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The Raj Prevails 2 Challengers Avert Clean Sweep

Sanjeev Kochhar
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The Raj Prevails 2 Challengers Avert Clean Sweep

Eventually the ‘Raj’ carried the day, but two gutsy men hung on to thwart a clean sweep in the Chandigarh Golf Club polls, the keenly awaited results of which were fully declared by late Monday evening. After the initial euphoria, when four time former President and hot favourite Birinder Singh Gill (Gilly), representing the ruling group, was declared elected fifth time President of the club with a thumping margin over challenger Lt. Col. JS Panag (retd.) within an hour of counting of votes commencing at 9 a.m., a semblance of balance was restored by late evening when two of the three men on Panag’s panel – Col. BS Rangi (retd.) and Col. Iqbal Singh (retd.) – for the 11-member managing committee were declared elected.

Panag, who sounded dejected when the results for the presidential elections were announced in the morning, appeared to be recharged on receiving news of two of his panellists being successful in the race for the managing committee. Congratulating Gill on his victory, Panag promised to provide constructive support to Gill and his team in all activities undertaken in the interests of the club, while at the same time urged him to administer the club in a manner which is transparent and above board.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

With Monday’s victory, Gill, who polled 663 votes against Panag’s 250 in the elections marked by a very low voter turnout, becomes the second longest serving President of the club since the early 1990s when it strictly enforced the rule of not more than two consecutive terms for President or managing committee member. Gill served the club as President for two consecutive terms in 2009-2011 and two terms again in 2014-16. He has also remained Vice President, Honorary Secretary and Captain of the club, besides serving as referee and voluntary observer for tournaments.

The highest serving President of the club in recent times has been then serving IAS officer of Punjab cadre Gurinderjit Singh Sandhu who did six terms – three two-consecutive-year terms in 1999-2001, 2005-2007 and 2012-2014.

Lt. Col. JS Panag had jumped into the fray at the eleventh hour when it became apparent that none was ready to challenge the ruling group. He could manage to field only three men for the 11-member managing committee. Left with little time and human resources for campaigning, he relied heavily on the anti-incumbency factor. But then the voters were clearly not able to convince themselves to support him, considering the small team he was commanding. The issues he raised, and the promises he made, were thus rendered irrelevant.

Only two ex-Army officers have remained presidents of the club ever since its inception in the early 1960s. Lt. Col. AP Singh (retd.) was president for three terms in 1988-89 and 2003-05 while Lt. Gen. Depinder Singh (retd.) held the post in 1995-96.   

Votes polled by successful managing committee members :

1. Brar Kulbir Singh (Sweety) – 600

2. Amarbir Singh Lehal (Sandy) – 577

3. Lt. Col. HS Chahal (retd.) (Bobby) – 548

4. Amarinder Singh Aulakh (Gags) – 539

5. Balbir Singh Mangat (Bob) – 505

6. Dr. GS Kochhar – 499

7. Jaspal Singh Sidhu – 468

8. Col. AD Singh (retd.) (AD) – 461

9. Col. Iqbal Singh (retd.) – 458

10. Sanjit Singh Bala – 453

11. Col. BS Rangi (retd.) – 377

900 Brave The Heat, An Equal No. Stay Away

Sanjeev Kochhar
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900 Brave The Heat, An Equal No. Stay Away

It was probably one of the hottest days of the season, but large coolers placed at short distances helped keep the temperature in the sprawling canopy-covered lawns of the Chandigarh Golf Club at a comfortable level. And, beer, flowing like water, kept the spirits high on a leisurely Sunday. The grand old graying population, from across the spectrum of society, voted for a new President and 11 members of the managing committee.

It was probably one of the hottest days of the season, but large coolers placed at short distances helped keep the temperature in the sprawling canopy-covered laws of the Chandigarh Golf Club at a comfortable level. And, beer, flowing like water, kept the spirits high on a leisurely Sunday. The grand old greying population, from across the spectrum of society, voted for a new President and 11 members of the managing committee.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Till around 1:30 p.m. voting was not so cool. “Just 550 votes polled, not good at all,” exclaimed a candidate for the managing committee while continuing to aggressively woo the odd voter proceeding to the polling booth. But, apparently as a result of the intensified prodding by the contestants, more voters grudgingly left the cool confines of their homes to exercise their right of franchise in favour of their friends as the evening approached. And, by the time the last bell was sounded for the voting, half of the 1800-odd eligible voters had polled their ballot.

