C H A N D I G A R H

Top stories | Community | Crime | Business | Education

Courts | Culture | Health | Sports | Administration

TOP STORIES

CA booked for IT refund scam
Chandigarh, January 29
A multi-million rupee scam of fraudulent claim of income tax refunds on the basis of fake TDS certificates has been unearthed in Chandigarh by the north-western region of the Income Tax Department.

MC okays property tax bylaws
Chandigarh, January 29
The Municipal Corporation here today passed bylaws for the imposition of property tax on commercial buildings at the rate of 2 per cent of the annual rent of the rateable value to be calculated on unit area basis paving the way for imposition of the tax from April 1.

Highlights   Mayor Subhash Chawla (second from right) chairing the first meeting of Municipal Corporation after taking over from Ms Lalit Joshi in Chandigarh on Wednesday.

Cops raid Colonel’s house
Chandigarh, January 29
The Hoshiarpur police raided the house of Col Gurdial Singh Cheema (retd.) in Sector 16 here today, in search of black money amounting to Rs 1 crore belonging to an IAS officer, Mr P.P. Singh, Senior Regional Manager of the FCI, presently posted Shimla.

One nurse for 45 patients
Chandigarh, January 29
Managing with barely half the number of nursing staff required to meet the nurse patient ratio as per the recommendations of the Nursing Council of India, the request of the Sector 16 General Hospital authorities for an increase in staff strength awaits approval as patient care suffers due to staff shortage.

BSNL recovers Rs 6 cr
Chandigarh, January 29
The defaulters of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. in the city seem to have understood the message — either pay the outstanding amount or face legal action besides disconnection of the line. The campaign against wilful defaulters has paid rich dividends, as the company has recovered over Rs 6 crore from them during September-December period.

• 2-min silence at 11 am

COMMUNITY

Nod to new colony in Mani Majra
Chandigarh, January 29
The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh here today started the process of a new colony in Pocket 6 of Mani Majra on Chandigarh-Kalka highway by clearing Rs 50 lakh for the arrangement of water supply. The sizes of plots in the area will be of 4, 6, 8 and 10 marlas.

PSIDC officials lock out PRL workers
SAS Nagar, January 29
Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation officials, working on an ‘‘order from the top’’ barged in and locked out the 120 workers of Punjab Records Limited, claiming to have ‘‘taken over’’ the company on account of non-payment of a loan here today.

Memo to Punjab CM on exim forms
Chandigarh, January 29
The Mohali Industries Association in a memorandum submitted to the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, and the Minister for Excise and Taxation, Punjab, Mr Sardool Singh, today flayed the move of the department to introduce exim forms (ST XXXVI).

MC office building plan submitted
SAS Nagar, January 29
A preliminary plan of the municipal council office building has been submitted by civic body officials to PUDA for approval here yesterday. The council is constructing its office building in Sector 68 here.

Kharar samiti poll on Jan 30
Kharar, January 29
The elections to the posts of Chairman and the Vice-Chairman of the panchayat samiti, which were postponed due to the absence of quorum yesterday, will be held on January 30 at 3 pm in the State Institute of Family Planning and Training Centre.

Aanchal spreads English
Chandigarh, January 29
As we grow from a small community into a global village, we leave behind many comfort zones. One of the major fallouts of development has been the scarcity of time, a resource which, until about a decade ago, was not so hard to have as it is today.

Eating Out A place to suit all pockets Panchkula, January 29 The Sector 10 Hotel KC Crossroad (opposite the bus stand) has put the fast-developing Panchkula town on the map of luxury hotels. This brand-new six-storeyed 4-star establishment promises to cater to the needs of a vast range of clientele — from a corporate honcho, a disco-loving youngster and a party-hopping housewife. Truckload for locals

A group enjoys kebabs at Hotel KC Crossroad, Sector 10, Panchkula. — Tribune photo Parvesh Chauhan

Contractor to catch stray cattle
SAS Nagar, January 29
The Municipal Council here has decided to hand over the job of catching stray cattle and dogs to a private firm on contract. According to sources this decision follows pressure in this regard from the residents on the council.

CRIME

Wife alleges torture, in-laws misuse of law
SAS Nagar, January 29
The two families of the township involved in a dowry case registered here by the police have now levelled fresh allegations against each other before the police. While the girl Cheroo Aujla has alleged that her in-laws are harassing her and trying to torture her mentally, the boy’s father Mr D.S. Aujla has stated that the girl is misusing the law which favours women.

TATA Sumo stolen from motor market
Chandigarh, January 29
During the past 24-hours the police has registered at least three cases of theft from different parts of the city and arrested a person in this connection. Vinod Kumar, a resident of Burail village, was arrested for allegedly stealing brass taps from Shri Krishna temple, Sector-33 yesterday.

