CN & Heard: Sponsored by Chairman
Lekh Raj Sharma,Chairman,Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana found a special mention and a vote of thanks in the speech given by each Speaker on the seminar to celebrate Silver Jubilee of Central Administrative Tribunal.
Sponsored by Chairman
Lekh Raj Sharma,Chairman,Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana found a special mention and a vote of thanks in the speech given by each Speaker on the seminar to celebrate Silver Jubilee of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). Reason: the lunch “sponsored” by the Chairman. Almost all the Speakers including Supreme Court and High Court Judges,on the lighter side,thanked Lekh Raj Sharma for sponsoring the lunch. Laughter and loud round of applause from the audience,primarily comprising lawyers and Judges,ensued each time a Speaker thanked Sharma,who was all smiles.
‘Cancellation’ Minister
Senior BJP leader L K Advani’s rally in Chandigarh witnessed potshots being taken at Congress leaders. One of the BJP leaders stated that Union Minister and local MP Pawan Kumar Bansal’s name should be Pawan Kumar ‘Cancel’. The reason: during his tenure all projects kept getting cancelled. The reference was to projects like Medicity,Filmcity,etc.
That is too much
To emphasise that Supreme Court Judge D K Jain is an extremely hardworking Judge,a speaker,also a retired High Court Judge,said that Justice Jain dictates around 20 judgments in a day. Justice Jain used his wit to “rebut” the same during his speech. Stating that he does not have the stamina to dictate so many judgments in a day,the Supreme Court Judge said “I am now scared what if somebody tomorrow seeks this information under the Right to Information Act”. Justice Jain complimented the Speaker for his “computation skills” but clarified that it is terribly difficult to decide so many judgments in a day.
All in the family
The Punjab Traffic Police lend a helping hand to the Chandigarh Traffic Police,the occasion to manage traffic in front of Sector 34 gurdwara in Chandigarh where the top brass of Punjab Police,civil administration and politicians were there in order to pay their condolences at the bhog ceremony of a senior police officer who was well connected and liked by all in the state administration. His son is also a police officer and is posted as Senior Superintendent of Police in the state.
Blissfully silent
Silence is the best defence and ignorance is bliss.This seems to be the mantra of all the UT Administration officials nowadays who have offlate started execrising restraint in talking to mediapersons. If insiders are to be believed they all have been asked to do so by the senior most functionary of the UT Administration. Simply put,the UT Administrator is most of the times out of the city thanks to his dual charges and multiple responsibilities. Consequently,there is hardly any action taken on any media reports from the Raj Bhawan. Thus,even the UT babus have now adopted this policy of ignoring every report in silence much to the dismay of the city residents.
Think Big
When Haryana youth congress leaders held a press conference in Panchkula,they were grilled by many scribes for their reaction on various national issues. While General Secretary Haryana,Bhupinder Beniwal tried to reply the queries,the Panchkula youth President,Vibhor Batra intervened and requested media men not to drag them into any controversies. “ We are ‘ Chotte log’ (small people) and please ask us queries on first All India Conference of elected office bearers to be held in Delhi from November 24,” he remarked.
Overzealous
The Chandigarh police’s extra cautious approach was visible during Advani Jan Chetna Yatra with the kind of security personnel deployed on the yatra route. The situation was such that the news of two people who arrested with weapons and were projected as extremists planning to attack Advani during the yatra send the security agencies in a tizzy. So it did not come as a surprise when a police officer jokingly said they were relieved that atleat no eggs were thrown at the rally in Chandigarh.
Guesswork
With their demands for repatriation of those Haryana and Punjab cadre teachers who have been serving in UT beyond the period of their deputation being unheard of for past many months,various UT teachers’ unions now claim to have identified the cause behind it. The Government Teachers Union (GTU) and UT Cadre Education Employees Unions have claimed that the UT officials have been dragging their feet over the matter since the official who is at helm of affairs has himself joined office on deputation. Here,the unions have made a direct reference to DPI (Schools) Sandeep Hans who is a PCS officer and had joined the position in February this year. The spokespersons in the unions even stated that “Hans,being an officer on deputation,has special inclination towards the teachers who are here on deputation.”
In remembrance
Prof Saudamini Bambah,the kind and gentle lady who is lovingly remembered by all those whose lives she touched,passed away last week six days before her 85th birthday. One of the few women doctors of her time,she was the wife of Prof RP Bambah,former Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University,and a faculty member of PU herself. People are now pouring in at the Bambah residence in Sector 19 and all have their stories to share with the family about how she touched their lives in a hundred ways – for treatment,admission of children,jobs,finding a house,even in getting married. The memorial service for the lady who seemed to work magic was fitting too. It started with shabad,followed by a reading from the Bible by a priest,a reading of the Quran by a Maulvi,followed by bhajans.
Zoom in
Seems the PU authorities do not want to leave any stone unturned in order to check protests and dharnas outside the VC office.After the proposal of imposition of section 144 outside the VC office,now they have installed ‘hidden’ closed circuit television cameras at places not easily visible or spotted. Some of these include on the trees right outside the gate where students sit for dharnas and hunger strike. The logic given states that it would help to check on those who tend to block the way for officials and visitors.
Privileged lot
Haryana’s New Secretariat in Sector 17 has two lifts,one for the general public and the other for officers. The ‘general’ lift is not working these days,so the public has to use the other lift. But what’s a VIP without some nakhras. So if the officer has to go to the sixth floor,the liftman locks it at ‘6’ and takes it all the way to the top floor – no stops. The babu will exit,and then the lift will come down to whatever floors the other passengers missed. The VIPs certainly are more equal than the others.
Playing it safe
Politicians learn well the art of saying little,and yet saying much. At the National Press Day celebrations at the Press Club,there was talk of ‘paid news’,and a journalist asked Hooda if his government had reserved a fund for such news too. Hooda replied tongue in cheek,“Mera muh na khulwao,varna bawaal khara ho jayega”. The CM doesn’t believe in opening a can of worms.
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