The atmosphere in the club lawns, as usual, was akin to a carnival. With immaculately dressed women, stylish leather bags adorning their arms, enhancing the fashion quotient of the occasion, and men in their airy cool cotton casuals and formals sharing hearty laughs with close buddies, some of them over beer, fun was unlimited.

With supporters initiating the wooing of voters right from the entrance to the club, members of the two panels lined up on both sides of the path leading to the poll booth in an effort to clinch the votes in their favour. The ruling group, with Birinder Singh Gill as its presidential candidate seeking a fifth term, fielded a complete 11-member panel for the managing committee, and Gill’s challenger Lt.Col. JS Panag (retd.) put up three candidates for the managing committee.

Among those who voted on Sunday were former and serving senior bureaucrats, businessmen, doctors, lawyers, engineers, other professionals and some politicians.

The contenders for 11 posts on the managing committee of the club are : Col. AD Singh (retd.), Amarbir Singh Lehal, Amarinder Singh Aulakh, Balbir Singh Mangat, Kulbir Singh Brar, Col. BS Rangi (retd.), Dr. GS Kochhar, Lt.Col. HS Chahal (retd.), Col. Iqbal Singh (retd.), Jagdeep Singh, Jaspal Singh Sidhu, Mahavir Singh Jagdev (contesting independently), Manjit Singh Sarang, Col. Prabhjot Singh Mangat (retd.) and Sanjit Singh Bala.

Counting is expected to begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, with winner of presidential contest hopefully to be out in just over an hour. The results of governing committee members are likely to be declared only by late evening.

Battle of Legal Moochh Vs Fauji Moochh On April 29

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Battle of Legal Moochh Vs Fauji Moochh On April 29

In his mid 70s, Lt. Col. (retd.) JS Panag’s shoulders may be sagging somewhat, but his razor sharp and erect ‘fauji’ mustachios say a lot about the “man of action”, as he would like to describe himself. Much younger, Birinder Singh Gill alias Gilly (58), whom the battle veteran is challenging for the post of president of the most sought after club of the City, on the other hand, is a legal eagle and a cool customer, who has already done four previous terms. His ‘moochh’ equally erect.

Gill represents the ruling group which is seeking to perpetuate its dominance over the club politics. If he wins a fifth term he will become the second longest serving president of the club, ever since the club strictly enforced the rule of maximum two consecutive terms as either president or managing committee member sometime in the early 1990s, after then serving IAS officer Gurinderjit Singh Sandhu, who did six terms.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

The Colonel, for whom this is the third attempt to the top post, claims to represent the voice of a “majority” of the club members, who, he asserts, want change. Continuation of a clique for eternity is not a healthy sign for steady growth of the club as it breeds callousness and disdain for popular voice, he maintains.

Gilly, who has also remained vice president, honorary secretary and captain of the club, besides being a referee and a voluntary observer for tournaments, on his part, feels that the members of the club have been reposing faith in his leadership, and continue to do so, hence his bid for a fifth term.

Maintaining that all his previous terms as President of the club have been without controversy and without a murmur of impropriety, financial or otherwise, Gill promises that if elected, he will devote all his energies to further improving the golf course.

Birinder Singh Gill

Lt. Col. JS Panag (retd.)

Panag sees a problem in this very claim by Gill. “That is the problem. He is a status quoist and did nothing tangible for the club. Controversies arise only when somebody works, if someone doesn’t work, where is the scope for a controversy,” he says.

“I am a man of resolute action. In one of the three terms as managing committee member, I served as Chairman of the Bar & Catering (B&C) committee when Raja Malvinder Singh was the president. A discrepancy of Rs 60,000-70,000 was detected. Not only was the entire money recovered from the bartenders, but they were also dismissed from service,” Panag shares.

The battle veteran of 1962 Sino-India war and 1971 Bangladesh Liberation further charges Gill of losing opportunities of striking good deals for the club during his previous tenures as president. “He lost a golden chance to strike a reasonable Rs 10 lakh per annum lease deed for the club with the UT Administration, while the adjoining Chandigarh Golf Association (CGA) Range at the same time accepted it with both hands. Now we are saddled with a nearly Rs. one crore per annum burden, that too not for a lease deed, but a license deed,” he alleges.

