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27-yr-old killed in road accident
Chandigarh, January 19 Ankit suffered a head injury and died on the spot. The victim was scheduled to get married in April. The mishap took place around 3 am when Ankit was on way to his residence in Sector 19 from the Sector 28 side. The car was being driven at high speed. It rammed into the road berm and overturned. The car then swerved off the road and hit the pavement on the other side before ramming into a tree. It came to a halt against a temple’s wall. The head of the victim was crushed under the car. The police rushed Ankit to the hospital where he was declared brought dead. The police said the victim was not drunk. A team of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory gathered clues from the spot to ascertain the cause of the accident. Ankit used to run a garment shop in Sector 17, Panchkula. Ankit’s relatives sai he was a teetotaler. The victim is survived by his parents and a younger brother. This is the second road accident in a week in which a young life has been lost. Two days ago, an 18-year-old engineering student, Deepanshu Sudhir, was killed after the bike he was riding hit a road berm on the road separating Sectors 19 and 27.
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ATMs without guards sealed
Panchkula, January 19
The police have also pasted a notice outside 25 ATM booths where there was no provision to lock or seal the premises. Deputy Commissioner of Police Ashwin Shenvi said the action was taken under Section 144 of the CrPC. Warnings and notices were issued to the banks after incidents of ATM breaks. Last year, miscreants took away an ATM containing Rs 16 lakh in Surajpur. The case is yet to be cracked. Fifteen ATMs were sealed under the jurisdiction of the Sector 5 police station, 10 under the Chandimandir police station, six under the Mansa Devi Complex police station, four under the Sector 14 police station and two under the Sector 20 police station. Ten ATMs were sealed in the Kalka area.Police officials said some ATMs were without security guards while the others had no shutters. Satish Dhawan, controller, State Bank of Patiala, said: “The police should not have locked the ATMs overnight. We were in talks with the authorities for deputing security guards. It is the customers who will suffer.” The police action has left bank customers fuming: “I had to withdraw money from an ATM, but found it locked,” said Govind of Sector 5, Mansa Devi Complex.
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Teen kidnapped for Rs 38-lakh ransom
Chandigarh, January 19 A financial dispute over the immigration of the accused is said to be the reason behind the kidnapping. Karan’s sister Monica runs an immigration agency and had allegedly taken Rs 22 lakh from the accused for sending them abroad. The accused could not go abroad and asked for a refund. Acting on Monica’s complaint, the police have registered a case under Sections 365 and 34 of the IPC against Ramnish, Harwinder and others, all residents of Amritsar at the Sector 39 police station. Police teams had been sent to Ambala and other districts of Punjab. A team of the crime branch had also been sent to trace Karan. Sources said one of the cars in which the victim was kidnapped was spotted in Zirakpur.
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CITCO pays heavy price for vegetables
Chandigarh, January 19
Sample this: CITCO pays Rs 28 for a kilogram of cabbage, which is available between Rs 5 and Rs 9 in the market. Capsicum costs the corporation Rs 52 per kg against the market price of Rs 12. Cauliflower, which is available at Rs 5-6 a kg in the market, is being supplied to CITCO at Rs 30 per kg. Onion is giving tears to CITCO at Rs 37 a kg, which can be procured from the market at Rs 7 to Rs 16 a kg. A kilogram of potato costs the Corporation Rs 15 against Rs 4 to 9 a kg in the Sector 26 market. The corporation had allotted the tender to Raj Kumar & Company, Sector 26, Chandigarh. Chief General Manager of CITCO Amandeep Kaur said a committee was constituted to finalise the tender. When asked why the contractor was supplying vegetables at higher rates, Amandeep she said she would have to check the file. The contract will end on March 31, 2014.
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Students get grounding in basics on the floor
Panchkula, January 19 Reason: The school is short of benches. A Tribune team visited the school on Friday and Saturday and saw more than 30 students taking their lessons sitting on the floor. The Education Department had assured to provide benches to students last year, but nothing has been done to date.District Education officer (DEO) Savitri Sihag was not aware of the shortage of benches at the school. “I will get it checked tomorrow,” she said. A teacher at the school said: “We have benches for the students of other classes, but not for the bachpan section (nursery).”
