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No end in sight to these eyesores
Chandigarh, December 2 Two former police officers have allegedly encroached upon a part of the service lane and a greenbelt near their houses in Sectors 8 and 18 and are using it as a temporary shelter for their security guards. Former Punjab DGP Sarabjit Singh, residing in house number 700 in Sector 8, has allegedly encroached upon a greenbelt alongside his house. A tent has been pitched for the security staff of the former DGP. Besides, two cages are also placed in the greenbelt for pet dogs. Another former Punjab DGP PC Dogra, residing in house number 1193 in Sector 18, has erected a tent on the rear side of his house. This temporary shelter is being used by his security guards. When contacted, Sarabjit Singh said: "Not even a single resident of the locality has approached me and complained about the tent and cages in the greenbelt." PC Dogra said there was no park or greenbelt on the rear side of his house. "The tent is very small which is being used by my security guards," he added. A senior official of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation said on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, they had removed illegal tents. "We will conduct a survey and remove illegal tents," he added.
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Chidambaram visits Mohali skyscraper
Mohali, December 2 Chidambaram was in the town to inaugurate the Indian School Business complex in Sector 81. Curious to know about the technical details of the building, the union minister went to the fourth floor of the building and asked specific details from the promoter of the project, Harpal Singh. “When a large posse of security personnel reached my factory, I thought that Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukbiir Singh was coming. Then all of sudden somebody told me that Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram was on his way to see the building. It was a big surprise for all of us,” said Harpal Singh, owner of the Synergy Group of Companies. Chidambaram, who reached the site at about 4.30 pm, took keen interest in the advanced technology. “He enquired a lot of things about the construction technique, designing and smart aspects of the building,” said Harpal Singh. The minister stayed at the site for about 40 minutes and congratulated the team for bringing in the new technology to the country.
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ISB inaugurated at Mohali
Mohali, December 2 Exhorting the students of ISB to not succumb to temptation of greener pastures abroad, after finishing their degrees, the Finance Minister told them to stay on in the country and meet the challenges here. “Be here and help build India. That should be the biggest challenge before you, as you pass out from a world class institution like ISB,” he said. “I firmly believe that talent is evenly distributed throughout society. What is missing is opportunity. My deepest regret is that many of our universities are teaching shops, with poor infrastructure, outdated textbooks, poor pedagogy and methodology, and untrained teachers. What we need is world-class institutions. ISB is one of a handful of such institutions in India.” he said. Badal, who was also present on the occasion, said that ISB had been one of the most successful models of public and private partnerships in Punjab. “I hope that ISB will be the new trendsetter and continue to invest its human resource to become a school at par with the best of global business schools. Other than ISB, we have set up eight new universities across the state, besides adding an IIT at Ropar and a central university at Bathinda, making Punjab a education hub,” he said. The event was attended by high-profile gathering, including the chairman of the ISB, Adi Godrej, and founding board members of the Mohali campus, Analjit Singh, Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Sunil Kant Munjal and Atul Punj, other members of the ISB executive board, senior government officials, business leaders, faculty and representatives from the ISB associate schools, students, alumni and staff. Endorsing the board’s support, Adi Godrej said, “Our expansion into Mohali, allowing for a greater geographic outreach apart, has given us an opportunity to foray into important new areas...”
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Mobile towers near crèches pose threat to children
Chandigarh, December 2 About 30 disabled students at Prayaas - a rehabilitation centre for the handicapped - in Sector 38, are also sailing in the same boat. Reminders have been sent to the BSNL authorities to remove the cellphone towers, but to no avail. The administration had given a permission to install cellphone towers in the newly constructed crèches of Sectors 15 and 20 and Prayaas, but after objections in the executive committee of Indian council for Child Welfare (ICCW) a survey was conducted to look into the side effects on children's health. BSNL deputy general manager C Singhal admitted that they had received a request from the administration, but no decision has been taken so far. He said the authorities were considering the request. UT social welfare director Rajesh Jogpal said they had taken up the matter with the BSNL authorities. In recent ICCW meeting, members questioned as to why no action had been initiated against the BSNL for not removing the cellphone towers. The survey report prepared by the ICCW, Chandigarh, revealed that cellphone towers affect the immune system of children. The UT Administration had asked the BSNL to remove the towers from the crèches and Prayaas on September 6, 2012, and a reminder was sent on November 8, 2012.