Panag also points to another alleged lost opportunity when Gill, for reasons best known to him, declined to accept an offer by a world renowned company to install a simulator/sling analyser in the club free of cost.

Gill dismisses both charges as being without any merit.

Panag, who has remained Vice Chairman of Defence Services Officers’ Institute (DSOI) in Sector 36 Chandigarh, member of the Services golf team (playing to a single digit) and vice-captain of the Indian Military Academy (IMA) hockey team, is confident of victory in his third shot at the post of President of the club.

The veteran, who is President of the Ex-servicemen’s League in Fatehgarh Sahib district and Vice-president of Zila Sainik Board, promises to exercise full control over expenses of the club and cut out wasteful expenditure, thereby effecting 10-15 percent savings in expenditure. He also assures transparency in new membership by  displaying seniority list of prospective members at the club counter and strictly following the seniority roster.

Binging Greens and Fairways up to the highest possible standards, resolution of the perpetual problem of non-availability or delay in getting caddies, working for better working conditions for them and his daily availability in the club for interacting with members are some of his other assurances.

UT Admn Continues To Spoon-feed Media

Sanjeev Kochhar
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UT Admn Continues To Spoon-feed Media

One fails to understand why the Chandigarh Administration wants to maintain a veil of secrecy and continue to spoon-feed the Media on such simple issues as proceedings of the Advisory Council of the UT Administrator? On the one hand it talks of progressive, participative and transparent governance and on the other it is shying away from allowing the Media to cover such meetings held with the motive of improving the administration of the Union Territory.

 A question was put to UT Home Secretary Anurag Aggarwal on Wednesday in a media briefing organised at UT Guest House, after the third meeting of the Administrator’s Advisory Council held in Hotel Mountview, as to why the media was not invited to cover the proceedings, when all assembly sessions, court proceedings and even meetings of the Panjab University Senate are open to media glare. Though agreeing to consider the issue, and promising to take it up with the UT Administrator, he explained that the assembly and MC House proceedings were purely political in nature, whereas the advisory council meeting was more of an administrative consultative process.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Aggarwal gave out sketchy details of the proceedings, and promised to share with the Media all the power point presentations of reports presented in the meeting by the nine subject wise committees formed by the Administrator, which were later duly emailed. The Media had to make do with his version of the tone and tenor of the meeting, which he described as highly interactive, held in a most cordial atmosphere and appreciated by one and all.

While 10 minute presentations were made personally by chairpersons of respective committees, and another 10 minutes were taken up by discussion on each subject, it was agreed that another committee should be formed on Social Welfare, an important subject which did not find place in any of the other committees. The Administrator directed the official concerned to start implementing all recommendations which could be taken up immediately and work expeditiously on matters which required further deliberations, the Home Secretary added.

The subject wise committees covered Education, Health, Environment, Law and Order, Transport, Traffic Management, Existing Urban Infrastructure and Reformative Needs of Next Two Decades, Urban Planning and Heritage Preservation and Sports.

A quick run through the various PPTs gave one the impression that despite the committees given adequate time to study issues in their respective subjects, the interim recommendations of most of the committees appeared to be too general and sketchy and lacked a clear vision for the future. No out of box thinking as one would expect at the level of an advisory council.

The lengthy presentation on Education, for example, concentrated more on reeling out government figures than on its observations and recommendations. The committee on education raised the issue of direct recruitment of school heads, fee regulation in private unaided schools and self defence training for girl students. It recommended review of no detention system in schools, providing seat reservation for single girl child at secondary and senior secondary level and categorisation of private unaided schools.

The one on Urban Infrastructure suggested that the authorities prescribe a standard design of kiosks for licensed street vendors.

The panel on Environment pushed for early implementation of the segregation of waste at source, which had got stuck, greater focus on disposal of electronic waste, improvement in treatment of tertiary water to remove the bad odour which emanates from it, mentioning permissible decibel level in permission for use of loud speakers and DJ systems and time bound switchover of public transport to more environment friendly CNG.

The Health committee advocated reintroduction of the morning and afternoon OPD timings in government dispensaries. It also wanted the possibility to be explored of outsourcing the running of dispensaries to NGOs to provide round the clock health services.

The panel on Urban Planning opposed the floor wise sale of houses (apartments) while the Law and Order committee sought improvement in the ground level policing, verification of new people coming and setting up base in the Union Territory and installation  of more CCTV cameras at vulnerable points.  