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PGI knows how to render things lifeless
Chandigarh, January 19
Despite having 10 vehicles for the purpose, the authorities have been putting the advanced life support ambulance to use. On an average 200 patients are rushed to the Emergency everyday. "Hundreds of patients are referred to the PGI from the GMCH-32 and the GMSH-16 everyday. If these hospitals had such an ambulance, the golden hour could be saved," said a senior official. The vehicle remains stationed outside the Cardiac Centre most of the time, he said. The hi-tech ambulance was donated to the institution in August 2012 by a resident of Sector 15. The ambulance has covered a distance of 8,400 kilometres in a year and the strange thing is that it has never gone out of the PGI campus. "Since cardiac patients need special care while being shifted, the ambulance remains stationed at the Advanced Cardiac Centre," said PGI's official spokesperson Manju Wadwalkar. The UT Administration is in the process of procuring a few advanced life support ambulances for the city. However, the project has been pending for over a year. The Health Department's life support ambulance is put to use during VVIP visits. The PGI does not provide an ambulance to a patient at night. The patient has to arrange it on his own and pay for the service.
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PGI’s traffic regulation pill to chaos
Chandigarh, January 19 one-way. On the stretch leading to research blocks A and B, traffic will move in one direction. No vehicle will be allowed to enter the main gate. “Staff vehicles parked at the rear of Research Block A will enter/exit from Gate No.4 (material gate). Entry/exit points (adjacent to Zakir Hall) will remain closed. Vehicles parked at the rear of Research Block B will exit from Gate No.4 (material gate),” read an official communication issued by the institute on Sunday. “The road in front of Bhargava Auditorium will be made one-way (from 9 am to 5 pm). The move will facilitate patients, their attendants/relatives and employees of the institute,” the communiqué stated. Kairon Road connects the entry points to the Advanced Trauma Centre, General Emergency, Advanced Paediatric Centre and Director’s office. Patients taking the road are often at risk of being hit by a vehicle.
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Travellers’ delight: Five flights operate from city
Chandigarh, January 19 Seven trains arrived late at the Chandigarh railway station today. Inclement weather derailed the rail traffic. As per information, the Kalka Mail was late by eight hours and 42 minutes, the Barmer-Kalka Express was late by 20 minutes, the Amritsar-Chandigarh Express was late by 35 minutes. The other trains that arrived late at the station include the Unchahar Express (three hours and 10 minutes), Sai Nagar Shirdi-Kalka Express (50 minutes), Dibrugarh-Chandigarh Express (six hours and 45 minutes) and Nangal Dam-Ambala Passenger Express (45 minutes).
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Gatecrasher kept on a leash
After BSP's Lok Sabha candidate Jannat Jahan gatecrashed a function of the Congress in Hallo Majra, the party chose to tread with caution. On learning that Jannat Jahan is away to Lucknow, the party took out a rally in Hallo Majra. Taking a dig at Pawan Kumar Bansal, a BSP worker said the MP had already accepted his defeat. Haste goes waste Putting the cart before the horse, the UT gave a green signal to the conversion of leasehold property into freehold in cooperative house building societies. It seems that it rushed into things as it forgot to decide the collector rates. Petty quarrel Picking up a quarrel with a PGI resident doctor cost a chemist dear. The doctor had asked a patient to return a few unused medicines to the chemist, to which the latter refused. He threatened the doctor, who approached the higher authorities and filed a complaint. On learning that the doctor was a relative of a senior PGI Administrator, the chemist cut a sorry figure. Entertainment unlimited! At a function held to mark the Traffic Road Safety Week, the audience could not stop laughing when a senior citizen grabbed the microphone and started singing 'Teri deewani'. Indian Idol finalist Amitabh Narayan had requested the man in his seventies to dole out a song. The audience broke into rapturous applause. Cooked-up story The UT police went in a tizzy when the police control room received a call that someone had robbed a man of his belongings. On questioning the man, the officers learnt that the mentally unfit man had made up the story. Rules violated During the Inter-Unit Police Sports Meet at the Sector 26 Police Lines, an inspector was caught violating rules in tug of war. The inspector was not letting his rivals move ahead. Recently, the officer was given a commendation certificate for issuing the highest number of traffic challans in the city. A lesson for cops Police personnel will soon learn a lesson of politeness. In their complaint, residents told Mohali SSP Inder Mohan Singh Bhatti that the officers were rude to them. Contributed by Rajinder Nagarkoti, Rajmeet Singh, Ritika Jha Palial, Aneesha Sareen, Deepankar Sharda and Akash Ghai Rift deepens The rift within the Congress came to the fore during the filing of nominations for the Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) elections. Councillor Gurbax Rawat proposed the name of Congress candidate Pardeep Chhabra. But things went upside down when Subhash Chawla, who seconded the name, did not show up. The papers had to be taken to Chawla's residence. Of the 12 Congress councillors, nine did not turn up for the filing of nominations. Fearing cross-voting, the Congress had fielded only one candidate.