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City parks not disabled-friendly
Ritika Jha Palial Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 2 The civic body has inaugurated three greenbelts over the past one month in the city. Ironically, none of the greenbelts have provision of ramps. Most of the parks in the city have entrances guarded by revolving or narrow iron gates that keep stray animals at bay, and also the wheelchair users.For instance, Shanti Kunj in Sector 16 has stairs at the entry point and a zigzag entryway. The situation is similar at Rose Garden in the same sector. "This issue is of grave concern. There is a need for revamping the gates of the parks for making them disabled-friendly. A few parks in the city have the provision for easy entry to the disabled," said MC councillor HC Kalyan. A city-based social activist, Sachin Sharma, said: "Though there is a ramp outside British Library at Sector 8 for wheelchairs, it is usually blocked by cars."There is lack of awareness on the facilities available for the disabled. A few years ago, the CTU had introduced low-floor buses with inbuilt ramps, but not many people are aware of these and still commute by ordinary buses. This creates problems as they cannot carry their wheelchairs everywhere and sometimes have to crawl on the road to reach the buses, he added.
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Scrap dealer murdered at Hallo Majra
Chandogarh, December 2 The victim has been identified as Sia Ram. He was returning home when four persons attacked him and one of them smashed a bottle on his head. He was declared brought dead at a hospital. The police is investigating the case.
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Crafts mela: She weaves magic
Chandigarh, December 2 Apart from peacocks, sparrows and flowers, Meera has woven a range of mythological figures, including Ganesha, Lord Shiva, Goddess Kali. She said the it was tedious task and involved a lot of hard work, but she enjoyed every bit of it. First, she sprinkles water on sikki grass so that its stiffness goes away. Then she cuts the grass into fine stripes and dyes them with different fabric colours. Then starts the final stage of weaving the stripes with different shapes and styles.
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Three special trains chug to manage rush of candidates
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 2 The rush was visible at the railway station in the afternoon, with more than 1,000 candidates storming the railway station to go back home. The exam was conducted for the recruitment to various posts, including assistant station masters, guards and traffic controllers. “To manage the rush of the passengers at the station, we had decided to run three special trains at the gap of a few minutes. It becomes necessary to make such arrangements during the railway recruitment examinations. The rush was relatively greater todaym, as many other commuters could be seen travelling since it was a Sunday,” said Station Superintendent Parveen Kumar.
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His iron grit helped him sail through
GMHS headmaster Vinod Sharma refuses to surrender to his limitations Ritika Jha Palial Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 2 However, the inability to walk without calipers, as his left leg was completely handicapped since childhood, did not deter him from dreaming big. Refusing to surrender due to his limitations, he emerged as a leader wherever he went. Currently posted as the headmaster of Government Model High School (GMHS), Sector 34, Vinod Sharma, has become an inspiration for many others like him in the city. While holding the senior most position in the management of the school, Sharma also heads the union of government school teachers. “No matter how much you keep up your enthusiasm, being handicapped is a huge challenge. Everyone at my village (in Kaithal) had inhibitions about my career. They always underestimated me for every possible opportunity. But I believe that your disability often blesses you with some talent. I was able to see that talent within me and aspired to be on the top always,” said Sharma. Sharma is a teacher of Sanskrit. After completing his Class X from his village, he completed his higher studies in Kurukshetra in Sanskrit College. He continued to be the president of the student council in his college. “I am blessed with three children. My wife has been very supportive. She is also a teacher in a city government school,” Sharma added. While keeping up the enthusiasm is very important for the physically challenged persons. The government support elevates their confidence even more. There are many such markets, public places and even government buildings, which do not have provisions of ramps or lifts for free movement of the physically challenged, pointed out Sharma.
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P’kula Mini-Secretariat sans fire equipment
Panchkula, December 2 The administration had recently got all the government buildings inspected and notices were served to the ones where the buildings were sans fire extinguishers. It seems the administration has forgotten to check its own building, which sees thousands of visitors in a day. The three-storeyed Mini Secretariat has not followed any fire norms. RP Dhull, the fire officer of the district, said, “We wrote to the authorities three months ago under the National building code 2005 and we are still waiting for the response.” The Mini Secretariat is the place where Panchkula Deputy Commissioner Ashima Brar sits and she is not even aware of the fact that such a big lapse is there at the building she sit in. Brar was contacted, but she failed to respond to the call on her official phone. “If a fire breaks out in the building, there are only four small holders of sand which are old and will not be of any use if the need arises,” said an official on the condition of anonymity. He further added, “It shows the irresponsibility on the part of the DC, who is not bothered about the safety of the public. Several times we have brought it to the notice of the authorities, but everything falls on deaf ears.” Apart from the DC office, Panchkula Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Parul Kush, SDM Sharandeep Kaur Brar, and CTM Vandana Disodia to have their offices there. All other departments like excise and taxation, district town and country planning department and other important offices are located in the building. “All the official records can be destroyed due to negligence. Innocent people who visit here daily are oblivious of the fact that if any mishap takes place, there is not even a single extinguisher to douse the flames,” said Tarika Mehta, a resident of Sector 15, Panchkula. “We will definitely look in to the matter and the department concerned will be written to as soon as possible,” said OP Sihag, executive officer of the Municipal Corporation (MC).
