Tough time for firemen

Firemen struggled for more than two hours on Saturday to clear the water from the basement, which was used on Friday to control the fire. The firemen said they had to break grills installed in the rear side of the premises to use a pipeline for clearing the water from the basement 

All cash lying in the bank is safe and has been transferred to its branch in Sector 17. Locker holders need not worry as the lockers are water and fireproof. The branch will be open on Sunday and customers can access their lockers. — Sanjay Aggarwal, DGM, Bank of Baroda 

I have two lockers in the bank. I went to the bank to assist the authorities in clarifying the doubts of locker holders, many of whom were apprehensive that water may have entered their lockers or the fire may have damaged their documents lying in these.— Pusplata Singla, ex-locker manager of the bank

After reading reports regarding the fire in newspapers, I rushed to the bank at 9 am to check the status of my locker, even though I knew that it opens at 10 am. The bank should follow proper fire safety norms — Amit Kapoor, a locker holder

I was at the site till 3 am on Saturday and didn't find the bank authorities making enough efforts to clear the water during the night after firemen had completed their operation — Amarjeet Kaur, a locker holder

I hope the assurances given by the bank authorities regarding our lockers being safe are correct — Jasbeer Singh, a locker holder

Chandigarh, October 6
The issue of approval regarding selection for the posts of professor and associate professor in the Dr HSJ Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital that was deferred in the last Syndicate meeting pending certain clarifications was approved in today’s meeting by majority vote.

The selections made on three posts of professor at had come under scanner due to alleged gross violation of rules. The syndics had raised objections over the appointments.

The Syndics, during the meeting, had enquired that how two different criteria could be used for the appointment of professors in the same institute.

The assessment form used for selection of professor at oral maxillofacial surgery and the assessment form for the selection of professor in the prosthodontics department was different.

The selection process has also been challenged in Punjab and Haryana High Court and the matter is still pending in the court.

Chandigarh, October 6
A day after the Chandigarh Tribune highlighted the poor condition of the Le Corbusier Centre, the senior officials of the UT Administration inspected the centre today.

Though the officials of the Tourism Department had decorated the centre with flowers, candles and lighting, there was fungus on the paintings.

Director Tourism Tanvi Garg also reprimanded the officials after seeing a spider web inside an enclosure where books on Chandigarh's history are kept.

Meanwhile, Secretary (Tourism) DK Tiwari and Director (Tourism) Tanvi Garg paid homage to master architect Le Corbusier on his 125th birth anniversary by lighting a candle at the centre.

The authorities today removed non-functional air-conditioners, which were dumped inside a room at centre. Layers of dust were removed from a majority of the paintings, drawings and furniture displayed at the centre.

Both Tiwari and Garg inspected the termite-ridden flooring and broken enclosures. The officials posted at the centre informed them that after the rainy season termite affected the wooden flooring. With regard to the broken enclosures, they said cracks on the enclosures had occurred due to heat.

After inspecting the centre, Tiwari said he had directed the officials to write to the Engineering Department about the need for the replacement of the damaged wooden flooring. He also stated that soon they would replace the broken enclosures as well.

Chandigarh, October 6
On the 125th birth anniversary of Le Corbusier, the UT Administration announced that the building adjoining to Le Corbusier Centre would be handed over to the centre and a heritage and research centre on Le Corbusier's work will be set up in the building.

While celebrating Le Corbusier's birth anniversary at Le Corbusier Centre in Sector 19, Secretary (Tourism) DK Tiwari said the UT Administration had decided to use this building, which was recently vacated by the Forest Department, for the expansion of Le Corbusier Centre. The Forest Department has shifted to Paryavaran Bhawan.

Tiwari said they would set up a heritage and research centre on Le Corbusier's work in this building.

He added the UT Administration was also in touch with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for getting UNESCO's heritage status for the city.

Director Tourism Tanvi Garg said the Administration was very serious on preserving Le Corbusier's heritage work. She added the Tourism Department would soon hold a meeting with the officials of the Engineering Department to complete the process of handing over the attached building to the Tourism Department. 

Mohali, October 6
A world-class floodlit hockey stadium, under construction at Phase IX, will be completed by November 15 this year with the cost of Rs 41 crore. "Pink and blue coloured astroturf will be laid there on the pattern of London hockey stadiums,"said Public Works Minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, who was reviewing the status of the construction work along with PWD officials.

Sharanjit said the stadium would have world-class infrastructure on a total land of 12 acres. The stadium would have a capacity of 50,000 spectators besides a reserved sitting capacity for 200 VVIPs.