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Quattro, talk of the town
Mohali, January 19
Quattro Talk of the Town won top honours in two categories namely, ‘Best in Show Breed in India’ and ‘Best Puppy in the Show’ and bagged the third prize for ‘Best in Show’ category. Earlier, around 285 dogs of 35 various breeds participated in the dog show organised by the Mohali Kennels Club. Apart from the participants, a large number of dog sellers from various parts of the region also turned up for business purposes. Two dogs of Chow-Chow breed namely Changez and Nawab, accompanied by attendant Anupreet, were virtually the centre of attraction for all dog lovers because of their polar bear-like looks. The attendant claimed that they belonged to Thailand. “Their cost is around Rs 1.5 lakh each. We spend about Rs 15,000 each on their diet and other expenses,” said Anupreet from Patiala. Similarly, Ludhiana-based Mandeep Singh Walia, a proud owner of Nody, a Toy Pom breed dog, claimed that he had spent about Rs 3.3 lakh to import the beautiful creature from Philippines. “Nody is the only white coloured Toy Pom dog in the country. We will use him for breeding purposes,” said Walia, who is also in dog selling business. Dogs of other breeds included St Bernard, Great Dane, Husky, Bull Terrier and Bull Dog. Results Best in Show: First- St Bernard of Bhupinder Singh from Khanna; Second- Great Dane of Sanjay Kapoor from Gurgaon; Third- Golden Retriever of Dr Sulbha Jindal from Ludhiana; Best Puppy in Show: First- Golden Retriever of Dr Sulbha Jindal from Ludhiana; Second- Boxer of Gurpal Singh Sandhu; Best in Show Breed in India: Golden Retriever of Dr Sulbha Jindal from Ludhiana.
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13.5 lakh families to benefit under Atta-Dal Scheme
Mohali, January 19 In SAS Nagar, 42,000 families have benefitted from the scheme so far. Now 60,000 new applications have been received, which will be scrutinised for their authenticity, and blue cards for the eligible beneficiaries will be prepared within 15 days. This was stated by Deputy Commissioner Tejinder Pal Singh Sidhu at a meeting with the officers concerned in the District Administrative Complex here on Saturday. Sidhu said under the Bhagat Puran Singh Health Insurance Plan, blue cards had been prepared for 1,644 families so far. — OC
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Civic body, HUDA officials lock horns over allotment of parks
Panchkula, January 19 The agreement of allotting 33 sites was executed by Haryana Urban Development Authority with the company in September 2013 by the then estate officer. A senior official of the Haryana Urban Development Authority said the agreement also came under the scanner. Estate officer of the Haryana Urban Development Authority Vandana Disodia said, “Permission for the installation of mobile towers in parks will never be given. The company has to apply site wise as per the policy.” OP Sihag, executive officer of the Municipal Corporation, said, “When the parks are under the Municipal Corporation, how can Haryana Urban Development Authority allot them for the installation of mobile towers. We have taken up the matter with the senior authorities.” It was yesterday when the work of the installation of an 80-feet mobile tower in Sector 12 Children Park was stopped amidst protests by the residents and due to the intervention of the local MLA, DK Bansal. The residents of Sector 12 were shocked when they came to know that the work which was claimed to be of an installation of a high mast light since long was actually that of a mobile tower in the residential area. They entered into heated arguments with the workers following which the local MLA DK Bansal had to reach the spot. The police was called to shut down the work. After senior officers of the Haryana urban Development Authority enquired, they came to know that the mobile towers were being installed without their permission. However, Bansal alleged that all the work was being carried out in connivance with the Haryana Urban Development Authority and the Municipal Corporation.