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Eve-teasers should be taken to task
Parents and teachers can help in rooting out the evil called eve-teasing. More seats should be reserved in CTU buses for women. Drivers and conductors should learn how to deal with such incidents. Training sessions should be organised for them. Police personnel in civvies should be deployed near colleges, schools and markets. To teach such elements a lesson, photographs of eve-teasers should be pasted on buses and published in newspapers. The accused should not be allowed to enter the buses. AK Sharma, Chandigarh Launch a crusade
Going by the saying that "God helps those, who help themselves", the women should launch a crusade against the evil. If someone passes remarks at them, they should immediately bring the matter to the notice of police. They should call up at the police helpline number and get a complaint registered. The government should install CCTV cameras in buses. Sumesh Kumar
Badhwar, Mohali
Media should also help
The transport department can play a major role. Men should not be allowed to occupy seats reserved for women. Many a times it is seen that women keep standing and men don't even offer them seats. The media can also help women fight the evil. Vidya Sagar
Garg, Panchkula
NGOs should come forward
Crime against women is on the rise in the city. NGOs should join hands with the police to curb the menace. The situation has gone from bad to worse. Women are not safe in the city. Police officials should help them in registering complaints. Satish Chandra Sharma,
Chandigarh
Campaign of little help
Despite a campaign launched by the UT Police against eve-teasing, nothing concrete has been done so far. Women travelling by CTU buses or other modes of transport continue to become a victim of eve-teasers. Guryog
Kaur, Mohali
Punish eve-teasers
Efforts have failed to fructify. Eve-teasers should be dealt with sternly. Those who don't respect women should be punished. They should be sent to judicial custody for a week or so. RK
Kapoor, Chandigarh
Reserve more seats
in buses
The only solution to the problem is to increase the number of reserved seats in buses. The display boards on buses should also flash the number of unoccupied seats. SC Lutheran, Mani Majra
Govt should do the needful
Eve-teasing is a pernicious disease afflicting a large section of women in CTU buses, which is not only disgraceful, but also a stigma. It is akin to ragging of new entrants to colleges or universities which has, by law, been banned, notwithstanding the erratic incidents in some places. The government should also enact legislation to this effect so that these elements are brought to book. Only then drivers and conductors can be of any legal help to the harassed lot. Gurmit Singh
Saini, Ontario, Canada
Even policewomen not safe
With incidents of eve-teasing on the rise, Chandigarh is increasingly becoming unsafe for women. Eve-teasing cases, even during broad daylight, are going unchecked. Not only women in general, but even policewomen are not safe. Reservation of more seats will not solve the problem. Many a times, the buses don't stop at bus queue shelters, where anti-social elements keep looking for a prey. Sachin Sharma,
Chandigarh
Registration of complaint must
Failure on the part of police in dealing with such cases has worsened the situation. There should be more buses for women. They should raise their voice and fight the evil with courage. The matter should be brought to the notice of police immediately. Vineet
Kapoor, Panchkula
Campaign should
be launched
Residents of the tricity need to be sensitised about the gravity of the situation. The Mohali, Panchkula and Chandigarh administrations should launch a campaign. Seminars and street plays should be organised. The media can play a vital role in eradicating the evil. GS
Bedi, Mohali
Inaction should not be tolerated
Despite a campaign launched by the UT Police against eve-teasers, women continue to remain a soft target in buses. They have to face humiliation at the hands of eve-teasers everyday. Most of the cases go unreported. Men are even found occupying seats that are reserved for women. Policewomen should be entrusted with the task of punishing such culprits. Those officials who do not take action against eve-teasers should be suspended. Isha
Dahiya, Panchkula
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NABL accreditation for PGI HIV lab
The HIV Testing and Disease Monitoring laboratory in the Department of Immunopathology, PGI, has been accorded accreditation by the National Accreditation Board for Calibration and Testing Laboratories (NABL). The PGI HIV laboratory is the first government hospital in the northern region beyond New Delhi to get NABL accreditation. The laboratory provides HIV diagnostic and disease monitoring services as per international standards and the report generated from this laboratory will be acceptable in any country around the world following such standards. Over 100 mechanics attend AIDS awareness session
Fortis Hospital conducted a session to create awareness about AIDS for around 75 mechanics at the motor market in Sector 48. Dr Varun, senior resident, Blood Bank, educated the mechanics on the prevention and control of HIV AIDS. Free Hepatitis B and C tests were also conducted on all those present. Free HIV testing was also conducted through Chandigarh State Aids Control Society. Another lecture was held for the students of MBA at Chitkara University by Dr Apra Kalra, head, Blood Bank, Fortis Hospital.
