. The trouble, however, is that to win over even nine Republican senators may not be possible. This is what makes the forthcoming showdown “a make-or-break” battle. In other words, President Obama is taking a high-stake gamble.

If he succeeds, his stock will surely soar notwithstanding the stinging defeat at the polls. But if he loses, which is more likely, he would have a resounding setback both at home and abroad and would be seen as a “weakened” President.

Consequently, he has rather shrewdly enlisted the support of such Republican veterans as Henry Kissinger and James Baker, Secretaries of State of Presidents Nixon and elder Bush respectively, and former Republican Senator Sam Nunn, a champion of arms control. But today’s Republicans are not prepared to pay any heed to the old timers of their party. Gary Samore, top man in the arms control department during President Clinton’s time, has publicly said so. Indeed, many Republican leaders bluntly state that they want to ensure that Obama is a one-term President.

To be sure, the prominent Republican Senator Richard Lugard is committed to voting for the ratification of New START along with the Democrats. But, as of now, he is the only one to do so. Other Republicans, whether newly elected or re-elected, have blithely ignored his remonstrance that the country’s national security interests must take precedence over political partisanship. Similarly, President Obama’s argument that the treaty he signed with the Russian President is entirely in line with similar agreements in the past with Russia or the Soviet Union. He has particularly invoked President Ronald Reagan’s dictum: “Trust but Verify”. The New START, he underscores, besides reducing the strategic weapons on both sides, allows the two countries to inspect the nuclear stockpiles of each other. This right had lapsed along with the earlier START a year ago. Without the ratification of the new treaty that right cannot be revived.

That, however, is only a small part of the problem. Much more is at stake because Obama’s whole plan to push the “reset” button on relations with Russia is at risk, especially at a time when NATO is keen to seek Russia’s cooperation in its missile defence programme. Indeed, the alliance had invited Medvedev to its summit at Lisbon to discuss precisely this issue and his response has been positive. Even so, the Russians, who had categorically rejected the missile defence plan of President George W. Bush because it contemplated the construction of interceptors at Russia’s doorstep, still have a long list of questions. The Obama scheme tries to take care of this sensitivity. But to what end, if the US Senate turns away from the treaty?

Russia is greatly concerned over the apparent impasse in Washington because Moscow fears that it would jeopardise the prospects of Russian membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), dim the possibility of better relations with NATO and undermine President Obama’s ability to conduct international relations. A former Russian foreign minister, Igor Ivanov, laughingly said that the US failure to ratify New START would not lead to a “nuclear catastrophe”, but its consequences would be “negative”, and not just for the US-Russian relations. If the two great nuclear powers could not come to terms, “non-proliferation efforts worldwide would be damaged”. The Russians, in fact, have difficulty in believing that the Republicans in America want to “kill” a “perfectly balanced” treaty. An additional fear of the Obama administration is that non-ratification of the treaty would make it difficult to seek support against Iran from not only Russia but also other countries.

All the arguments that President Obama and his supporters have marshalled are valid and should have been compelling. But the hostility between the two mainstream American parties is much too intense. Yet, to be fair, the Republican obstructionists have a point when they say that a lame-duck Congress has no right to ratify a treaty of importance, if only because the nearly 60 defeated members, mostly Democrats, have forfeited all moral right to vote. Moreover, say the Republican leaders, there isn’t enough time to discuss all the complex and complicated issues involved before Christmas.

Critics also underscore that what is happening now is not new. The Senate had rejected an agreement on the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) that President Jimmy Carter had signed with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union. Bill Clinton had to suffer even greater humiliation because his favourite CTBT was rejected in the past and would not be ratified in future.

The crowning irony of the situation is that last summer there was every possibility of the New START being ratified. Senator Jon Kyle (R-Arizona), the chief negotiator from the Republican side, had more or less come to an agreement with the Democrats to let the treaty be ratified in return for the administration’s commitment to invest $85 billion over the next 10 years on “nuclear modernisation”. The Democrats thought it prudent to defer the ratification until after the mid-term election. Now it has become a totally different ballgame.

MIDDLE

Nautch girl and Faraz
by Mukul Bansal

Few know that early on in his career as a poet, Ahmad Faraz, the revolutionary Urdu poet of Pakistan, who passed away two years ago, had a rather enigmatic encounter with a nautch girl who he used to visit as he was away from home and had plenty of money and time to spare. The nautch girls those days, history tells us, were quite accomplished in various arts and well versed in literature especially poetry.

Besotted with the nautch girl, one day Faraz summoned the courage to ask her whether, in her opinion, lust diminished love. Her reply that took Faraz by surprise was: “If it is lust, it extinguishes itself, but love only deepens”.