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City not fit for differently abled
Chandigarh, january 19
The MC office, one of the most visited offices in the city, does not have any ramp. The situation is similar at the Estate Office building in Sector 17 and at the building of UT Social Welfare Department. Ramps are missing in the building of UT Secretariat as well as Education Department. The lifts in UT Social Welfare Department, for instance, encounter frequent problems. The building of UT Secretariat has a dedicated lift for the handicapped but often other visitors use these lifts. Parks not disabled friendly While the MC boasts of neighbourhood parks across the city, it has failed to consider the plight of the disabled, as a majority of these are not disabled friendly. Most of the parks in the city have entrances guarded by revolving or narrow iron gates that keep stray animals at bay but they also obstacle the disabled as their wheelchairs can not enter through these entrances. Situation at schools As per the data of Central Advisory Board of Education’s recent report, only 47 out of 111 schools in Chanidgarh have the provision of ramps. Rest of the schools doesn’t have ramps besides other facilities like disabled-friendly toilets. Vinod Sharma, president of Government Teachers Union, who is also a disabled, said as per the central government regulation, all the public places must be disabled friendly. However, several government schools lack such facilities. All the government schools must be equipped with facilities that can support the needs of disabled and special children. According to him, principals should be sensitive about this issue. There are several disable friendly changes that principals can undertake on their own from the grants provided to them under several central government schemes, he said. A government school head, seeking anonymity, said the problem is that there is little sensitivity about the needs of the special and disabled children. More than 42 schools are running in double shift due to shortage of rooms. “We need to develop special infrastructure for disabled children. Besides this there is also a need of full-time special educators and resource teachers for disabled and children with special needs,” she added. There are other survey reports suggesting that the children with special needs find it difficult in integrating with the mainstream education in Chandigarh. For instance, lack of ramps and adaptive aids were the key barrier found in a recent study conducted by the Regional Institute for Mentally Handicapped (RIMH). In 2009, RIMH referred 52 children with special needs (CWSN) to the mainstream schools for admission, but majority of them gradually dropped out. MC not aware of guidelines Chandigarh Municipal Corporation is not even aware of the guidelines and standards for creating a barrier-free environment for the disabled (Disability Act 1966) if the response of the civic body on a RTI query is an indication. On a query seeking the status of the implementation of these guidelines and space standards for a barrier-free environment for disabled and elderly persons, the civic body replied that no such guidelines were available with it. "No such guidelines have been found in the copy of the Act "persons with disabilities (equal opportunities, protection of rights and full participation) of 1996 to create a barrier-free environment for them. Therefore you are requested to provide the copy of the relevant portion from the Act," stated the reply of the MC, a copy of it is with the Chandigarh Tribune. The guidelines define the responsibilities of academic institutions, state government, central bodies and Municipal Corporation in creating barrier-free environment for the disabled and elderly. The MC officials, including MC Commissioner VP Singh and Superintending Engineer Mukesh Anand, could not be reached despite several attempts. Sensory Park for blind, a futile attempt Country’s first Sensory Park, located in Sector 26 here and designed for the visually challenged, is no different from any other park in the city. It was proposed that several aromatic plants would be grown in the park, the details of which will be provided in Braille to benefit the visually impaired. No sensors have been installed to guide the blind to the path in the park. Authorities apathetic to appeals of NGO A city-based NGO, Youth Innovative Society, has been spearheading the cause of the disabled. The volunteers have long been writing to the MC officials for changing the designs of the green belts and also make provision for easy movement of wheelchairs in city markets. We met the Chief Architect, UT two months ago, said, Sachin Sharma, president of the NGO. But the authorities are yet to make any headway in the direction. Disability Act, 1966 * The government departments should follow recommended standards of provisions for disabled along with the general guidelines. * The building codes should specify basic architectural provisions that need to be incorporated in new buildings to make them convenient for disabled. * The authorities should ensure, before giving permissions that there are provisions of step-less system, lifts, adequate door width for wheel-chair entry and accessible toilets in a building plan.
