The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Friday, January 3, 2003, Chandigarh, India

C H A N D I G A R H

Top stories | Community | Crime | Business | Education

Courts | Culture | Health | Sports

TOP STORIES

Cong men defy Bhajan Lal’s orders, submit resignations
Prefer seat of a councillor than an office-bearer
Panchkula, January 2
Defying the directives of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president, Mr Bhajan Lal, asking local party office-bearers to abstain from contesting in the municipal council elections, a number of office-bearers have jumped in the fray, risking their positions in the party.

MC TEAM MEETS JACOB
Outstanding issues likely to be resolved
Chandigarh, January 2
Residents of city villages, colonies and those living within the ambit of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh are likely to get “major” concessions from the Chandigarh Administration in the near future.

Mayor, others honoured

Virender Singh is new UT Adviser
Chandigarh, January 2
Mr Virender Singh, a 1969-batch IAS officer of the UT cadre, has been appointed Adviser to the UT Administrator. His orders were received here today. With this, the nearly two-year term of Ms Neeru Nanda comes to an end.

REGIONAL BRIEFS

EARLIER STORIES

	UT to sell surplus power January 2, 2002
	And Chandigarh boogied into 2003 January 1, 2002
	The countdown begins; all set for New Year Eve bash December 31, 2002
	Perch Dam water withheld, allege villagers December 30, 2002
	Two Deputy Mayors elected unopposed December 29, 2002
	PU to have upgraded computer networking December 28, 2002
	UT integrated investment policy by mid-Jan December 27, 2002
	Breakthrough in burglary cases, 10 arrested December 26, 2002
	Ramgarh power transformer destroyed in fire December 25, 2002
	NK Jain held on CBI tip-off December 24, 2002

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

‘Controversy’ refuses to vacate MC chief’s house
SAS Nagar, January 2
The official residence of the Municipal Council Head here has always been controversial that whoever occupies it is reluctant to vacate it. The house, constructed in a plot measuring about 2 kanals, is in the council residential complex in Phase V.

Petrol stations witness long queues
Petrol, diesel prices hiked by Re 1 from today
Chandigarh, January 2
Despite continuing cold wave in the region, the petrol stations in the city and surrounding towns today witnessed an unprecedented rush of scooters, cars, trucks and other vehicles and people were found standing in long queues to buy petrol and diesel, expecting a hike in oil prices.

PU-ISRO tie-up on space research
Chandigarh, January 2
The Bangalore-based Indian Space Research Organisation has approached Panjab University for a tie-up on research in astrophysics. Under this venture, the first astrophysics research centre to be established north of New Delhi, will come up at the university campus here.

On mission to woo Indian students
Chandigarh, January 2
“I am neither an agent nor part of any Canadian university. If I am here to persuade boys and girls from good and affluent families to come and study in Canada, it is just because of love for my own people,” says Mr Ron Mundi, a successful hotelier from Kamloops, currently touring India.

PUDA demolishes structures
SAS Nagar, January 2
In a day-long operation, a team of the Punjab Urban Development and Planning Authority demolished freshly constructed illegal structures in Kambali village and Jagatpura village here today.

ULTA PULTA
Jaspal Bhatti’s Friday humour
2003 — year of news channels
The year 2003 will be a landmark year for television news. Aaj Tak people are coming up with their new English news channel. NDTV is preparing to launch a separate Hindi and an English channel in 2003. Star TV will also relaunch its Star News channel. That means that the year 2003 will be a ‘newsy’ year.

COMMUNITY

TRIBUNE IMPACT
Stalls selling spices in Apni Mandi removed
SAS Nagar, January 2
The SDM, SAS Nagar, and SDM, Kharar, in a joint operation conducted here today got removed the illegal stalls selling spices and condiments in the Apni Mandi in Phase IIIB2 here.

Dense fog hits air, rail traffic
Chandigarh, January 2
The city remained cut off from the air traffic for the second consecutive day and trains and buses got delayed due to a dense fog enveloping the area. The Meteorological Department said the foggy conditions were likely to continue till tomorrow when rain was likely.

Auto-rickshaw owners’ strike enters second day
Chandigarh, January 2
Most of the auto-rickshaws in the city remained off roads today, as the strike call given by the Chandigarh Scooter Rickshaw Union entered its second day. The union is protesting against the State Transport Authority’s decision to impound the auto-rickshaws, which have completed 15 years on road.
Auto-rickshaw drivers protest in support of their demands in front of the State Transport Authority’s office in Sector 18, Chandigarh, on Thursday.
— photo Parvesh Chauhan

Jhote Kut colony irks Sec 71 residents
SAS Nagar, January 2
Right in the middle of the township’s information technology hub, Sector 71, is a colony, a home to about 2,000 people, known as Jhote Kut, that sticks out like a sore thumb that no one wants to own.