Special check-up camp
Panchkula: A two-day special camp was organized by the National Skin Hospital, Mansa Devi Complex, Sector-5, on the occasion of World AIDS Day. About 200 patients came for check up and treatment at the hospital on the first day. Dr Vikas Sharma said that it is vital to control the sexually transmitted diseases to prevent the spread of HIV Infection. Sharma explained that current trends have shown a rise in patients suffering from sexually transmitted bacterial and viral diseases. — TNS
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Over 4,000 students appeared in the first stage of National Talent Hunt Exam-2012 organised by a private coaching institute at its Sector 34 centre and 31 test centres spread across Punjab Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. The test was conducting with the objective to recognise the talent of students and to nurture it further by providing free coaching as a reward.
Eye camp
An eye camp was organised at RIMT World School. Dr Gurpreet from a private eye hospital based in Panchkula said that there was a need for parents to understand that their children must have Vitamin A rich fruits and vegetables. The students were also advised not to touch their eyes with dirty fingers or cloth. They were told to avoid using another person’s soap, towel or handkerchief. Poonam Katoch, principal, said that the school took good care of the health of students and kept organising such camps from time to time.
Awarded
Dr Surinder Rana, assistant professor at the department of gastroenterology, PGI, has received prestigious ISG-J Mitra Endoscopy Award 2012 from the Indian Society of Gastroenterology for his contributions and research in the field of gastrointestinal endoscopy. This award was given to him at the 53rd annual conference of the soceity at Jaipur. Dr Rana’s main areas of research are therapeutic endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound and its applications in the field of pancreaticobiliary disorders. He has been extensively working in the field of therapeutic endoscopy and has contributed a number of papers of high scientific standard in various national and international journals. He is a member of the national task force of ISG on inflammatory bowel diseases as well as the working group of Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy on endoscopic ultrasound.
12 years of Uttarakhand
The Uttarakhand Yuva Morcha organised a seminar on “Twelve years of formation of Uttarakhand state: dreams fulfilled, problems and solutions” at Garhwal Bhawan here. A number of litterateurs, social workers and journalists from Uttarakhand, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh participated in the event. Samar Bhandari, members of the CPI national council, said Uttarakhand failed to reap the benefits of being a state due to overexploitation of its natural resources. Other speakers included journalists Dinesh Jual, Jai Singh Rawat, and Umakant Lakhera, writer Charuchand Chandola. Manch president Bhagwati Prasad Kukshal thanked the participants.
Advanced gynae facilities
People of the tricity would now be able to avail the best of laparoscopic gynaecology facilities at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32. Dr Reeti Mehra, associate professor in the department of obstetrics and gyanecology, who recently returned after undergoing advanced Gynaecological Fellowship in Germany, said she had already been performing laparoscopic surgery, which included total laparoscopic hysterectomy, laparoscopic cystectomy, hysteroscopic and laparoscopic myomectomy, but now she would be in a position to take up advanced endoscopic procedures like extensive endometriosis. A few procedures, which cost about Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh in the private sector, would cost only about Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 in the GMCH-32.
Awareness campaign
Shiksha Ka Abhiyan, Chandigarh, organised an awareness campaign to educate people about the amenities being provided by the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). This was done by putting up a stall at the Chandigarh Carnival. It was displayed that how different interventions of the SSA like special training centres for the dropouts and never-enrolled children was playing an important role in providing quality and inclusive education for differently abled children through Computer Aided Learning (CAL).
Students of Post Graduate Diploma in International Business (PGDIB) at Taaleem College of International Studies, have recently returned from a learning tour -- Roads2Ideas. The event, flagged-off from Indore, made its way through Vadodara and Pune, before finally reaching Goa. A total of 12 teams participated in the event from different regions of India. This year TCIS was the only educational organisation that represented the northern region comprising of Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
Computer Security Day
Chandigarh Group of Colleges organised a seminar on World Computer Security Day to raise awareness of computer-related security issues. The students were told how to protect their computers and personal information. Besides, the students were given information about computer hackers and hacking systems. While speaking on the occasion, chairman Satnam Singh Sandhu and president Rashpal singh Dhaliwal said computer security nowadays had not only became a necessity, but also a requirement to remain up-to-date.