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Five-day health education workshop begins at GMCH
Chandigarh, January 19 Over 1,200 students took the exam. The idea was to give the students an exposure on the pattern of competitive exams and to promote a sense of competition among them. The formal inauguration of the event will be held tomorrow at 9:30 am. About 3,500 students from various schools of the tricity will be attending the workshop being organised by medical students of the college. Prof AK Janemeja, medical superintendent of GMCH-32, would inaugurate the festival tomorrow, following which over 200 students from three schools in the city would attend a lecture on oral health, first aid, eye care etc. A medical exhibition showcasing human organs will also begin at the college tomorrow. One of the organisers, Deepam Vashist, said real human organs like lungs, liver, heart, kidney, brain and skeleton, would be exhibited. Young students will be shown how organs like lungs, liver and heart are damaged due to ill-effects of smoking, alcoholism and unhealthy eating habits. Vashisht said every day till January 23, students from different schools would be attending a plethora of visually stimulating and interactive sessions on AIDS, oral hygiene, first aid, trauma management and lifestyle diseases. “We have also planned a special session for girls. They would be sensitised to breast cancer, menstrual problems and reproductive tract Infections. A participation certificate, a stationery kit and refreshments will be given to the participants. Dr Arvind Goyal, a local academician and a PMT trainer who has been associated with this project for the last three years, said young age was the best to develop healthy habits. He said workshops have a long-lasting impact on students’ minds and help bridge the divide between knowledge and practical application. Such a large-scale workshop on health awareness had not been organised by medical students anywhere else in the region, he said.
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Play on relationships leaves audience in splits
Chandigarh, January 19 Written by Moilère and translated by TN Kohli, the play was about a rich old man, who despite being in the last leg of his life married a girl half of his age. She, however, got attracted toward a young man in the neighbourhood. They fell in love with each other. The play ended with an open question whether the old man should accept their relationship. The situational comedy in the due course of the play tickled the funny bone of the audience. Directed by Sharad Sharma, the play was presented by Abhinav Rangmandal, Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh). Virendra Nathaniyal, Milind Karkare, Bahadur, Deepak Bhavsaar, Bhushan Jain, Priya Bhadoriya, Khushbu Chauhan and Yash Roy were among the cast of the play. Ghost, a play by Jammu-based director Mustak Kak, will be staged at 6.30 pm tomorrow.
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59k children administered polio drops
Chandigarh, January 19 Chandigarh has been polio free since 2006. The last case of wild polio virus was detected in the Mazdoor Colony here. Since then, no such case came to light due to stringent field surveillance and reporting. At national level, India has been able to remain polio free since January 13, 2011. However, to obtain a polio eradication certification, the Government of India is holding NID/SNID(National/Sub-national Immunisation Days) at regular intervals till the agencies concerned declare India to have successfully eradicated polio. Strict monitoring is being carried out by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Also, members of the Rotary International could be seen working at the ground level along with the teams of the health department. Children in the high risk areas, homeless and nomads are also being covered. To cover the left out children, a house-to-house campaign will be carried out on January 20 and 21.
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All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, who’s to blame?