Finance Minister Manpreet Badal Gets Candid

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Finance Minister Manpreet Badal Gets Candid

The occasion was a formal reception to celebrate the opening of 100th branch of the only scheduled commercial bank of the country with its headquarters in Punjab, the Capital Small Finance Bank, and Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, the chief guest deputising for Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh, who could not make it, got candid.

“My family has had close relations with the family of Mr. Amarjit Singh Samra, the Principal Promoter of the bank. Our relations go back to nearly five decades. I remember he used to run a small finance company by the name of Midland Finance long years ago and my family had a small transport business. We used to often borrow money from Mr. Samra and invariably our repayment installments used to get delayed. We would also seek reduction in interest sometimes, and he was always obliging. I know Samra Saab has never told anyone about this, but today I have no hesitation in sharing this with you,” Badal told an impressive gathering of the who’s who of Punjab at a city five-star hotel, on Tuesday.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

“That small finance company has now grown into a highly successful Punjab’s own indigenous scheduled bank purely on the dint of the honesty, hard work and intelligence of the family. Mr. Samra’s son Sarvjit is now ably steering the bank to new heights and it has  provided much needed employment to the youth of the state. I sincerely hope now that Punjab is striving to revive its sagging economy, the bank will make a significant contribution to that effort,” Badal said.

In his address Amarjit Singh Samra, a third time Chairman of Punjab Markfed, shared with the gathering that his father Ujagar Singh Samra was a ‘shahukar’ (money lender). Tracing his rise in politics from being elected panch and later sarpanch of his native village Samrai, near Jalandhar, in the early 60s, going on to become Chairman of panchayat samiti, and later in business, Samra acknowledged the immense support he received from the senior political leaders and former officials present in the gathering.

Among those to be seen in the reception hall were former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Punjab Mandi Board Chairman Lal Singh, ministers in the Capt. Amarinder Singh government Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Gurmeet Singh Sodhi and Balbir Singh Sidhu, former minister Rana Gurjit Singh, Member of Parliament Santokh Singh Chaudhary and several MLAs, besides a host of former senior bureaucrats and police officers.

Samra reserved special praise for assassinated Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh for first choosing him to contest a state assembly by-election from Nakodar in 1994, which he won, and went on to be re-elected to the state assembly three more times consecutively. He became a minister for Revenue and Rehabilitation in 2002 and remained Markfed chairman on two previous occasions. He also expressed his gratitude to Capt. Amarinder Singh, in whose cabinet he remained minister, for appointing him Markfed chairman despite his inability in contesting the last assembly elections.

Talking about Capital Small Finance Bank, Samra said it had already provided employment to 1800 odd youths from the state and has targeted to add another 1700 in the next four years of its ambitious expansion programme.

Managing Director of the bank Sarvjit Singh Samra shared with the media persons that in the next two months, with the opening of seven more new branches, Capital Small Finance Bank will become the 4th largest private sector bank in Punjab.

As a small finance bank, Capital is free to expand anywhere in India, but the management of the bank has taken a conscious decision that during the next 3-4 years, it will focus its expansion mainly in the state of Punjab, while at the same time making its presence felt in neighbouring states of Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and parts of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir. Punjab will always remain the niche market for the bank and in next four years out of total 300 branches, 200 will be in Punjab, Sarvjit Samra added.

City Police Brass Get Divya Drishti On Naka Staff

Sanjeev Kochhar
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City Police Brass Get Divya Drishti On Naka Staff

The realisation has come too late. But let’s give it to the Chandigarh Police…. ‘Dair aaye drust aaye’ (better late than never). Use of technology is being made an integral part of policing to ensure transparency and professional conduct. A first major initiative in this direction, ‘Divya Drishti’ camera system was unveiled on Tuesday at part of the observance of Road Safety Week. Senior officers will now be able to keep a ‘divya drishti’, through 360 degree live streaming, on all traffic police ‘nakas’ organised across the city. Eleven such portable four-camera systems have been procured by the Traffic Police at a cost of Rs 15 lakh which will become an integral part of all ‘nakas’.

