Nexus between schools and shop owners I was pained to read the news report,Uniform overpricing: UT cracks whip on private schools,shops for violating norms (Chandigarh Newsline,November 11). It is really distressing to note that private schools in Chandigarh have connived with school uniform and books shops to loot innocent parents of children by overcharging and supplying low-grade materials. The Chandigarh Administration has done a good job in checking this corrupt practice by video-recording the grievances of the parents on the spot. why schools prescribe certain fixed shops for buying school uniforms,books and other articles is anybodys guess. There is a nexus between shop owners and school authorities. The action being taken by the Administration in this regard is commendable.Why such a directive is issued by these private schools in the nick of time when the winters have already arrived? Such information of the timings of the winter and summer uniforms should be mentioned in the school booklet that is offered to each student.The Authorities concerned should take strict action against the schools also which are part of this unholy nexus with the shopkeepers selling uniforms,books and other items concerning studies. R K KAPOOR Chandigarh Need to counsel students There has been a drastic increase in number of incidents of violence in Panjab University and colleges. Instead of rusticating or banning students,they should be given proper counselling. Parents should pay attention to their children and should also keep a check on their activities as they play a pivotal role in their childrens lives. Apart from this,the local police and security in-charge should keep a check on students carrying weapons. Violence and clashes are now a regular feature on the campus. There is also lack of security at various platforms but nothing concrete has been done to tackle the problem. The private security,on which the university has been spending a huge amount,has done little to control violence or nab culprits. Brawls,clashes,police intervention,FIRs,court cases,etc have become routine every year. The student unions are also synonymous with violence,indiscipline and muscle power. The university should devise a multi-edged strategy to deal with the problem. The increasing number of ferocious fights has become a cause of concern for students,parents,teachers and the University Authorities. Laws and campus rules should be made more stringent and the university authorities must also engage the local police to tackle the problem. Dr Shruti K Chawla Chandigarh Separate politics from PU campus The very recent violent trouble in the PU campus once again puts a big question mark on the logic of allowing political activities in the educational institutions.The present day politics has become very dirty and the students can not learn any thing positive from the present political regime.They can and they do learn only the dirty tricks employed by the selfish politicians,cutting across the party lines.The violence has become an integral part of the student politics.Only way to cleanse the system is to ban all political activities from the educational institutions.Neither the students,nor the teachers and nor even the non-teaching staff should be allowed to participate in any sort of political activity within the educational institutions.The sacredness of the educational institutions,which are supposed to be the temples of learning,should be maintained. A K SHARMA CHANDIGARH Where does Police Welfare Society money go? Probing cop is the most easy task to begin big particularly when law and order situation in deteriorating by the day. In Chandigarh,law and order situation is going from bad to worse. The common resident is afraid of security for the women and children also as snatching is very common all around. The looters have reached Sector 17. During the police week,along with musical night lot of public interaction has been arranged. I hope that the program to remain in touch with public will not be confined to a week and will continue in future. The police department has an wing named Police Welfare Society where every employee irrespective of salary and cadre pays Rs 100 per month for entire service period but most of them never get any benefit at all. The use of funds of this society are also a topic for probe. The value for their money paid so far should be reimbursed to all of them. Rather than providing them with more Gypsies and arms the improvement in human face of police personnel is on area which can help make Chandigarh Police a model one. Rather than waiting for results from a gradual process we need a booster dose of moral and encouragement for getting quicker results. R K Garg, Chandigarh Begging menace in city We are travelers from Iceland. We were chased and bothered by a group of beggars including children and women both at inter-state bus terminal in Sector 17 and in the shopping complex on October 24 and 25. The tourist police was there and saw this begging in action,but did nothing to assist us. It is alright to give and help but the quantity of its overwhelming! Also,Chandigarh is in great need for a big,low budget hostel/hotel and may be a company site. S Riel & Gustaf Jarl Vidarsson ICELAND Illegal parking of buses in Sector 21 We wish to bring to your attention the fact that tourist buses are being parked in Sector 21-D (in open space adjoining Kapoor Filling Station & Petrol Pump). The buses are being parked not only against the rules but also create a nuisance by plying at odd hours and using pressure horns in residential area. Also the interval of traffic lights turning red from green at the Sector 18-19 intersection is too short which results in people jumping the lights and causing accidents. This area has become accident-prone and we request to you kindly take up the matter. Shikha Bansal & Gaurav Bansal Chandigarh Oops! This is to inform you that a news item in Chandigarh Newsline on November11 on page 8 Simplicity,under heading Play Time contains a misleading fact in its second column,second last paragraph where you have written that Gaj-fut-Inch,written by KP Saxena and directed by Kuldeep Sharma is based on Franz Kafkas The Metamorphosis. Both are different plays and will be staged on different dates. Metamorphosis written by Franz Kafka and directed by Ravinder Kumar will be staged on 16 November in Bal Bhawan auditorium and Gaj-Fut-Inch will be staged on November 14. Gunjeet Kaur Chandigarh