A meeting of the Haryana Government Retired Officers Welfare Association, Panchkula, was held here to celebrate their 22nd founders’ day. Rabvinder Sharma, president of the association, chaired the meeting. The president highlighted their demands to remove the condition of chronic diseases certificate after every two years, enhanced fixed medical reimbursement allowance, enhanced chronic patient allowance, 40 per cent concession in Haryana Roadways buses, among other demands. — TNS
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implementation of RTE ACT UT Education Dept will submit revised figure to the Cental Government Vivek Gupta Tribune News Service
The department has reportedly decided to forward a proposal to recruit 3,472 employees to the Union Government, after the approval of the local authorities. The previously calculated figure had some anomaly, following which a revised proposal was prepared keeping in view the requirement of both teaching and non-teaching staff to implement the RTE Act, said a senior government officer. Over 90 per cent of the total posts demanded are required in the government schools in Chandigarh, since the provisions of the RTE Act, especially related to the student-teacher ratio, has put extra burden on the existing teaching staff. As per the estimates, the city’s government schools need as many as 1,330 TGTs and 1,070 JBTs, besides 15 headmasters, to fully comply with the RTE Act. Since a new section at the pre-nursery level has to be added in several government schools, there is a need for 83 NTTs too. Besides these posts, the government schools require 106 “aayas”, 42 librarians, 85 counsellors, 52 accountants, 86 clerks, 110 lab attendants and 127 class IV employees. At the directorate level, there is a requirement of as many as 61 posts, since there is an acute shortage of supporting staff in absence of any news posts of clerk, senior assistant, steno, peons and data entry operator being created in past 20 years. As the workload has increased due to the RTE Act as well as other schemes, including Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, the directorate office needed more staff, said an official. Moreover, there is no assistant controller in the district education office and no section officer for managing service matters of schools. Overall, there is a requirement of 20 new employees in the DEO office, including eight clerks, and six senior assistants.
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Colourful programme marks founder’s day celebrations at Mount Carmel
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 2 Annual day celebrations of St Anne’s Convent School concluded today. Earlier on the first day, Income Tax Commissioner BS Sandhu presided over the function and appreciated the school for imbibing moral values in students. School vice-captain Saket gave the welcome address. Thereafter, school theme “Let your light shine” was unveiled. The highlight of the function was “patriotic
fervour” staged by class V students, which evoked the spirit of patriotism, national integration and the achievements made by Indians at different levels. “ Shivalik Public School, Sector 41-B, observed Scholastic Reading Day. Students from classes I to XII spent half an hour reading stories, magazines and newspaper articles. This was followed by students taking up the pledge to make reading a daily habit and keeping the magic of books alive. GMSSS-8 celebrates communal harmony National Service Scheme
(NSS) volunteers of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 8-B, along with other students of the school celebrated the Quami Ekta week. Various activities were organised on the occasion. The students were administered a pledge on national integration. A “kavi
sammelan” was also held to celebrate Linguistic Harmony Day. Declamation and paper reading contest were held to celebrate Women’s Day and Conservation day. Cultural bonanza St Joseph’s School, Sector 44, organised a cultural
progamme, “Expressions 2012”, yesterday. The chief guest, Anirudh
Tewari, Secretary, Power and Personnel, Punjab, inaugurated the ceremony by lighting a lamp. The show commenced with welcome song
“Suswagtam”. Plays, mime captivate audience Mohali: Razzmatazz’12, a cultural programme of classes V and VI of Manav Mangal Smart School, Phase X, won many here today. The programme aimed at giving children an opportunity to showcase their talents. The show began with the school’s annual report followed by a Sufi prayer. Children also paid homage to Rajesh
Khanna, Dev Anand and Shammi Kapoor. An innovative mime on the misuse of mobile phones was staged. The plight of HIV-affected persons was showcased through a dance on “ek pyass
hai”. Other items included a fashion show, featuring brides and grooms of various regions. Annual day celebrations Excitement and enthusiasm marked the annual day function at St Xavier’s School. The function began with the inspirational words of principal Georgina Roy. Students of classes IV-VI performed yogasanas followed by a rainbow drill by students of pre-nursery to kindergarten. St Paul’s School Patriotic fervour marked the annual day function,
Jazbaa, of St Paul’s International School, Phase VI. The function took off with “Ganesh
Vandana”, followed by a display of martial arts skills, patriotic dance, and a play on theme “kindness never goes unpaid”. A special dance performance “go green” was presented by the nursery students.
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Chandigarh, December 2