CN and Heard

Belly bad

Spell checks can be tricky if done in a hurry and can ironically result in further grammatical errors. A recent press invitation regarding a make-up artist in town to conduct a workshop was particularly rib-tickling. What was meant to read as “latest in colour trends” arrived as “latest in colon trends”. A tad hard to digest,no?

Of ‘facilitation’ and ‘suspicion’

Smelling a rat in the non-issuance of licences for road-side vendors since 1991,a division bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court was forced to share a “lurking suspicion”. It has been 22 years since the Chandigarh Estate Office has not granted any fresh licences. “No fresh applications have been received since 1991? Are all of those holding licences alive? None have passed away?” were some of the questions put to the lawyer representing Chandigarh. Observing that they were exercising restraint in using a “sophisticated” expression,the Bench remarked that it appears that someone under the garb of rules is charging “facilitation fees” from the existing vendors.

Rumour had it

After having showcased their “heroics” by beating a police constable,the “brave hearts” were a scared lot the next day. Reason: a rumour prevailed that the constable has succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. Another worrying rumour spread was that the constable has committed suicide. As the rumour spread,the lawyers,who had thrashed the constable,started frantically calling colleagues and their “sources” in the PGI to enquire about the constable’s health. It was the confirmation that the constable,Ram Chand,was hale and hearty that calmed the nervous souls.

Namesake

The Chandigarh-Ludhiana rail link finally became operational,around 16 years after the proposal was approved. The project received a boost once the local MP Pawan Kumar Bansal was given the charge of Railways Ministry. Interestingly the driver of the first goods train to ply on this track is named Pawan Kumar. The railways officials quipped that it was a co-incidence that the driving force of the project and the driver of the first train on the tracks shared their name.

Magnanimity

The BJP-SAD councillors,who have not been in favour of right to vote to the nominated councillors in the Mayoral elections decided to take a dig at them and the Congress for favouring them. During the meeting of the general house recently,one of the BJP councillors stated that instead of doling out favours to the nominated councillors in bits and pieces,a resolution should be mooted to allow them to contest the Mayoral elections. While the nominated councillors were agitated at being “insulted” with the suggestion,the Congress chose not to react.

Photo

Recently the UT Administration relaunched the HSRP after a gap of two years. Despite the fact that it had already launched the facility with much fanfare,the officials did not leave an opportunity to inaugurate the same facility with equal fanfare. Seems UT officials cannot let go of any photo opportunity even if it is for the same thing.

Uninterested

As very few students showed interest in CHASCON 2013,a science congress recently held at Panjab University (PU),one of the organisers asked another co-ordinator to convince the students to attend the conference as more than half of the law auditorium was empty. “Students actively participate in cultural functions but when it comes to seminars they are least interested,” he lamented.