With the click of a mouse, the camera system was activated by Punjab Governor and Administrator UT Chandigarh V.P. Singh Badnore at the Government Postgraduate College for Girls in Sector 42, and the pictures of police personnel posted outside the venue came alive in four windows on the screen. The live streaming can be captured by any senior officer on his or her mobile.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

The ‘Divya Drishti’ camera system is expected to go a long way in infusing transparency and dealing with both the persistent complaints of harassment and bribe taking by the traffic police personnel posted at ‘nakas’ and of unruly behaviour by motorists with the ‘naka’ staff.

Also unveiled at Tuesday’s programme was a “Towed Vehicle Search App” developed free of cost for the Traffic Police by a team of developers from the Infosys Chandigarh campus. Downloadable from Google Play Store, the app guides a motorist to the location of the wrongly parked vehicle towed away, and the formalities to be completed and fine to be paid to take it back.

The Governor also released a comprehensive “Road Accident Analyses Book 2018” prepared by the Road Safety Cell of the Traffic Police. It is to serve as a ready reckoner on road accidents that have occurred in Chandigarh over the past five years and analyses of their causes to facilitate all other departments involved in prevention of road accidents to take corrective steps. The compilation is also an effort to generate a public debate and discussion on the issue of preventive measures to be adopted.

Lauding the Chandigarh Police’s initiatives, Governor Badnore cautioned the force against resting on its laurels and egged it on to strive for zero accident Chandigarh with active participation and cooperation of every citizen. He sought Infosys’ indulgence in developing another app where every law abiding citizen becomes a traffic police officer and posts every recorded small traffic violation for punitive action without his identity being revealed.

Badnore also pushed the Chandigarh Police to actively explore with the insurance companies if differential vehicle insurance premium can be charged from multiple traffic rules violators. If it can happen in advanced countries, why not here, he asked, and added that Chandigarh could take a lead in this regard in the country. The observation elicited an immediate reaction, with the top brass of the police present seen going into a quick huddle.

The Governor also reiterated his earnest wish to see police forces of the tricity working in close liaison down to the grassroots level on issues of traffic management and other aspects of maintaining law and order. The tricity concept has to happen and we have to lea to work as one unit, especially on the issue of law and order, he emphasised.

Earlier, Chandigarh Police DGP Tajender Singh Luthra said concerted campaigns by the traffic police have had a major impact on incidences of drunken driving. With the number of drunken driving offenders being penalised more than doubling till date in 2018 (2300-plus) as compared to the corresponding period in 2017 (1,000), we are seeing a behavioural change among the drinking motorists. More and more such motorists are now either asking accompanying non-drinkers among family members or friends to drive their vehicles from parties or hiring app based taxi services to drop them, he added.

Deputy Inspector General of Police O.P. Mishra informed the gathering that because of various measures initiated by the traffic police, and executed with the help of concerned departments, the number of non-fatal and fatal accidents had come down drastically during 2017 as compared to the previous year. As against 423 accidents reported in 2016, there were 342 accidents in 2017. In fatal accidents, 103 people lost their lives in UT Chandigarh in 2017 as compared to 144 in 2016. Efforts are continuing to minimise the number of accidents, he assured.

The function was not without its artistic moments.

Traffic Police head constable, and no mean singer, Bhupinder Singh sang a touching ‘chhalla’ portraying a Punjabi village youngster coming to Chandigarh to study and enjoying the good life in the city. Every day he takes rounds of the city on his ‘Bullet’ and dares the traffic cops helmetless. One day the inevitable happens and his motorcycle crashes. Motionless, he is taken to hospital, where doctors helplessly shake their heads. His grieving mother wails over his body.   

Students of PGI Chandigarh’s National Institute of Nursing Education (NINE) used popular Bollywood songs to great effect in presenting an entertaining but thoughtful skit portraying the dangerous consequences of underage driving, drunken driving, selfie culture, talking on mobile while driving, road rage and indiscriminate honking. The skit had the audience glued and peals of laughter right through the act spoke volumes of the quality of the production. No wonder, when the nursing students concluded their act and appealed for a pledge “Say No To Honking”, the indulgent audience raised their hands in unison.

