The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Wednesday, April 2, 2003, Chandigarh, India

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TOP STORIES

Man sets himself on fire, dies

Chandigarh, April1
Gripped in poverty and disheartened after the death of his father, an unemployed migrant from Himachal Pradesh allegedly committed suicide in Hallo Majra village here, this afternoon.
Policemen carry the body of Satish Kumar for a postmortem examination in Hallo Majra village on Tuesday.

Policemen carry the body of Satish Kumar for a postmortem examination in Hallo Majra village on Tuesday. — A Tribune photograph

Railway Board apprised of anomalies in Shatabdi fares
Chandigarh, April 1
The Ambala Railway Division authorities have written to the Railway Board highlighting the discrepancies in the fare structure of the Shatabdi Express running between Chandigarh and New Delhi.

15-yr-old autos impounded
Chandigarh, April 1
Even as the State Transport Authority impounded four auto-rickshaws in the city for being beyond the 15 year limit for three-wheelers, the Punjab and Haryana High Court took up a petition seeking directions to the UT Administration and other respondents for granting permits to auto-rickshaws with “CNG fuel mode only”.

REGIONAL BRIEFS

EARLIER STORIES

	Class XI student commits suicide April 1, 2003
	Areas near slum colonies to be developed March 31, 2003
	Sukhna level raise can ‘cause’ flood March 30, 2003
	Sushma opens building with cracks March 29, 2003
	Jerath’s response to fresh FIR March 28, 2003
	Powermen strike work March 27, 2003
	Liquor trade goes high March 26, 2003
	Cong men ‘assault’ SAD supporters March 25, 2003
	It was utterly, bitterly disappointing March 24, 2003
	Siti Cable reporter dies in accident March 23, 2003
	Populated areas may be exempted March 22, 2003
	4 Holi revellers die in mishap March 21, 2003
	Girl’s kin thrash boy on court premises March 19, 2003

Free legal aid for the poor
Chandigarh, April 1
In order to ensure ‘justice for all’, the State Legal Service Authority (SLSA) has been providing free legal aid to poor persons and helping them to solve their disputes amicably at a pre-litigative stage. As many as 2443 cases, including matrimonial disputes, property disputes, accident claim cases, fraud cases etc, have already been settled by the SLSA till March 31.

Pneumonia alert
Chandigarh, April 1
The Chandigarh Administration today received an official communication from the Union Ministry of Health asking the authorities to beef up the monitoring service for diagnosing patients suffering from killer pneumonia.

Notice to coop societies stayed
Chandigarh, April 1
In a major decision which affects all cooperative housing societies, the Additional Registrar, Cooperative Societies, today stayed the notice served by President of the Progressive Cooperative House Building asking members to clear dues by March 31.

Public transport vehicles flout pollution norms
Chandigarh, April 1
The city may have adopted pollution control laws, as required under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and also by the Supreme Court, but their implementation remains to be made effective. For long now, the pollution control norms have been flouted, adding to pollution levels of the city which, experts confirm, have been rising on account of enhanced carbon content in the air.

100 zoo carnivores forced to go on fast
Chhat Bir (Patiala), April 1
More than 100 odd carnivores of Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park were forced to go on fast today because of the accident of the vehicle that had been sent to Saharnpur to procure meat.

Famished lions wait for food in Chhat Bir Zoo unaware of the fate of the vehicle that was sent to procure meat for them from Saharnpur on Tuesday. — Photo Karam Singh

Monkey menace: notice to Admn
Chandigarh, April 1
Treating as a public interest litigation, a letter written by PGI doctors regarding monkey menace at the Institute, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion to the Chandigarh Administration, the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh and other respondents asking them to give details of the steps taken to tackle the problem.

COMMUNITY

Chandigarh has highest per capita income
Chandigarh, April 1
Rise in the overall revenue of the government, marginal increase in earnings from industrial activity, besides the positioning of Chandigarh as city with the highest per capita income of Rs 44, 397 are among the major features of the Statistical Abstract for the year ending March, 2002, released by the UT Administrator, Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd).

Work begins on back-lanes
Chandigarh, April 1
The concreting of 50 back-lanes of Sector 22-A, B, C and D commenced today. The local MP, Mr Pawan Bansal, formally started the work in Sector 22-C. Earlier, a function was organised by the area councillor, Mr Pradeep Chhabra, that was attended by hundreds of local residents. While speaking on the occasion, Mr Bansal appreciated the initiatives taken up by the corporation in respect to development projects. He announced that he would provide all possible financial help for development projects in the city from his contingency fund.

