The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Kurali firecracker market wears deserted look
Witnesses 35 per cent dip this year in comparison to previous year
Akash Ghai
Tribune News Service

Kurali, October 30
Inflation, which certainly has taken sheen off Diwali this year, also cast its shadow on the wholesale crackers business here.

Businessmen of the region’s biggest wholesale cracker market claimed that the trade witnessed around 35 per cent dip this year in comparison to previous year.

During a visit to the wholesale market in the area, the Tribune team found most of the firecracker shops were empty. Salesmen of several shops were seen standing outside their shops to woo the customers.

“Customers are virtually missing this year”, said shopkeepers in the business. “Diwali is just five days away and our shops have no customer. This is simply shocking”, said Harish Bathla, a wholesale dealer here.

Bathla, who runs a wholesale crackers shop on the Kurali-Morinda road, claimed after witnessing very low sale this year, he had to cancel his orders midway.

“About 40 per cent of the order had not reached him yet. “As the stock in my shop is still intact, I asked the manufacturer to cancel my remaining order”, said Bathla.Echoing the same sentiments, Seemant Sood claimed that the sale at his shop was down by around 30 per cent.

“Obviously, the inflation is the main reason behind the dip”, said Seemant Sood, a proprietor of the wholesale crackers shop, Balbinder Sood and Sons, on Badali Road.He added that the rates of firecrackers had increased by 20 per cent this year. “There is substantial dip in the number of customers in comparison to previous years. Evidently, the inflation has hit the purchasing power of the common man. Middle class people are not in a position to buy expensive crackers”, said Seemant Sood.He added that even the small-time retailers, who useed to buy crackers from them, were investing less in the business.However, the businessmen hoped that the business would pick in the days to come.

Most expensive firecracker

1000 shots the wholesale price of which is being quoted between Rs 12,000 and 15,000.

The most popular crackers are 25 shots (wholesale price Rs 350-400) and 60 shots (wholesale price Rs 550-600)’

COURTS

changed identity
High drama in CBI court
Complainant accuses investigating agency of coercing him
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 30
High drama was witnessed in the CBI Special Court of Vimal Kumar today and utter confusion prevailed when a complainant in a case accused the investigating agency of forcing him to sign false documents and said he was not the actual complainant. While the CBI court had issued summons to the complainant “Satish”, he (Satish) told the court that he was not Satish but his actual name was Balbir and the CBI coerced him to sign false documents with another identity.

It all started when during the resumed hearing of the case involving UT police head constable Ram Niwas, who is the accused in the bribery case. He was arrested last year while accepting a bribe of Rs 1,000.

The complainant in the case told the court that he was threatened that he would be imprisoned if he failed to sign on the documents with the fake name of Satish when he was actually “Balbir”.

He accused the CBI of harassing him and told the court that he was threatened by the investigating agency to put his name as “Satish” on all the documents otherwise he would face dire consequences.

The court then ordered that a minor boy Satish, who is incidentally Balbir’s brother, be produced in the witness box. The 13-year-old boy told the court that he came to the city only last year from his native village and had worked with a juice vendor Bablu. He said that Bablu owed Rs 1,000 to head constable Ram Niwas. Satish’s brother Balbir had handed him two 500 rupee notes last year and asked him to give it to Ram Niwas and he would then arrange a better place for them to set up the juice stall.

The conversation was overheard by rehri association president Sanjay who complained to the CBI that the head constable was demanding money. He said he did not know anything else and there was no demand of bribe.

The case has now been adjourned to November 11 for the next hearing.

‘CBI forced me to sign false documents’

The complainant in the case told the court that he was threatened that he would be imprisoned if he failed to sign on the documents with the fake name of Satish when he is actually “Balbir”.

CRIME

Robbers take away truck
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, October 30
Ten persons took away a truck loaded with eggs. The driver, Kamlesh, said he was going to Faizabad from Barwala when the robbers stopped his truck and took it away.

He said he was robbed of Rs 15,000. Station house officer of the Chandimandir police station said they had not received any complaint. later, it was learnt that the driver had cooked up a story.

SPORTS

COL CK nAYADU tROPHY
Manan hogs limelight
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 30
During a match of Col CK Nayudu Trophy, Punjab sealed the day’s tally at 374 runs for the loss of six wickets in 117 overs at Dindigul today.

Opener batsman Manan Vohra astounded Tamil Nadu with 123 runs off 201 balls studded with 13 boundaries and four sixes. Vohra was equally supported by Sharad Lumba, who scored 44 runs.

Duo Gitansh Khera and Himanshu Chawla stabled the team’s inning, with an unbeaten partnership of 121 runs. Gitansh scored unbeaten knock of 54 off 117 balls with five boundaries and a six, while Himanshu scored 85 runs. Brief scores

Tamil Nadu-A - 386 all out in 152.4 overs (Ganga Raju 20, Kaushik Gandhi 70, Indrajith 102, Ashwin Venkatraman 43, Rohit 87, AC Ptathivan 41, Jaskaran singh four for 72 runs, Deepak Bansal one for 45 runs, Yogesh Kumar three for 108 runs, Sharad Lumba one for 55 runs, Himanshu Chawla one for 14 runs)

Punjab-A - 374 for six wickets in 117 overs (Manan Vohra 123, Mandeep Singh 24 , Sharad Lumba 44, Gitansh Khera 54 not out, Himanshu Chawla 85 not out, M Mohamd two for 71 runs, Ashwin two for 93 runs)

Sports directorate acts as perfect host
Provides safety gear to teams taking part in inter-varsity baseball meet
Deepankar Sharda
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 30
Acting as a perfect host, the Directorate of Sports is providing all the safety gear to the participants of the All-India Inter-Varsity Baseball Championship for Women being held on the Panjab University grounds here.

As per rules of the All-India Universities Sports Committee, all the participating sides are required to bring their own safety equipment to any North Zone or all-India inter-university championship. But keeping in mind the high risk of injury during matches, the directorate is providing all the safety gear to the teams. This includes the catcher’s helmet, chest guard, shin-knee guard, batters’ helmet and shoulder shrug guard. If required, baseball sluggers of the national standards are also being provided to the participating teams.

“Most of the teams are not carrying this basic safety equipment. We are not allowing anyone to play with a high risk of injury looming on them. We have purchased a pair of chest guards, helmets, catcher’s helmet with skull protecting cover, baseball sluggers and shin-knee guards with a toe-cover besides an extra pair of gloves. The host team of Panjab University is also using the same gear, and provides it to the other teams, whenever needed. In other universities, players are always asked to bring their own equipment. We, however, have tried our best to provide a safe environment to all the players of the visiting sides,” said Dr Gurcharan Singh Gill, assistant professor of physical education at SGGS College, Sector 26, who is the technical director of the tournament.

Dalwinder Singh, Director Sports, Panjab University, said the step had been taken to safeguard the talent of the budding players participating in the meet from all over India.

“The university also provided the same facilities during the men’s championship. The same equipment will be used by our players in future,” said Dalwinder Singh.