BUSINESS

MARKET SPOTLIGHT — 35-C 
Jewellery, wedding material business thriving

Tribune News Service It boasts of being only the second to Sector 22 market, the biggest of the city, courtesy a large population living in Sectors 30 to 48 and SAS Nagar. It is also known as jewellers’ market with this segment alone having a large chunk of 35 jewellery shops in the Sector. Problems A view of Sector 35-C Inner Market. — Photo Manoj Mahajan

EDUCATION

Parents mug up school lessons Panchkula, January 29 It is back to the basics for hundreds of couples in the township. With admissions to pre- nursery and nursery classes being thrown open by most top schools here, it is an ordeal for the parents. Young parents are busy mugging up their own lessons. Tiny tots being entertained with toys at The Gurukul as their parents wait for their turn of informal interaction for admission to the pre-nursery class. — A Tribune photograph

Prof Fox shares experience
Popularising science
Chandigarh, January 29
Presentations and talks on concepts and theories of science marked the inaugural day of the International Seminar on Science, Technology and Society, being organised by Panjab University's Department of History, here today.

FROM COLLEGES
Shakespeare still relevant
Chandigarh, January 29
“Shakespeare is still the yardstick against which the greatness of other writers is measured. He is not a man of his time, but a man of our times. His works are as relevant today as they were then,” said Prof M.L. Raina, scholar of international repute.

Engineering entrance test on May 11
Chandigarh, January 29
The Central Board of Secondary Education has fixed May 11 as the date for conducting the All India Engineering Entrance Examination for admission to various engineering colleges for the 2003-04 session. The schedule will not be changed even if the date is declared as a public holiday.

RIMC test on June 2 & 3
Chandigarh, January 29
The entrance test for admission to the Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehra Dun, will be conducted at scheduled centres on June 2 and 3. Lieut-Col G.S. Dhillon (retd), Zila Sainik Welfare Officer, Chandigarh, said candidates appearing for the test should have been born between January 1, 1991, and July 1, 1992.

Youth parliament
Chandigarh, January 29
At least 139 individual prizes and 10 team prizes were given to winners of the Inter-school youth parliament competitions. The function was held at Government College of Education in Sector 20 today.

Winners of science wizard contest
Chandigarh, January 29
Kirti Puri, Harsimran and Divya Sharma have scored the top three positions, respectively, in the Dr Homi J. Bhaba Science Wizard Contest 2002-03, organised earlier this month by the Council for Promotion of Young Talent. Dhiraj Jha and Jugnu Goyal secured the fourth position.

COURTS

Evidence in Badal case on March 8
Chandigarh, January 29
Hearing of a defamation complaint filed by the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee against the former Chief Minister of Punjab, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, and his son, Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, besides two others was today adjourned by the UT Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr C.L Mohal, till March 8 for evidence.

CULTURE

Frames of society Chandigarh, January 29 Sardar Gursharan Singh's dialogue with the audience continued as Awami Natak Mela being organised by the Pracheen Kala Kendra, Sector 35, entered the second day today. A scene from play “Siyonk” being staged at Tagore Theatre, Sector 18, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. — Tribune photo Parvesh Chauhan

Towards universal expression
Chandigarh, January 29
What better than a space filled with colours, so reflective of life, its shades, its moods and expressions? One could wait for a lifetime to be a part of a visual arrangement that inspires life in all its forms.

HEALTH

DISPOSAL OF BIO-MEDICAL WASTE
Hospitals violating SC order to face action
Chandigarh, January 29
Less than a month after the expiry of the deadline set by the Supreme Court for ensuring the proper disposal of bio-medical waste, the UT Pollution Control Committee has decided to come down heavily on nursing homes and hospitals, not complying with the directions.

Multi-specialty health camp by Fortis
Chandigarh, January 29
Fortis Heart Institute & Multi-Specialty Hospital will hold a free multi-specialty health check-up camp in association with Dr RS Parmar and Rotary Roopnagar. The camp will provide people on opportunity to get free consultation from some of India’s leading specialists in cardiology, endocrinology, pulmonology, ENT, ophthalmology, psychiatry, nephrology and general medicine.

Eye camp
SAS Nagar, January 29
More than 390 patients including 90 policemen were examined at an eye check-up camp organised by the Punjab Ophthal Care Society at Sector 9, Chandigarh, today.

SPORTS

UT ball badminton teams
Chandigarh, January 29
Anisha Bhatti and Shiv Kumar will lead Chandigarh’s women and men team during the 48th Senior National Ball Badminton championship to be held in Bhopal from February 1 to 5. According to Mr Baljinder Singh, general secretary, Chandigarh Ball Badminton Association, the teams are: Women: Anisha Bhatti, Sonika, Monika Panjla, Shweta Vyas, Navdeep, Jaswinder Kaur, Talwinder Kaur and Amita.

Goalkeeping her passion
Chandigarh, January 29
Reetika Sharma, a Panchkula-based skater, has done the town proud by becoming the goalkeeper of the Indian women roller hockey team. Reetika, a Class XII student of Hansraj Public School, Sector 6, quelled her fears and opted to keep the goal in a sport where speed matters.

Producing TT champs
Chandigarh
Table tennis has become synonymous with DAV Public School, Sector 8, which has already produced champions in just few years. The four tables installed in the school campus hall give ample opportunity to young trainees to groom into future Kamlesh Mehtas, Chetan Baboors of India.

ADMINISTRATION

Chief Architect appointed
Chandigarh, January 29
The Chandigarh Administration today issued an order appointing the officiating Chief Architect , Mrs Renu Saigal as Chief Architect for a period of one year. The order says that she has been appointed till the post is not filled in through regular appointment .