Local MP Pawan Kumar Bansal inaugurating the work of concreting of back-lanes in Sector 22, Chandigarh, on Tuesday. — A Tribune photograph

Local MP Pawan Kumar Bansal inaugurating the work of concreting of back-lanes in Sector 22

Stress on women’s role in Panchayati Raj
Chandigarh, April 1
It is by strengthening the participation of women in the Panchayati Raj institutions that issues like female foeticide and domestic violence can be effectively tackled. It is with this motto that Priya, an NGO, is working in rural areas of Fatehabad and Mahendergarh in Haryana."Democracy can be a reality in India only if women raise their voice against domestic violence and female foeticide," observed Mr Shailendra, at a press conference here today.

Haldia report condemned
Chandigarh, April 1
The Haldia Committee Report on power sector reforms came under criticism at a meeting of the UT Powermen Union Chandigarh held here today. Terming the report as a failure, the Union decided to hold protest dharnas against it at all Electricity offices here tomorrow.

4.93 lakh PF statements issued
Chandigarh, April 1
In fulfillment of its commitment to provide speedy and trouble-free service to the members of the Employees Provident Fund, the Regional Provident Commissioner office distributed 4.93 lakh statements of accounts throughout Punjab and Chandigarh today.

Kids make full use of Fool’s Day
Chandigarh, April 1
Fools were not the only ones made to appear stupid on April 1 — All Fool‘s Day. Even businessman and top executives were not spared. If pranks were not played by their colleagues, their little ones kept calling them up in offices, once in desperate tone, next time to tell them that their contention was just a joke.

Bush's effigy burnt
Chandigarh, April 1
Local units of five trade unions — AITUC, CITU, INTUC, HMS and ACTU — held a joint dharna to lodge their protest against the US-led war on Iraq and also burnt an effigy of US President George W. Bush in Sector 17 here this afternoon.

Activists affiliated to CITU burn effigy of the US President in Sector 17, Chandigarh, on Tuesday. — A Tribune photograph

READERS WRITE
In defence of the ‘fallen’
AS per a report published in Chandigarh Tribune dated March 23, 2003 (Flesh trade racket busted), some unfortunate young women who had submitted themselves to the flesh trade were traced and subsequently arrested. Expectantly, as always, such incidents raise the proverbial storm in a tea cup.

Film personalities as Governors

Road conditions poor

YOUTH LIFE & STYLE
Glitz & glamour
All work and no play... still stay fit any day
FLIPPING through History of English Literature’s dog-eared pages with her ivory chiselled fingers, Dharkan gained insight into the rise of novel, along with five kgs. Today, reposing on a comfortable chair behind an impressive study table in her house, the under-grad knows all about Thomas Hardy and the pangs of slipping into a pair of denims with ends that simply refuse to meet.

Mars Speaks
Never too busy for workouts
HE is never too busy for exercises. In fact, ramp model-cum-law student Rajesh Sehgal drives down to the gymnasium daily even if he has to sit in the examination hall the next morning and scribble every thing he knows about the legal system and the Indian Penal Code.

Bang with bangles
Attempt examinations but with caution
Goodbye tan
Top 10 songs for relaxing

CRIME

One gets bail in pension scam
Chandigarh, April 1
A bail application moved by R.K. Gupta, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) in a pension scam was today accepted by a local court. He was granted bail on furnishing a bond of Rs 25,000. Mr Gupta, along with B.S. Nagpal and Tejinder, were booked by the CBI for allegedly preparing forged documents related to pension of Baldev Singh and causing a loss of Rs 2.34 lakh to the government.

Inspector booked for graft
Panchkula, April 1
An Inspector in the Weights and Measures Department, Mr Pritpal Singh, along with his tout, Dinesh Kumar, have been booked on the charges of demanding bribe of Rs 8000.

BUSINESS

Massive rise in city bank deposits
Chandigarh, April 1
Residents of the city, which enjoys the highest per capita income in the country, are on an amazing saving spree. Banks are flush with funds as deposits in the public and private banks jumped collectively by a whopping Rs 1090 crore. Small savings are on the rise and recorded a deposit of Rs 271 crore. Another indication of the saving spree is a major drop in the number of vehicles sold in the city.

SBI ATM inaugurated
Chandigarh, April 1
Mr D.P.S. Rathore, Regional Director, RBI, inaugurated the 16th ATM of the State Bank of India at the Sector 8-B market, here today. Speaking on the occasion, Mr J.P. Verma, General Manager (D&PB), SBI, said, ‘‘Out of the 71 ATMs in the Chandigarh circle, 42 have been already networked and the remaining would be networked by May 15.’’

Cream cheese launched
Chandigarh, April 1
Britannia New Zealand Foods Pvt Ltd has launched cream cheese. The cheese can be enjoyed as a spread on toast or parathas, as an ingredient in savory dips and sauces, and also in sweet preparations like cheesecake.