The times when children were seen running, jumping and enjoying childhood to its fullest in the lap of Mother Nature have just become cherished memories now. Today, children are just being pushed into the mad race of gaining success and that too, too early in life. The government should maintain the already developed playfields and children should be encouraged to join centres where they could get guidance for playing different sports and relive the golden times. Sargun Kaur, Chandigarh Admn should ensure proper playgrounds The parks in the residential areas hold utmost importance for children. But people parking their vehicles on the area earmarked for playgrounds is gradually eating up the space allotted for the same. It is the responsibility of the Administration to make sure that there are well-maintained playgrounds in the residential areas of the city. RK Gupta, Chandigarh Parks facilitate overall development of children In order to facilitate the overall development of children, playgrounds and parks are very much required as human beings are a social animal. Such parks make children socially active and help them move out of their 'self-centred culture' where they limit themselves to technology. It is a fact that children need to play and interact with others, so as to become more dynamic. They deserve such facilities which would help them groom naturally. I, hereby, request the government to develop parks for public recreational use and to help children become livelier. MD Marwaha, Mohali Playgrounds safeguard security of children, elders There should necessarily be an availability of playgrounds in each sector as this would not only save children but also the elderly from becoming victims of road accidents. In the absence of parks, children usually play on streets, hence, exposing themselves to road accidents. Not only children, even parents will feel safe if their wards get an appropriate place for playing outdoor sports. Moreover, this initiative would reduce the chaos in the streets adjoining residential areas, especially the blind turns, to a large extent. Shruti, SAS Nagar Playgrounds many but where are the children? Looking at the gradual transformation of a small city like Chandigarh into a mushrooming suburban metro, one cannot deny the fact that open spaces are being eaten up by the concrete structures, buildings and malls. No doubt playgrounds have given way to metropolitan culture but where are the children? BM Dhawan, Chandigarh Children’s park should be the topmost priority The Municipal Corporation (MC) should provide adequate facilities for children to play and enjoy. The MC should develop parks exclusively for children. For the elderly or for organising social functions or gathering, a separate park should be made. Children's park should be, however, the topmost priority for the Administration. Priya Darsh Growar, Mohali Admn must earmark sites for parks The City Beautiful was meticulously planned and the design in itself enabled the sectors to become self-contained and equipped with all the necessary facilities. Initially due to sparse construction activities, open spaces were available where the children could play. Mohali and Panchkula were also planned accordingly and there were less open spaces. With no choice left, children used to play on the roadsides which were half-constructed. With the increase in the number of vehicles and no proper parking areas, now these roadsides are being converted into one, thereby displacing the children from there as well. I strongly feel that our Administrators, while planning new sectors, should consider open space for children and it should form an integral part of all their plans in future. In all the developed areas, government land should be considered for such purposes. All are not rich enough to go to the sports centres. Dr Gurdev Singh , Mohali Each sector should boast of two good playgrounds There is no requirement of children’s parks in the city, as there are already so many community parks and children’s parks in various sectors here. It is not well maintained, but that is another issue. The playing equipment are not checked /repaired timely and there remains a chance of children getting hurt due to the ill maintenance of the same. Teenagers also play cricket in such parks, smashing the window panes of cars and houses around. Every sector needs at least two good playgrounds to cater to the teenagers as well so that residents are spared the unrequired nuisance. MPS Chadha , Mohali Green parks should be converted into playgrounds The Chandigarh Administration and Municipal Corporation have not proposed any site for children’s playing ground in the Master Plan of the city so far. The Administration should issue directions to the school management to allow other children of the area to play in the school playground after the school hours. The MC should deploy security staff for the protection of the school property. There are a number of green parks in every sector and there is no harm in converting a few of them into playgrounds for children. Basic facilities and equipment should also be provided to children. The Residents Welfare Association should come forward in this regard and select sites in their respective sectors to further recommend the Administration for developing parks for children. Sukhpal Singh, Chandigarh Children’s parks are the need of the hour The City Beautiful is on the world map because of its unique architecture but as the population is increasing many problems are also cropping up. For instance, commercial land is becoming expensive and residential areas are reducing. At present, the main concern is of green belts available. The need of the hour is to develop children’s parks. From the available land, a particular area should be exclusively reserved in the interests of children. Shuchi Nanda, Mohali Admn should wake up Chandigarh is fast turning into a concrete jungle like other big cities. Even the broad roads in the residential areas are overflowing with cars, which are usually parked outside the houses. It is time that the Administration takes control of the situation. Along with the green belts, children’s parks should be developed to ensure healthy development of children. We must ensure that the city continues to be ‘City Beautiful’. Col RD Singh (retd), Ambala Cantt Urgent need for playgrounds in the city Childhood and extra-curricular activities go hand in hand. They are interdependent. But lack of playgrounds has forced children to play on the roads in front of their houses. This has proved fatal many a time as playing on roads is not at all safe. We have schools within the reach of children in each sector. So, the school playgrounds