While reading Faraz’s poetry, I came across at least two couplets that seem to be inspired by his meetings with the nautch girl. I am sure there must be more. Faraz wrote: “Tu Khuda hai, na mira ishq farishton jaisa, donon insaan hain to kyun itne hijabon me milen?” (Neither art thou God, nor my love akin to that of angels; both of us are human, so why veils between us?)

The other one is: “Dhoondh ujde huye logon mein wafa ke moti, ye khazane tujhe mumkin hai kharabon mein milen” (Search for the pearls of faithfulness among the uprooted; these treasures you may find in deserted places).

Faraz is known all over the subcontinent not only as a revolutionary poet but also as a crusader against the military rule in Pakistan and repressive regimes elsewhere. His love poetry like that of Faiz Ahmad Faiz is also equally well known. One wonders how much of Farazs love poetry was inspired by his meetings with the nautch girl.

Both these poets’ revolutionary and love poetry — whether wooing the beloved or kissing the gallows — is marked by what Faiz calls “garoore ishq ka baankpan” (dignity of the pride of love). Says Faraz: “Kuchh to mere pindare mohabbat ka bharam rakh, tu bhi to kabhi mujhko manane ke liye aa” (Maintain, to some extent, the dignity of my love for you; you, too, sometime come to 
conciliate me).

Faraz’s love poetry also has shades of the mystic: Ab na wo mein hoon, na tu hai, na wo maazi hai Faraz, jaise do saaye tamanna ke sarabon mein milen (Neither I, nor you, nor the past are the same any more; we’re now as if two shadows meet in the mirage of desires).

Faraz confessed to me that the nautch girl’s observation taught him a valuable lesson in life.

OPED THE TRIBUNE CAMPAIGN

Preserve pristine Chandigarh
The Tribune investigation "Chandigarh skyline in danger" has received an overwhelming response from readers. Here is the second instalment of some letters that we have received.

An artist’s impression — photo montage not to scale

Due to space constraint, not all views can be accommodated in the print edition. However, readers’ responses will continue to be published on The Tribune website www.tribuneindia.com 

Setting a bad precedent

Bir Devinder Singh, MLA has most perceptively commented, ‘if one were to draw a circle of 35 kms radius around Chandigarh, one would find most of the black money of Punjab deployed within this circle.'

The first basic issue is if any housing project should, at all, come up between Chandigarh and the Shivaliks. The MLAs’ housing project (as also the so-called Defence Housing Society, where bulk of the members are bureaucrats and policemen) obviously received a high price from the builders because the company was promised it would be allowed to build high rise buildings.

If TATAs are allowed to build high rise structures, then a number of other housing societies will also come up (some are already in existence) between Chandigarh and the Shivaliks and would want to raise even higher structures. No way will it be possible to deny them permission to go ‘sky high.’

Soon there will be an unending row of tall buildings between Chandigarh and the hills, completely blocking the view of Shivaliks and there will be complete degradation of environment; the fate of the lake will also be sealed for ever.

Harwant Singh, New York, USA.

Skyscrapers will be a disaster

The project is likely to destroy the unparalleled beauty of the Capitol area as envisaged by Le Corbusier. The emergence of such skyscrapers in Chandigarh was unthinkable. It will put immense strain on infrastructures like power, water supply and drainage.

It is difficult to understand how such a project has been allowed to come up to such an advanced stage. Sooner it is scrapped, the better will it be for the city beautiful.

RC Bector, Ex-Chief Engineer (Civil), PSEB

‘Greed’ is the name of the game

Le Corbusier had conceptualised one of the finest cities on earth after taking into account a host of factors like ecology, landscaping, direction of the breeze , water outlets etc. He deliberately decided to prohibit construction in the peripheries, specially of high-rise buildings, to let in fresh breeze from all directions. The attempt was to ensure that the city does not get over-populated and become unmanageable.

But first more short-sighted people developed Panchkula and Mohali; then they began flirting with the basic structures of the city. The big sharks among politicians, bureaucrats and the construction industry have been eying Chandigarh for a long time and The Tribune has done a commendable job of highlighting fresh attempts at destroying the city.

Ajay Johar, Ludhiana

Don’t you dare!

Why is it that our politicians seem to be only concerned with their own, personal benefits ? The Tribune has done a great job of highlighting the nefarious designs. Please do not let it happen.

Gautam Narwat, Student, Punjabi University, Patiala

Needed: a signature campaign

The Tribune has again lived up to its name and reputation. Please keep this up. Although I have lived in the US for the last 20 years, my heart is

still in Chandigarh. I feel blessed that I belong to this city.

