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TRIBUNE SPECIAL
Zirakpur residents live in fear
Zirakpur, January 8
Shocking as it may sound, as many as 136 police personnel deployed with the Dera Bassi police station, that includes the Zirakpur and Mubarikpur police posts are providing a security cover to over 2.5 lakh people of the area.

A perpetual struggle for dignified living 
Union Territory is least disabled-friendly
Chandigarh, January 8
For some strange reason, we, as a society, have developed immunity to suffering. Not only do we look through those in pain, we also unconsciously feed the system that seeks comfort in routine.

The Sector 22 gurdwara decorated on the eve of Guru Gobind Singh’s birth anniversary in Chandigarh on Wednesday.  Tribune photo Karam Singh

Coldest day ever keeps residents indoors
Day temperature in city less than that at Shimla, Srinagar
Chandigarh, January 8
The city recorded the coldest day temperature ever in its brief history as the cold wave continued unabated. Today's temperature was 8.4 degrees celsius, breaking the previous record of 9.4 degrees celsius established in 1990. Today's temperature was 12 degrees below the average for this time of the year.

Mystery shrouds death of lions
Toxic meat not fed, says PAU scientist
Chhat Bir (Patiala), January 8
Mystery shrouds the death of Asiatic lions in the Asian fame Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park located at Chhat village, about 20 km from Chandigarh. Veterinary doctors have been unable to reach a consensus on the mysterious disease which has claimed the lives of several lions in the zoo for the past one-and-a-half years.

Wildlife team visits Dappar
Dappar (Patiala), January 8
A team of the Punjab Wildlife Department today visited Dappar and nearby villages which have been terror-struck following the appearance of a panther in the area a couple of days ago.

PGI’s attitude leaves them cold
Chandigarh, January 8
It does not matter, least of all to the PGI authorities, if people are shivering to death because of the intense cold wave sweeping the region, as it is more important for them to keep their waiting rooms clean even if it means that attendants of patients have to sit outside as their quilts and mattresses are bundled away at 5 am every day.

Evening OPD opens today
Chandigarh, January 8
Even as the PGI authorities today formally announced that evening OPD would be resumed from tomorrow, uncertainty continues as members of the Staff Council and senior doctors spent the day trying to convince the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) to cooperate, but they are yet to make up their mind.

Computer goods worth lakhs stolen
Chandigarh, January 8
In the ninth incident of burglary of its type in the city, computer hardware accessories worth around Rs 8 lakh were stolen from Atlantic Technologies, a shop in Sector 20 selling computer hardware products, in the wee hours of this morning. The burglars gained entrance into the shop by breaking the side locks of the front shutter.

COMMUNITY

 MC POLL
Heated campaigning on a cold day
Panchkula, January 8
The coldest day of this season notwithstanding, heated campaigning by candidates continued in most wards today. A large number of candidates released their election manifestos , even as others continued with their door-to- door campaign, campaign by telephone and ‘nukkad’ meetings.

Some polling booths hard to reach, say candidates
Panchkula, January 8
A large number of candidates in election fray here have complained about haphazard location of polling booths. In at least two wards, candidates have complained that booths have been located in close proximity to each other , rather than being scattered all over the ward.

27 trade unionists held for blocking highway

Chandigarh, January 8 Twentyseven activists of various trade unions were arrested by the police here today for pelting stones and blocking Ambala-Chandigarh highway near the Tribune roundabout. The police said that when it urged the activists to lift the blockade on the important road, some of the agitationists, protesting the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s economic policies, started pelting stones. Activists of the Central Trade Union of Chandigarh who were arrested by the police at the  Tribune Chowk in Chandigarh on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph.

BSNL not to change SAS Nagar code
SAS Nagar, January 8
Pending a nod from the Union Ministry of Communications, BSNL, Chandigarh, has decided to retain the three-digit 172 STD code for SAS Nagar and not change it to the four digit 1888.

• Sorry! wrong number

Captain donates  Rs 5 lakh to trust
Chandigarh, January 8
The Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, has donated Rs 5 lakh to the Aruna Asif Ali Memorial Trust, which is to build a bhavan in Chandigarh. According to Ms Oshima Raikhy, the trust was set up in July, 1997, one year after the passing away of Aruna Asif Ali, a freedom fighter and social activist.

EATING OUT
Have a good time at 3Bs
Chandigarh, January 8
The Eating Mall in Sector 35’s lane of restaurants attempts to be one up on its rivals with its 3Bs. The first B, on the ground floor, is Blossom, a cafe and fast food joint. The second B, in the basement, is Bloom, a buffet and multi-cuisine restaurant. And the third B is Bliss, the party place.