Exhibition of garments
Chandigarh, April 1
A Jaipur-based fashion house, Janak Nandini, today opened a garment exhibition in Sector 22. On display at the exhibition are some of the finest ‘bandhini’ and ‘lehriya’ patterns in fabrics of all possible descriptions. Crepe, georgette, chiffon, kota cotton and cotton have been used to create a designer range.

Contest winners get prizes
Chandigarh, April 1
Mr Swaran Bajaj, general manager (marketing), Spice Telecom, handed over prizes to the winners of ‘‘Spice-2003 Champion Kaun Contest’’ at a function organised at company showroom in sector 17 today.

EDUCATION

PTU signs MoU with Canadian institute
SAS Nagar, April 1
Punjab Technical University (PTU), Jalandhar, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Canadian Institute for International Studies (CIIS) here for providing Indian recognition to CIIS computer programmes.

Advanced computing system at PU
Chandigarh, April 1
The Department of Physics, Panjab University (PU), has established a “parallel computing environment on desktop personal computers”, which will be used for the high-level scientific computing. A statement issued here today said the PU was the first university in this region to have such a capability.

IT centre for colleges

Fee hike flayed

Kapkids to hold contests
Chandigarh, April 1
The local Kapkids, a kids super store, will organise ‘jungle jamboorie week’, from tomorrow. The event will feature contests for kids, like mask-painting, best-out-of-waste, drawing and creative writing.

Appoint Principal, demands association
Chandigarh, April 1
The Parent Teacher Association of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 40, here at a meeting held today applauded the meritorious result achieved by its students in the middle standard examinations held in February. The pass percentage of the school was 100 per cent.

Workshop

DEO staff make parents wait
Panchkula, April 1
At least 30 parents had to wait for more than two hours, when the staff of the District Education Office (DEO) failed to turn up to collect admission forms of applicants in Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 12-A.

75 participate in baby show
Chandigarh, April 1
A magic show and prize distribution function marked the annual day celebrations of Sacred Bells Convent School, Kharar, today.

Need to conduct school games in one go
Chandigarh, April 1
It is high time the UT Education Department, considered the holding of the UT School games for all disciplines in one go instead of conducting various sports disciplines in a staggered manner.

SCHOOL WORLD
Wheel and Axle
THE wheel and axle is a form of simple machine. The wheel is mounted on the axle, which is actually a shaft or rod with its one end fixed to the load being moved. When used together, they transmit or increase the force applied to get some work done.

Mechanical Advantage

COURTS

Justice Anand retires
Chandigarh, April 1
Mr Justice Roshan Lal Anand of the Punjab and Haryana High Court was today given a warm send-off following his retirement upon attaining the age of superannuation. The number of Judges, with his retirement, has now decreased to 29 against the sanctioned strength of 40.

Workshop on investors’ problems
Chandigarh, April 1
The Consumers Forum Chandigarh in association with the Consumer Education (Voice), New Delhi, organised a workshop on investors’ problems and financial literacy here yesterday. Addressing the participants, Dr P.K. Vasudeva said, ‘‘A number of non-banking financial companies have cheated investors money to the tune of crores by claiming high rates of interest.

HEALTH

Shotgun defends move on evening OPDs

Panchkula, April 1
“Evening OPDs are the need of the hour, especially with increasing number of working couples, who can now avail themselves of health facility in the evening. I have written to the Prime Minister and Health Minister to review the evening OPD in light of this fact, “ said former Health Minister Shatrughan Sinha.

Shatrughan Sinha, Union Minister for Shipping, interacts with students of Hansraj Public School, Panchkula, at their annual day on the school premises on Tuesday. — Photo Pankaj Sharma

Salt fortified with iron in the offing
Chandigarh, April 1
Residents, give salt a fair share. The fine grains in your food take care of your daily iodine requirement. Soon these will ensure against iron deficiency also. A technology is being developed to fortify salt with iodine and iron. You do not have to take the news with a pinch of salt, the combination is expected to hit the market soon.

PGI ‘erred’ in ventilator deal
Chandigarh, April 1
For PGI the failure of the Radio diagnosis Department in completing the formalities regarding the purchase of six ventilators worth Rs 43.11 lakh could be a minor lapse, but not for hundreds of critical patients, who had to face a lot of inconvenience in the absence of these.

ADMINISTRATION

Census of govt staff released
Chandigarh, April 1
The UT Administrator today released the Census of government employees Chandigarh Administration, 2002, and Census of Public Sector Undertakings and Local Bodies Employees-2002 at UT Secretariat here. The publications have been brought by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics (Statistical Cell), Chandigarh Administration.