Someone may like to start a signature campaign to motivate residents of the city to stand up and fight against the plan to spoil and destroy our beautiful city.

Ray Chopra, via E-mail

Will Punjab give up ?

It is fortunate, in a way, that politicians, cutting across party lines, are involved in destroying the city. Had politicians from a single party been involved, it would have been easy to accuse The Tribune of playing into the hands of the rival party!

Having said that, it’s time for the normally silent and honest intelligentsia to rally round the campaign to save the city from environmental disaster. Let us not allow people to convert the city into a concrete jungle. I appreciate Justice Kuldip Singh’s warning that if Punjab and Punjabis cannot protect the interests of Chandigarh then they might as well give up their claim on the city.

Ashwani Kumar Joshi, Director (Global), Go Green International Organisation

Favouring the VVIPs

Chandigarh Administration should file a civil writ petition against the builders with notice to the Punjab Government to quash permission for constructing the skyscrapers. The matter should also be brought to the notice of Ratan Tata.

Punjab Government has done a grave injustice not only to the City Beautiful, but also to all law-abiding citizens as the decision to allow construction was taken to favour the VVIPs at the cost of the common man who feels left out and isolated.

Iqbal Kaur Saini, Mohali

It’s infuriating

As an individual born and brought up in Chandigarh I am extremely grateful to The Tribune for the painstaking investigation it has undertaken on the Tata Housing Project.

Waking up to headlines that proclaimed the City to be in danger was shocking and an eye-opener. I have always felt blessed to be living in a city which is picture-perfect. Located at the foothills of Shivalik, it has an enviable green cover and architecture. Moreover unlike most cities which resemble urban jungles, Chandigarh still retains its charm, thanks to the Edict of Chandigarh.

It is infuriating, therefore, to see that a handful of powerful men believe that they can destroy the very soul of the city. I really hope that instead of a few resignations and transfers, the guilty are punished. Most importantly a precedent should be set for years to come, to ensure builders think twice before eying the city.

A core committee comprising residents from different walks of life should be constituted to safeguard the interest of the city and its residents.

Ragini Gulati, Chandigarh

Proud of my city

I have been living in the United States since long. But I still remember the day I landed in the USA the first time and somebody asked me about my city. I replied that it’s like Ann Arbor, Michigan—well planned, good roads, neat and clean and with a good number of educated people. But now it is sad to realise that the day is not far when Chandigarh will no longer be recognised as "City Beautiful" due to greedy politicians, bureaucrats and housing corporates.

I sincerely thank The Tribune for bringing this issue up front.

Bikramjit Singh Bajwa

Floodgates will open

Chandigarh is a masterpiece of urban planning and it should be considered a national heritage. The points already raised such as low density development of the city, threat to its sky line, violation of the Periphery Act, overburdening of infrastructures, ill-effects on the surrounding environment and eco-system etc. in the investigative series published by The Tribune are very much valid in this context and The Tribune has done a commendable job of educating the public and giving them information.

The City Beautiful is a pre-planned city based on certain norms and concepts which require special attention of both the government and the public in order to protect its character.

The construction of high rise buildings by Tata Housing Company in the near vicinity of the civil secretariat and high court will certainly violate the basic concept by changing the sky-line and will dominate these high profile buildings known as the brain of the city on the lines of human physiology.

Therefore, the Chandigarh Periphery Act should be strictly enforced to check the unwanted development which is not in consonance with the concept and principles of the city. The nature of development of such projects in India is such that if one such project is allowed, the flood-gates would open and many similar projects will follow.

Satnam Singh Mand, Former Town Planner, Local Bodies, Deptt. Punjab, Toronto (Canada)

What’s the fuss all about?

It is a pity that in our country , every effort made in the right direction is thwarted by politicians, vested interests or by those who create a fuss and later mysteriously fall silent.

I do not quite understand what the fuss is all about, if the lake-view is dotted with high rise buildings. Please don’t encourage elements who are old fashioned and habitually obstruct every act beneficial to the residents of the city. In Chandigarh, no land is left for residential purposes.

But when Hyderabad had no problem allowing high rise projects around the lake and people there never felt that their old legacy had been taken away, why are people in Chandigarh protesting ? Millions of jobs have been created through such positive activity.

It is my request to all right minded progressive citizens not to allow anyone deprive future generations of opportunities.

Janak Kumar, California, USA (formerly from Mohali)

Spare us the pain

This project by the Tatas is the first step to mar the beauty of the city and is going to be the beginning of the end of the only livable city in India.

Chandigarh is the only city which had remained untouched by the virus of modern townships. But now builders want to end the beauty and peace of the city for the sake of profits.