Here Comes An eScooter With A Zing

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Here Comes An eScooter With A Zing

Good news for all the eco sensitive youngsters seeking a low cost but zippy two-wheeler ride. The eScooter just got more zing with stylish looks, higher speed and pickup, extended range on single charge and easier maintenance. Market leader Hero Electric on Monday organised the pan India launch of its latest eScooter ‘City Speed NYX e5’ with all new features in Chandigarh at a competitive price of Rs.49,900 (Ex-showroom Chandigarh), after factoring in the Rs 22,000 government subsidy. rn

With a top speed of 40 kms per hour in eco mode, ‘City Speed NYX e5’ can be instantly boosted to 45 kms per hour by switching to pep mode. The scooter powered by a 600 W motor can generate peak power of 1300 W and comes with a fast charging and portable advance lithium-ion battery, which charges fully in 4-5 hours and gives a smart charge top up in 60 minutes.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

The ‘City Speed NYX e5’ runs 60-65 kms on a single charge and can do another 15 kms with a quick charge. Since the battery, weighing seven kg, is portable you can carry along a replacement battery or pick one up on the go for increased range of travel. The battery can be disconnected and carried inside your home for charging from a normal power source. The eScooter and battery come with a three year warranty but the battery life is five-plus years, if handled with care.

The company has improved the torque of the eScooter, and claims it can now negotiate flyovers with effortless ease with a pillion rider. Negotiating pot holes and wading through water logged roads during rains is not a problem. “No breakdown is assured,” says Hero Electric Managing Director Naveen Munjal.

Interacting with media persons at the launch ceremony in Chandigarh, Naveen said through the market for eScooters in India is still small, his company was showing an exponential growth in sales. From 12,589 eScooters sold pan India in 2015, the sales figure increased to 15,000 the following year and more than doubled to 30,200 in 2017.

“By bringing in world class technology real time to India we have been able to generate a lot of interest among the two wheeler buyers. And with people increasingly becoming environment conscious, eScooters are bound to rule the Indian roads in the not so distant future. We would welcome more players to enter the market with high quality, high performing eScooters. This will only help expand the market faster,” he added.

CEO, Global Business, of the company Sohinder Gill said ‘City Speed NYX e5’ had been especially designed for the aspirational Indian. Besides improved styling, speed, range, and ease of running and charging, NYX e5 features a mobile charger and an innovative split seat with foldable rear one to provide back rest to the rider, while creating extra storage space. The eScooter has three side grab-rails for convenience of tying luggage.We are the only manufacturers using automotive grade plastic, paint and parts to generate a superior product, he said, adding that the eScooter comes in two colours – silver and black.

Talking about the major markets for eScooters, he said Uttar Pradesh and Delhi were the biggest markets for entry level eScooters because of the buyers there being price conscious. But South India is emerging as a major market for value for money products. Pockets in Haryana are also showing manifold increase in demand, he added.

“We have been able to rapidly expand our dealer network pan India with the current dealership strength standing at 425-plus. Out of these 32 dealerships have been opened in Punjab, Haryana and UT Chandigarh,” Sohinder Gill informed. 

Rebond With Our Core Values For A Healthy Environment

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Rebond With Our Core Values For A Healthy Environment

The solution to the dangerously deteriorating environment lies in rebonding with the core values of Indian culture, in which Earth has for ages been treated as our Mother. We used to touch mother earth with our hand or forehead before proceeding to do anything important, some of us still do. That is the respect we need to rekindle in ourselves, and the world around us will become a beautiful place once again and we will be at peace with Nature. This was the most dominant message which emerged out of the daylong deliberations of the first of its kind Regional Conference on Environment organised by the Global Platform for Environment (GPE), floated by former National Green Tribunal (NGT) chairman Justice Swatanter Kumar.

Well known environmentalists, social activists, NGOs, a host of members from the higher judiciary and government officials deliberated on the fundamental issues of air pollution, water conservation and municipal solid waste management in three technical sessions, besides the inaugural and valedictory sessions of the conference held at Panjab University campus on Sunday.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

Though the conference threw up a slew of thoughts on tackling the burning environmental issues of the times, the gaps seen in the organisation of the “showcase” conference clearly demonstrated that GPE needed to substantially ramp up its act to be able to achieve its mandate of starting a grassroots mass green movement initially in the northern states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and UT Chandigarh. Justice Swatanter Kumar, National Convenor of the GPE, an alliance of 19 stage holders, including NGOs, state pollution control boards, state governments and private and public sector undertakings, had to profusely apologise to the dignitaries on the dais and the gathering for the slipups during the course of the conference.

