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TOP STORIES

Phone services go haywire
SAS Nagar, December 22
Telephone services in the township went haywire today with more than 5000 telephone numbers starting from 67 series having been declared as changed with effect from midnight by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) in an advertisement that appeared the morning in various national dailies.

Another cable tariff hike in the offing
We have no choice, say cable operators
Panchkula, December 22
Come January and cable users in the region are in for yet another hike in cable tariff. Most of the pay channels have hiked their subscription rates by Rs 8 to Rs 15 per connection.

Students of Sant Isher Singh Public School, Sector 70, SAS Nagar, perform a dance at their annual prize distribution function in the school premises on Sunday. — A Tribune photograph

Now, demand for VLSI engineers 
Chandigarh, December 22
Close on the heels of the recognition earned worldwide by the Indian software industry, “India Inc” is becoming a most-sought-after brand in another high-tech field — the VLSI design industry.

Vikas Morcha expels Babla
Chandigarh, December 22
Chandigarh Vikas Manch (CVM) led by former Union Minister Harmohan Dhawan today expelled a party councillor Vijay Rana and its general secretary Devinder Singh Babla for “defying” the party authority.

Burglars break into house of bank DGM
Chandigarh, December 2
Burglars broke into the house of Deputy General Manager of the State Bank of India (SBI) in broad daylight in Sector 11 here today. According to information, the DGM, Mr Gaurav S Majumdar, who is posted at the Sector 17 office of the SBI, had gone out for lunch with his wife and daughter when the house was burgled. Mr Majumdar said he returned within an hour. The entire two-storeyed house had been ransacked by the burglars.

ROUND-UP 2002
It was sweet and sour at PU this session
Chandigarh, December 22
The Panjab University campus this year was a witness to highs and lows, both in the academic as well as extra-curricular arena. A number of academic achievements apart, the university saw rather long abruption of its academic session.

MENTAL HEALTH
It’s really sick
Chandigarh, December 22
Despite a lot of progress in the field of psychiatry and mental health during the past few decades, in of adequate treatment facilities leave a large percentage of population suffering from mental ailments.

CSIO develops fly-by-light controls for ALH 
Chandigarh, December 22
A hi-tech fly-by-light (FBL) system for the Advance Light Helicopter (ALH) has been developed by the Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO) here. A team of scientists left for Bangalore this week to install the system in the aircraft for trials.

Raids on joints
Chandigarh, December 22
In a special drive against persons drinking at public places and at eating joints that do not have permission for serving liquor, the CIA branch of the Chandigarh Police raided two places in Sector 22 and arrested eight persons. All those arrested were later taken for a medical examination. On the basis of the report, cases will be registered under the Excise Act.

CHANDIGARH CALLING Punjab is agog with the song “Dil le gayee kudi Gujarat di” for political reasons. The new-found popularity of the song (in political circles) is not because of a new remix, album, but allegations against three Punjab ministers of being involved in an incident of “moral turpitude” in Ahmedabad. Complaint to Guru Distant elections Icecream pakora ‘Marriage proposal’ Water fountains sans water What a press conference?

COMMUNITY

Violation of MC poll provisions alleged
Panchkula, December 22
The Indian Citizens Forum has alleged violations of provisions of the Haryana Municipal Elections Rules, 1978, by the Returning Officer for the forthcoming Municipal Council elections. The forum has alleged that the sum of deposit for filing nominations is being deposited with the Municipal Council and not in the government treasury.

CRIME

Two booked for cheating
Panchkula, December 22
The police claims to have busted a two-member gang involved in duping people of money on the pretext of sending them abroad. The duo — Jaswant Singh and Munish Kumar — had duped Jagdev Singh of Rs 3.5 lakh on the pretext of sending him to New Zealand. They were arrested late last night and booked under Sections 420, 342, 406 and 120-B of the IPC.

Hair-cut case: special team constituted
Chandigarh, December 21
In connection with the alleged incident of the cutting of hair of a 15-year-old boy of Sector 19, the police has constituted a special team, headed by the Superintendent of Police (City), to investigate the matter.

Woman raped
Panchkula, December 22
A young woman was allegedly raped by Baljinder and Mahendra Singh in Billa village near here. Her husband has complained to the police and the accused, including third accomplice, Raj Rani, have been arrested.

• 2 fall off scooter, hit by bus

• Truant cops

• Lawyer killed in mishap

‘Raise annual turnover limit’
Chandigarh, December 22
The Chamber of Chandigarh Industries (CCI), in its pre-budget memorandum submitted to the Union Ministry of Finance, has urged to raise annual turnover limit for the small-scale industries from Rs 3 crore to Rs 5 crore for the exemption of central excise.