This is the city where everyone wants to settle down but the project will be a blot and builders should leave this city alone. There are any number of cities in this country where they can build high-rises; so spare this gem and take your project away. Please don’t ruin this heritage city.

Harshdeep Bhatia, Kaithal (Haryana )

The city has global credibility

My father was a member of the original team that first entered what was then nothing more than a collection of small villages and dense jungles, set up tents and a base camp to build something beautiful called Chandigarh. He was the chief engineer in charge of the construction of the Secretariat building.

Although he moved to Canada at the completion of the project in the late 50s, the experience of creating Chandigarh remains the most significant influence on his life.

Both Paris and Washington are known for their strict building codes pertaining to height. In fact, I believe that the maximum height of buildings in these cities cannot exceed ten storeys. Beyond aesthetics, there is a very logical and forward-thinking rationale to maintain this policy: it supports the notion of sustainability, an issue that gains more urgency with each passing day.

What I have found equally fascinating over the past 20-30 years, is that there is one other city that is often lumped in with these famous cities —and that is Chandigarh.

Chandigarh was not conceived by happenstance, but carefully planned to not only maximise efficiency but also reflect the spirit of a new country intent on creating a bold new history for itself.

Le Corbusier, I am sure, was quite aware of the design legacy associated with Paris and Washington, and he was quite intent to build an entirely new one on the Indian subcontinent—bold, forward-looking and majestic.

An inspired idea that would be remembered for generations, now stands on the precipice of caving in to commercial interests and a band of politicians who know very little about the city, and what it stands for.

Possibly those living in Chandigarh have become so insulated that they forget the world is watching the city’s every move and hoping its citizenry don’t take a step that will reduce something that was so grand to nothing more than another run-of-the-mill, congested and resource-challenged city.

Tony Gill, via E-mai

Never too late to right a wrong

The investigation appears fair. The issue is far too serious to be glossed over. What the beneficiaries said to The Tribune is not convincing and does not absolve them of the responsibility of flouting norms. It is plutocracy at its worst in Punjab. It is remarkable how both ruling and opposition leaders formed a society and invested Rs 15 lakh each and were rewarded with a more than handsome return of Rs.2.62 crore.

There can be no two opinions that the Housing Project will dwarf Le Corbusier's Capitol Complex and mar the City Beautiful, so sensitivel planned. But then it’s never too late to right a wrong and the beneficiaries will set an example if they themselves decide to withdraw and not become a law unto themselves.

Dr. Soshil Rattan, Chandigarh

Heritage application at stake

Politicians and bureaucrats had already damaged the original structure of Chandigarh by placing immense pressure on its infrastructure and disturbing the original plans of the Sukhna Lake, Rose Garden, Capitol Complex, the building materials used, external frame and design of buildings etc.

Then they violated the Periphery regulations and amended the rules to suit themselves. And now the skyscrapers. The World Heritage Site status for Chandigarh is already pending with UNESCO since November 2006 and the U.T. Administration has given an undertaking of retaining the integrity and authenticity of the originality of the city, stating that the originality remains intact.

Any change in the Capitol Complex will further reduce chances of the city getting the world heritage status, which would mean loss of huge financial and technical aid from UNESCO.

The present bureaucratic structure in the city may have been adequate in 1966 but is now utterly inadequate. The population then was just a lakh while now it has crossed the million mark. But though the work has multiplied manifold, the number of Secretaries still remains two and each one holds charge of departments or more.

The area around the Capitol Complex must be declared as no construction zone and a Central Government Officer be appointed to deal with such affairs.

Ajay Jagga, Advocate, Chandigarh

Corrections and clarifications

n In the box “What worked for Nitish” (Page 1, November 25) the point “Muslims who liked Lalu for arresting Advani during his Rathyatra now backed Nitish for keeping Modi out” should have preceded Modi with Narendra to make it clear that the reference was not to Bihar BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi.

n The headline “Few penalized for delayed info under RTI” and the second deck “Only 97 out of 5,060 cases penalized…” (Page 3, November 24) are repetitive.

n The headline “US Congress backs India’s bid for UNSC seat” (Page 13, November 23) is not a true reflection of the report on which it is based. The report only said that a resolution by a member of the House of Representatives along these lines had been sent to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Despite our earnest endeavour to keep The Tribune error-free, some errors do creep in at times. We are always eager to correct them.

This column appears twice a week — every Tuesday and Friday. We request our readers to write or e-mail to us whenever they find any error.

Readers in such cases can write to Mr Kamlendra Kanwar, Senior Associate Editor, The Tribune, Chandigarh, with the word “Corrections” on the envelope. His e-mail ID is kanwar@tribunemail.com.

Raj Chengappa, Editor-in-Chief