Apart from Haryana Governor Prof. Kaptan Singh Solanki, who as chief guest planted a symbolic tree sapling in an earthen pot to mark World Earth Day, among the prominent environmentalists and social activists who participated in the conference were Dr. S.V. Subba Rao, a renowned Gandhian and Founder of National Youth Project, Stockholm Water Prize winner ‘Waterman’ from Alwar in Rajasthan Rajendra Singh, NGT Acting Chairman Justice Jawad Rahim, Namma Bengaluru Foundation CEO Sridhar Pabbisetty, Central Pollution Control Board chairman SPS Parihar and NIPER Mohali Director Dr. Krishna Rao. Dr. T.P. Singh, Deputy Regional Director, represented International Union for Conservation of Nature, Bangkok.

The higher judiciary, which has been proactively taking up public issues of environmental concern in the wake of the central and state governments abdicating their responsibilities, was present in overwhelming strength. There were three chief justices of high courts – Madhya Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Hemant Gupta, Punjab & Haryana High Court Chief Justice Shiavax Jal Vazifdar and Himachal Pradesh High Court Acting Chief Justice Sanjay Karol – besides several justices of Punjab and Haryana High Court.

In his welcome address, Justice Swatanter Kumar said the alliance partners will soon fan out into the backyards of the targeted states with their awareness campaigns aimed at touching the lives of people down to the village level. To drum up more support for the movement similar conferences have been planned to be held at Shimla, Gurgaon, Amritsar, Srinagar and Haridwar. They had also targeted to plant 10,000 trees during the course of the year, he added.

 In an enlightening and motivational talk, nonagenarian Gandhian Dr. S.V. Subba Rao said our Earth is the only planet known to be endowed with human life and a bountiful flora and fauna and we need to preserve it as our very lives depend on it. We must realise that just like an environmental ecosystem exists in the outward world, one exists within ourselves as well. To be at peace with ourselves and with Nature we need to first nurture our inner self, which is our soul.

Waterman Rajendra Singh called for identifying and demarcating the extinct or dried up water bodies and taking scientific measures to rejuvenate them as had successfully been done by his NGO ‘Tarun Bharat Sangh’ in reviving several rivers in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Karnataka over the past 35 years.

Justice Hemant Gupta ran two videos for the benefit of the audience to emphasise that a severe water crisis was staring the country in the eye. Painting the horrifying scenario of water taps going dry in Cape Town, South Africa and people preparing for a life with rationed water, he said we in Indian cities could be looking at a similar scenario in the not too distant future.   Pointing towards a glaring contradiction in Indian society, he said on the one hand we worship the elements of Nature and on the other don’t hesitate in abusing them with contempt.

Justice Shiavax Jal Vazifdar called for devising innovative ways to strike a judicious balance between need for development and protecting our environment. He gave the example of a visionary Swiss industrialist, who turned heavily denuded land in Mombasa, Kenya, due to overexploitation of limestone quarries by his cement making company, into highly productive farmlands which rehabilitated the local population.

Governor Solanki called for awakening of our “aastha” (belief) in the age old cultural values the country stood for to reconnect with Nature and Mother Earth. We need to treat the Earth just as we treat our mother, to whom we owe our very existence, he said.

Alliance Resolves To Start A Grassroots Green Movement

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Alliance Resolves To Start A Grassroots Green Movement

The uncontrolled burning of crop residues, the dangerously falling water table and the lack of solid waste management facilities in the region are a cause for serious environmental concern to the population and the tardy pace of government action in this regard does not inspire much confidence. In this regard an environmental alliance involving NGOs, pollution control boards, state governments, and other stakeholders, including private and public sector undertakings, was announced in Chandigarh on Saturday by former National Green Tribunal (NGT) chairman and Supreme Court Judge Swatanter Kumar. The alliance, Global Platform for Environment (GPE), of which Justice Swatanter Kumar is the National convenor, will work to generate awareness and a mass movement right from the village level in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and UT Chandigarh.

As a first step towards the launch of a nationwide movement to address these and many other environmental issues head on, GPE is organising a first of its kind one day Regional Conference on Environment at Panjab University on Sunday to coincide with World Earth Day, It will witness participation by international representatives of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) besides several NGOs, pollution control boards, state governments and other stakeholders. “We have in our alliance 19 stakeholders,” Justice Swatanter Kumar said, adding that “we believe that the environment is the common inheritance of us all and the action to protect and conserve it for posterity has to be collective too.”