EDUCATION

HAMARA SCHOOL
GMSS SCHOOL SECTOR 46-D

Providing the basic education of life Proving formal education is a formidable task here. The teachers just do not only have to handle bookish problems but also basic manners and health and hygiene of the student community. This is Government Model Senior secondary School, Sector 46 which has been catering mainly to the lower income group people. A view of GMSS School, Sector 46-D, Chandigarh. — Photo Parvesh Chauhan

‘Develop self-sufficiency to curb tuition menace’
To run a school like Government Model Sr. Sec School, sector 46, where more than 40 percent one needs a patience of a saint. For education here is not just handling maths problem or science problem but includes counselling parents who just do not understand the necessity of sending their wards in proper school uniform.But National awardee of the year 1993, Mr. R S Goraya fits the bill perfectly. 

• My school

• Poems by students

CAMPUS NOTES
PU needs to regulate stay on campus

Students' stay on Panjab University campus needs to be regulated not just in terms of the duration of stay in hostels but also years spent in the classes. The problem had featured in the university senate recently highlighting the reality of certain students spending years at length (9-10 in certain cases) on the campus. These students are largely ones who keep on changing their teaching departments one after the other Students relax in the winter sunshine at PU

FROM SCHOOLS
Cultural meet concludes
Ambala, December 22
A two-day cultural meet concluded in DAV Public School here on Sunday. The SP, Mr Hardeep Singh Doon, was the chief guest. While addressing the participants, Mr Doon said besides the bookish knowledge sports and cultural activities also play an important role in the development of the child. The Principal, Reena Nagrath, also spoke on this occasion.

COURTS

Hearing of plea against Amarinder, Hanspal adjourned
Chandigarh, December 21
The UT Judicial Magistrate, Mr S.S. Bhardwaj, today adjourned a civil suit filed against the Chief Minister of Punjab, Capt Amarinder Singh, and the President of Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee, Mr H.S Hanspal, by a Propaganda Secretary of the Shiromani Akali Dal Badal of Ropar district Mr Gurmeet Singh Matharu, till January 18.

CULTURE

Santa, Rodrigues entertain at Plaza Carnival

Chandigarh, December 22 The Plaza Carnival at Sector 17 celebrated Christmas with Santa Claus and carnival characters. ‘The Rodrigues’ group added colour to the evening with their musical performance. Payal Rathore (left) and The Rodrigues group perform at The Tribune-sponsored Plaza Carnival in Sector 17, Chandigarh. A Tribune photograph

City discos to welcome Xmas in style
Chandigarh, December 21
This Christmas promises a lot of newness, at least for those who want to celebrate the festive occasion on the dance floor. Where various clubs in the city are hosting in-house celebrations for members, the two hot contenders in the arena of discotheques will be Aerizzona and Las Vegas.

WESTERN FILM REVIEW
Bonding with cacophony
Chandigarh: Girls, gadgets, guns — restricting your vocabulary to these words, you are bound for the latest Bond franchise, ‘‘Die Another Day’’ (Kiran). It has been 40 years since Sean Connery playing the maiden role of Britain’s foremost cinematic spy, James Bond, downed his first Vodka martini in ‘‘Dr No’’ and you have not seen any revitalisation of the series over the 18 subsequent 007 adventure flicks. So, you do not expect any miracles from the 20th movie directed by New Zealander Lee Tamahori. How mistaken you were.

HEALTH

Vested interests want new SMO to go
Kalka, December 22
Dr Kamla Singh, gynaecologist, has taken over the charge of SMO, here. But immediately after the taking over of the charge, some people started trying for her transfer from here.

SPORTS

Taskeen, Kinshuk win tennis titles
Chandigarh, December 21
Taskeen Bains and Kinshuk Sharma brought glory to Chandigarh by winning titles in the AITA ranking tennis tournament, which concluded at Patna this afternoon. As per reports received here, Taskeen emerged winner in the under-14 and under-16 sections while Kinshuk bagged the title in the under-14 section.

Signature campaign ends
Chandigarh, December 22
The signing of best wishes campaign for Indian cricket team by Britannia ended at Sukhna Lake with a prize distribution function here today. Hundreds of people who visited the lake conveyed their wishes to the team members.

Education Dept, GMC register wins
Chandigarh, December 22
The Education Department and the Government Medical College here today defeated the Government Press and the Sports Department, respectively, in their initial league matches of the 4th City Beautiful Invitation Cricket Tournament.

ADMINISTRATION

SSB on night patrol
Chandigarh, December 22
In the wake of an unprecedented increase in incidents of burglaries by an organised gang in the southern sectors of the city and adjoining areas of SAS Nagar, the Chandigarh Police today decided to deploy a company of the Special Security Bureau (SSB) on night patrol in these sectors.