While talking to the mediapersons, Dhillon said the stadium would be equipped with the best infrastructure, including a hi-tech changing room, first-aid room, dope-testing laboratory, restaurant, gym, canteen, fully computerised office and VVIP and VIP galleries. He said special arrangements had also been made for power services in the stadium.

Responding to a query, the minister said the SAD-BJP government was dedicated to encouraging the youth to go in for sports by providing them the best infrastructure, facilities and jobs in various departments.

He said the Punjab Government had drawn up a special plan to motivate children towards sports from their preliminary school days. Dhillon said on the pattern of Mohali, the state government would also construct world-class hockey stadiums in Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Faridkot and Bathinda. Nine multipurpose floodlit stadiums were also under construction in the state, he added.

The minister said all highways in the state would be four or six lanes and construction work on some major roads would begin this year. Directions had also been issued to the authorities concerned to complete the remaining patchworks by November 15, he added.

Chandigarh, October 6
The two-day theatre festival, Which will be held from October 8 at the Tagore Theatre, will witness three satirical plays, based on the stories written by prolific writers like Munshi Prem chand.

The festival, organised by the Theatre Arts, Chandigarh, will open on October 8 evening at 6.30 with play 'Lottery', which is based on a classic story of Munshi Prem Chand and is directed by Yogesh Arora.

The play is a satire on how blood relations change when suddenly, a large amount or money comes into a family.

The second play that will be staged on the same day is 'Dr Palta', written by Balwant Gargi and directed by Gaurav Sharma. The play is again a comedy satire on human nature.

On October 9, a comedy play 'Maza Ban Zaye na Saja', written by Dr Anand Parkash Mishra and Directed by Irfan Ahmed, will be staged. The play is a comedy satire on the problem AIDS. It also depicts the plight of bar dancers in India. Entry is free and passes can be collected from the Tagore Theatre.

Chandigarh, October 6
On the second day of the 13th Annual Conference of the Indian Association of Private Psychiatry, Dr Indira Sharma presented her talk on the management of psychiatric disorders in general practice here today. She stated that the patients with psychiatric disorders were first seen by the general physicians across the world, therefore, the role of general physicians become more important in treating patients of general psychiatric disorders. She further insisted that we should try to avoid all kind of stressful situations. One should be ready to face stress and regular practise of yoga helped to control stress, she said.

Dr Ajit Avasthi from PGIMER, Chandigarh presented his talk on expanding frontiers of psychiatry. he discussed the latest changes in the field of psychiatry. Prof RS Murthy, pioneer in the field of community mental health programme in India, shared his experience of the last 30 years during the conference. 

Chandigarh, October 6
The Panjab University Syndicate today gave a nod to the Teacher Evaluation which had been pending from the last few years. The House approved the recommendations of the concerned committee, pertaining to the teachers’ evaluation by the students.

As per the decision, the students with minimum 75 per cent attendance and having no compartment will be allowed to make this evaluation, which will remain purely between the students and the teachers concerned.

Panjab University officials said the evaluation would be deemed only as a feedback mechanism for the self-improvement of the teachers since the parameters of evaluation are communication abilities. The students would be evaluating the teachers on fixed parameters including regularity and punctuality, response to queries, the informal behavior of the teacher and response to queries.

The demand of Teachers’ Evaluation was moved by the Student Organsiation of Panjab University (SOPU) chief Brinder Dhillon in 2009. The demand was pending since then due to the modalities, which were being worked-out.

PU officials said that the students, at the end of the each academic session would be asked to give their feedbacks, which should be anonymous. 

Chandigarh, October 6
The Syndicate, at its meeting held here today, approved the appointment of Dr Parvinder Singh as the Controller of Examinations (CoE) of Panjab University.

At present, Registrar AK Bhandari was officiating as the CoE.

On the direction of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the House reconsidered the appointment of the Controller of Examinations and unanimously approved the appointment of Dr Parvinder Singh to the said post.

The PU Syndicate in August 2011 had disapproved his selection as the controller examination even after the Selection Committee constituted by the PU had recommended his name finding him suitable for the post.

Parvinder Singh, a teacher in the chemistry department at Post Graduate Government College for Girls, Sector 42, had then approached the High Court that had quashed the orders of the Syndicate disapproving the appointment.

The Syndicate was asked to reconsider its decision on priority. Earlier, the meeting was held on August 4.

However, the item was deferred, as there was a call for detailed information regarding the appointment. The issue was then listed for the syndicate meeting held on September 8, which could not be discussed due to the lengthy agenda.