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

On behalf of Serving in Organisations for Legal Initiatives (SIOLI), which will be directly overseeing and executing the various environmental awareness initiatives in the target states, Reeta Kohli, Senior Advocate, informed that apart from the inaugural and valedictory sessions, the conference, to be inaugurated by Haryana Governor Prof Kaptan Singh Solanki, will have three technical sessions, one each on the three fundamental subjects of the conference.

Among the star speakers will be Gram Vikas Navyuvak Mandal Convenor Laxman Singh Laporiya, environmentalist Sudhendra Sharma,  Alwar’s famous water man Rajendra Singh, Sumant Pandey from Yashwant Rao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YADA), Wing Commander Rommel Luke from Smart Education and Welfare Association (SEWA), Dr. Krishna Rao, Director Niper, and Sridhar Pabbisetty, CEO, Namma Bengaluru Foundation. There will also be a motivational address by Dr. S.V. Subba Rao.

A galaxy of dignitaries participating in the conference include Madhya Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Hemant Gupta, Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Shiavax Jal Vazifdar, Himachal Pradesh High Court Acting Chief Justice Sanjay Karol, Panjab University Vice Chancellor Prof. Arun Kumar Grover, Dr. T.P. Singh, Deputy Regional Director, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Bangkok, NGT Acting Chairperson Justice Jawad Rahim, Airports Authority of India Chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra and Central Pollution Control Board Chairman SPS Parihar.

Accompanying Justice Swatanter Kumar and Reeta Kohli at the press conference on Saturday were Neelima Kamrah, Registrar, KIIT Group of Colleges who is actively involved with super cop Kiran Bedi’s NGO Navjyoti, and Sunita Sibal, social activist and a trustee of SIOLI.

On a jarring note, the biggest environmentalist of the region Baba Seechewal will be conspicuous by his absence at the conference.

Lifeinchadigarh.com hopes that the conference will come out with a well thought out and workable action plan for the region and that Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal will be actively involved in its implementation.

Conference starts 10 a.m. on Sunday and the venues are Law Auditorium and English Auditorium 1 & 2, Panjab University campus.

Ex-guard Had Planned Snatching Of Cash Bag

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Ex-guard Had Planned Snatching Of Cash Bag

A cash bag containing Rs 6.25 lakh was snatched from the owner of the famous sweets brand Gopal’s the other day in Sector 8. The crime could possibly have been added to the list of many similarly snatchings which have remained unsolved, but for discernible footage obtained from an area CCTV camera, which helped the Chandigarh police crack the case within 48 hours. It turned out to be another inside job with one of the three accused youths arrested being a former security guard with the Gopal’s who left the job in January this year.

The swift cracking of the case has once again brought to focus the urgent need for covering the entire city with a network of high resolution CCTV cameras monitored real time from zonal monitoring stations. The prompt solving of the case also gave much needed respite to the city police which has of late been the butt of public criticism over the deteriorating law and order situation, especially a spate of unabated snatching incidents.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

Senior Superintendent of Police Nilambari Vijay told media persons that Rs 4.43 lakh of the snatched cash had been recovered alongwith the getaway Honda Activa scooter used by the accused in the crime. The rest of the money was spent by the accused in paying off debt and in merry making, she added.

The cash bag was snatched from Sharanjit Singh, owner of Gopal’s, around 9:15 p.m. on April 17, after chilli powder was sprayed in the eyes of his guard Dalip. The two were nearing Sharanjit’s car in the parking opposite the shop when two youths pounced on them. The youths were chased but they got away on a scooter being driven by their accomplice who was waiting nearby.

The SSP said the youths had apparently been doing a recce of the area from a few days prior to the crime and the suspicious movement of two of them was captured in the CCTV footage, which helped the police immensely.

All three accused, Nitish Singh alias Niki (28), Janak Singh alias Lucky (32) and Deepak alias Deepu (21), had been living in village Kaimbwala in the Union Territory for many years but were originally from neighbouring states like Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. Nitish was the brain behind the crime as he aware about the movement of cash of his former employers. He had been recruited through a security agency and had left the job by his own volition in January this year.

The SSP informed that Nitish and Deepak had previous history of petty crimes like drinking in public and involvement in a brawl. All three were addicted to alcohol and drugs, she claimed.

Nilambari Vijay informed that personnel from the police stations and PCR vehicles were especially focussing on the markets while patrolling their respective areas in view of the vulnerability of these places. 

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