Cops discuss strengthening of area security
Chandigarh, January 8
A meeting of the resident welfare associations of central division was held here today to strengthen area security and better co-operation between police and public under the neighbourhood watch scheme.

CRIME

Fake products seized from Sec 17, 22 shops

Chandigarh, January 8 Fake products of multinational company, Adidas, being sold as original items, were seized by raiding parties of the Chandigarh Police from shops in Sectors 17 and 22 here this evening. The value of the seized products runs into several lakhs of rupees. A shopkeeper of Sector 22 who was arrested by the Chandigarh Police on Wednesday for selling fake products of multinational companies. — Tribune photo Manoj Mahajan

Car, bus and cart collide
Lalru, January 8
One person was killed and three were injured in a head-on collision between a car, a bus and a horse-cart on the Kalka-Ambala highway this afternoon. The accident led to traffic disruption.

Four booked for duping Sirsa resident
Chandigarh, January 8
The local police has booked four city residents for allegedly duping a resident of Sirsa of Rs 8,50,000 by promising to send him abroad. According to information available, Jagdev Singh, a resident of Dhani Balwant Singh village in Sirsa district of Haryana alleged that four persons, namely Baljit Singh of Sector 38 West; Inderjit Singh of Sector 20-A; Baljinder Singh of Sector 39-B and Brijesh Kumar c/o On Time Taxi, Hotel Shivalikview had taken Rs 8,50,000 from him by promising to send him abroad on a job assignment.

2 reported missing
SAS Nagar, January 8
A 27-year-old-youth, Harminder Singh, has been reported missing from Phase XI since last night. According to the information provided by his father Narinder Singh, Harminder Singh owns an electric repair shop in Phase XI market and went missing after he closed his shop last night at 9 pm.

Electrician commits suicide
Chandigarh, January 8
A 30-year-old electrician of Dadu Majra Colony allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his house here today. According to information, the victim, Prem Nath, who was working with a private contractor, went to sleep after taking his dinner last night.

BUSINESS

MARKET PULSE
Wedding exhibition opens today 
Chandigarh, January 8
Designer wear specially thought and designed for various ceremonies connected with weddings will form the highlight of Vivah 2003, a theme-based four-day wedding exhibition, beginning here tomorrow.

EDUCATION

Proposal for direct recruitment with Centre
Appointment of SIE chief
Chandigarh, January 8
While a regular director for the State Institute of Education (SIE) in Sector 32 here was finally appointed last week after the post remained with the principal of another institution on an ad hoc basis for over a year, it has focused attention on a long-standing proposal with the Administration to alter the selection process for the post.

Private school timings unchanged
Chandigarh, January 8
While students in government schools can cuddle under their quilts for additional 30 minutes following the change in school timings, private school students have no such benefit. Despite the cold and a thick blanket of fog, some independent schools are not ready to change the timings.

COURTS

Life term for nine in murder case
Panchkula, January 8
The Additional Sessions Judge, Panchkula, today sentenced nine persons to life imprisonment in a murder case. The accused — Suresh Pal, Karnail Singh, Roshan Lal, Raj Kumar, Barkha Ram, Mahendra Singh, Ram Singh, Sawan Singh and Amar Singh — all residents of Rampur — were booked by the police in March 1998 on charges of murder and rioting over a property dispute.

HC Bench asks for relevant record
Chandigarh, January 8
Issuing notice of motion on a petition filed by a candidate for Panchkula’s Municipal Council election, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the production of the relevant record.

CULTURE

Israel film fest

HEALTH

Medical Supt redesignated
Chandigarh, January 8
The Union Health Ministry has finally re-designated PGI Medical Superintendent Dr A.K. Gupta as Professor in Hospital Administration, a request which had been pending with the ministry for a long period.

SPORTS

City girl aiming for glory
Chandigarh, January 8
Sabeeha Dhillon, the star rifle shooter and a student of local MCM DAV College for Women, Sector 36, has been chosen by the National Rifle Association of India to take part in masters Shooting Meet to be held at the Tughlakabad Shooting ranges, New Delhi, from January 28. 

ADMINISTRATION

Councillors may be given powers to issue ration cards
Chandigarh, January 8
Councillors and sarpanches of the villages may be empowered to issue necessary verification certificates for the issuance of ration cards in the Union Territory. This was discussed at a meeting between Deputy Commissioner M. Ramsekhar and a team of councillors led by Mayor Subhash Chawla here today. The meeting lasted more than two hours.