can be used in the evening by children of the area. The green spaces should not be ruined with sports activities as greenery is also important for safeguarding our environment. Baljinder Kaur, Chandigarh Each sector needs one big playground There are about 2,000 parks including green belts in the region. But unfortunately, owing to poor planning by the Administration as well as our founder planners, there is no adequate space for playgrounds. In the absence of the same, children have been left with no other choice but to play in bigger gardens, green belt areas, parks and even on the roads. While playing in these green belts/parks, they put residents to inconvenience. Though the authorities concerned have allowed the ‘gully’ players to use the government school grounds yet the proposal is not yet viable owing to various infirmities. To solve this problem, the authorities concerned should earmark a big playground in each sector. SK Khosla, Chandigarh Maintain parks The architecture of the city is such that it provides for at least one park in every sector. But the need of the hour is to maintain the already existing parks. They should not be at any cost converted into commercial or residential plots. The Municipal Corporation should ensure that cars are not parked in the area around the parks and the defaulters found doing the same should be heavily fined. Aishwarya, Mohali Regular matches should be organised A few decades ago, small towns and villages boasted of huge open spaces within and in the periphery and the same were used as playgrounds. But nowadays, playgrounds are exclusively marked for specific games. I suggest the MC should build volleyball courts and promote the same among the children and the elderly. Holding regular matches is another step to acknowledge the need for a play station. Tarsem Bhardwaj, Chandigarh Authorities concerned must promote games I do not see any reason as to why there are no playgrounds in the tricity. Most activities are centred on as to how to make the land convertible for carrying out commercial activities. Besides, the present generation finds it better to play video games and become obese as they consider sweating a curse and below their status symbol. The authorities, however, need to promote games anyhow. If hard tennis courts and basketball courts are provided in every sector, it will largely meet the justification with the limited finances. Rita Raina, Chandigarh Time to wake up MC from its deep slumber The Municipal Corporation (MC) has developed the open areas into green belts, neighbourhood parks and open spaces. A good amount of money has been spent on them. The City Administration, however, in pursuit of beautifying the areas, seems to have forgotten to keep the space for developing playgrounds. Now the children are left with no other option but to use these open spaces to play outdoor games. This causes trouble both to the elderly and people residing in the area. The local civic body has made several promises to provide playgrounds to the children but all in vain. It is high time that the authorities should do the needful and fulfil the unkept promises. The authorities should wake up from their deep slumber and earmark space for children playgrounds for their well being and overall development. Sunny Dhaliwal , Chandigarh Parks to make residents heave a sigh of relief Children do not get enough space to play cricket in the playgrounds and so they play on streets and lanes near their houses. There are not set rules and regulations while playing the sport in the streets and they stick to rules made on the spot. This, besides putting residents of the area into inconvenience, also damages the roads of the city which are designed or prepared exclusively for transport purposes. Developing parks in the region would not only curb the unnecessary nuisance but also make residents heave a sigh of relief and save the roads from being damaged. Gaurav Dureja, Chandigarh open house QUESTION Though our City Beautiful is close to the sixth decade of its existence and we rank high in literacy rate, in addition to being recognised as one of the most well-planned cities in the country, our sensitivity towards the disabled is far from being considerable. Right from public buildings to green belts, the disabled face immense difficulty in entering the area as nobody seems to be giving a thought to their plight. What could be done to meet their requirements? Write your suggestions with a passport size picture to openhouse@tribunemail.com
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Foundation day
Chandigarh: The Chandigarh Management Association (CMA) celebrated its 47th foundation day on Sunday at the Punjab Haryana Delhi Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Sector 31. On the occasion, workshops on theme ‘Growing Talent through New Model of Higher Education’ by S Gurmeet Singh, chairman of Baba Farid Group of Institutions, Bathinda, was held. Another session on ‘How to control stress’ by Col Gursewak Singh was also organised. Mr AK Gandhi, president, CMA, presided over the event. Free medical check-up Saraswati Ayurved Hospital organised a free medical check up camp at Gurudwara Shri Akalgarh Sahib, Gharuan (Mohali). Dr Gurdish Kaur Brar and Dr Neena Kanojia eaxmined the patients and provided free medicines and advice to them. The students of D-Pharmacy and Nursing carried out blood pressure test, sugar test, weight, height and other health tests. The aim of the group was to provide health awareness among the villagers. — TNS
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Admission season nearing end Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 19 Meanwhile, January 21 is the date for depositing admission fee at four convent schools, including St John's High School, Sector 26, Sacred Heart School, Sector 26, Carmel Convent school, Sector 9, and St Anne's School, Sector 32. Following the directions of the UT Education Department, all the other schools have fixed a date between January 20 and 25 for submission of fee. After January 25, the waiting list for admission to entry-level classes, if any, will be displayed at schools. Meanwhile, there is still no clarity on how many seats reserved under the RTE Act were filled during the admission process. Only a few handful of schools conducted separate draw for EWS students. Officials of the Education Department said the department would soon ask all the schools to submit the details of their admission processes, following which it would be clear as to how many seats reserved under the RTE Act were filled. Strict action would be taken against those schools who have not filled the reserved seats, said a senior official.