‘Drink moderately, remain healthy, live longer’
Chandigarh, January 2
Reducing ‘oxygen toxicity’ and managing alcohol intake are now being taken as twin mantras for ensuring longevity and reducing the risk of diseases like cancer and heart attacks.

Drunk cop slaps complainant
Chandigarh, January 2
A constable of the Chandigarh police, posted at Sector 34 police station, slapped a complainant in Sector 32 here this evening. An eyewitness alleged that the constable was drunk. Till the report last came in, the constable had been taken to a hospital for medical examination. The report was awaited.

Residents threaten to move court
Chandigarh, January 2
The Chandigarh Parents Association today issued a notice to the Chandigarh Administration, saying it would move the court in case demolition proceedings being carried out in the city in an arbitrary and pick-and-choose manner were not stopped.

25-yr-old farmhand murdered
Panchkula, January 2
A 25-year-old farmhand was reportedly shot by another employee at a farm in Mogi Nand village, near Sector 25 here, late tonight. According to information, the incident took place while the victim, Brij Mohan, and the suspect, Jarnail Singh were in their quarters.

CRIME

Raids on VCD shops, three arrested
Chandigarh, January 2
The police has arrested at least 40 persons from different parks of the city during the past 24 hours. The police raided various shops dealing in video compact disks and video cassettes and arrested three persons with pirated and pornographic VCDs. Sources said that a Sector 22-based shop, Music Point, was raided and Jaswinder Singh (resident of Sector 37) was arrested as the police claimed to seize 87 fake VCDs.

BUSINESS

Recovery notices to 53 defaulters
Chandigarh, January 2
Punjab National Bank, Chandigarh region, has issued notices to 53 defaulters for the recovery of Rs 14.42 crore under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002.

EDUCATION

Now coaching for KG admissions
Chandigarh, January 2
Every morning at eight, she excitedly walks along with her father to attend tuition classes. Sits silently behind a table and listens attentively to the teacher for at least an hour.

Convention on education of visually impaired
SAS Nagar, January 2
A state convention on ‘Education for the Blind’ will be organised by the National Society for the Child Artists in the office of the Punjab School Education Board here tomorrow.

INPA workshops concludes
Chandigarh, January 2
A series of three workshops, organised by the Indian National Portage Association in collaboration with the Rehabilitation Council of India, concluded at Panjab University, here today.

Rajesh Chaudhry is new DEO
Chandigarh, January 2
The Principal of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 40, Ms Rajesh Chaudhry, has been appointed District Education Officer in place of Ms Asha Sharma who has retired.

Candidates begin second round of campaigning
Panchkula, January 2
The beginning of New Year saw a large number of candidates begin their second round of door- to- door campaigning.

COURTS

DISTRICT COURTS
CBI seeks more time
Chandigarh, January 2
The CBI today sought more time to file a reply on a bail plea moved by Navjot Singh, an accused alleged to be involved in the Beant Singh assassination case, in a local court. After hearing the CBI counsel’s plea, the UT District and Sessions Judge, Mr H.S Bhalla, today adjourned the hearing till January 20.

CULTURE

NEW RELEASES
‘Talaash’ promises terrific action
THE year 2002 was not so good for Bollywood till last week it has suffered more than Rs 300 crore loss. Welcome to the year 2003, and beginning this year, there is a possible trendsetter ‘‘Talaash’’. It is not to say that Bollywood has completely changed. The good content is there and one hopes that Chiragdeep International presentation ‘‘Talaash’’ may bring some relief for Bollywood. This one is produced by distributor and producer Pahlaj Nihalani, who is coming back with a bang after a long gap.

Cultural evening at Tagore Theatre
Chandigarh, January 2
The Chandigarh Bank Town Official Language Implementation Committee is organising a cultural evening at Tagore Theatre on Saturday. Several items, including classical dance, western dance, vocal and instrumental music, skits and one-act plays, will be presented by staff and family members of public sector banks and financial institutions operating in the city.

HEALTH

17,000 to get polio drops
SAS Nagar, January 2
The SAS Nagar administration is all set to immunize 17,000 children up to the age of 5 years in the township against polio on January 5 as part of the countrywide pulse polio campaign.

Polio awareness rally
Chandigarh, January 2
About 400 students today participated in a polio awareness rally , organised by the Citizens Awareness Group in collaboration with the UT Health Department here today.

DSOI secy clarifies
Chandigarh, January 2
The secretary of the Defence Service Officers Institute, Sector 36, Lieut-Col Guriqbal Singh said the reported loss of Rs 4 lakh on the sale of liquor and aerated water, incurred by the institute as brought out during the annual general body meeting, was on account of paying bar fees and excise duties.

MOH challans 11 persons
Chandigarh, January 2
Coming down heavily on those violating sanitation bylaws in Sector 8 and Sector 15, the Department of Medical Officer Health today challaned 11 persons.