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Health progress panel
Chandigarh: Government Model High School, Sector 34, has formed a 21-member health progress committee comprising staff members and students of the school. The head of the institution, Dr Vinod Sharma, will be the convener. Students of Classes IX and X, Pooja, Rahul, Ashish, Nikhil, Karan, Jyoti, Jaspreet, Priyanka, Ankit, Sachin, Heena and Neha, are among the members of the committee. The panel will prepare a report regarding overall health and physical development of students. It will also hold lectures, meetings, workshops and poster-making competition. The members of the committee will also approach medical professionals for routine check-up of problems related to eyes, ears, teeth, skin, hair, blood pressure etc. Joy of giving day Mohali: Oakridge International School celebrated the Joy of Giving Day and motivated students to contribute towards the development of society. Children brought several of their old things and distributed them among the needy people, including labourers, workers and their children. School principal Prangilla Dass said the motive of the exercise was to make the students aware of the hardships in life. — TNS
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Speaking out "Students are forced to take extra coaching classes to clear competitive exams. For every such exam, students require a special training for which extra coaching is the only answer. This is where teaching by college faculty often fails to deliver. Teachers at a college or any other institute are concerned only about completion of the syllabus of their respective subjects while the faculty at a coaching institute lays focus on individual students so as to prepare them according to the requirement of the competitive exams." — Hardik Singh Nain, UIET, PU "There is an overlap in the role and purpose of a college or higher education. The situation has been further aggravated by the limited employment opportunities and the number of aspirants for them. Every period of time has faced the issue of revamping of the education system and the present nano-age is no different. It too needs some structural and functional initiatives. The coaching classes have come up as a necessary evil in the present scenario. All said and done, coaching classes will continue to flourish as along as students are tempted to be a part of a rat race for some opportunities. Nonetheless, there is a dire need to orient students, with basic soft skills and value education, towards realising and attaining their goals in the backdrop of their potential." — Dr Ravi K Mahajan, Director (Hon), Centre for IAS and other competitive exams, PU "There is no doubt that members of faculty at all professional colleges make all-out efforts to polish the skills of their students to ensure their success at competitive examinations. But these days, students are extra cautious and put in all efforts to make sure that they crack the competitive exam in their first attempt. Due to this, a majority of them join some coaching institute to prepare better for the examination. Going an extra mile is mandatory for a student if he desires to succeed in a competitive examination. Of late, students are inclined to take extra coaching for the entrance tests for professional courses."— Navdeep Kumar, UBS, PU "Routine study material only provides the basic knowledge about an issue while professional training is required to succeed in a competitive exam. Faculty at colleges or schools does not bother to discuss the topics which are actually required for competitive exams. However, the coaching classes always provide a support to each student according to their aptitude and to get prepared about the competition."— Shaina raina, UIET, PU "It has become a fashion for students to join extra coaching classes for competitive exams rather than preparing on their own. This is the result of lack of habit of self study and discipline among students. The majority of students depend on extra coaching to prepare for a competitive exam rather than focusing on the classroom lectures which are more helpful. Interestingly, these coaching institutes only help the students to set a schedule for their studies, which helps them in achieving their target."— SK Chadha, Director, Placement cell, PU "In routine classroom studies, teachers are more worried about covering the syllabus of their respective subjects. They hardly motivate students to focus on their career. On the other hand, faculty at coaching classes motivates students and exerts pressure on them to chalk out the priorities of their life. Besides, the majority of the students are shifting their streams from engineering to management due to which they have to go in for coaching to clear the competitive exams of the subject."— Alisha Aggarwal, who cracked CAT-2013
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No provisions for the differently abled to enter the RLA office in Sector
17