C H A N D I G A R H

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Celebration and jubilation time for ICSE Class X toppers
This time boys outshine girls * Laurels for YPS Class XII students * Panchkula’s golden twins
Chandigarh, May 19
It was a moment of suspense and exhilaration for a large number of city school students who had appeared in the Class X examination in 2003 conducted by the Council for Indian Certificate for Secondary Education. The results were declared late this evening.

Drama in Sec 17 parking lot
Contractor ‘pays for’ asking IG to pay up

Chandigarh, May 19 A high drama was enacted in the paid parking area near the Gurdev Studio in Sector 17 here when armed gunmen of an Inspector General of Punjab Police wielded their batons to take revenge from a contractor who dared to ask their boss to pay for parking in the area.

The IG (Intelligence), Punjab, Mr Shashi Kant, whose gunmen assaulted a contractor of a parking lot, comes out of the Sector 17 police station on Monday. — Tribune photo Manoj Mahajan

Officials shielding Sarpanch: villagers
Chandigarh, May 19
There is resentment among a section of Mullanpur-Garibdass villagers, after the Department of Rural Development and Panchyats, Punjab, stayed the suspension of the village Sarpanch, Mr Deewan Singh.

City sizzles at 43°C Chandigarh, May 19 Maximum temperature in the city today was 43°C. The temperature was 1° less than last year’s temperature of 44°C recorded on the same date. Hisar in Haryana recorded a maximum temperature of 45.6°C, the highest temperature in the region, so far.

Scheme to rehabilitate scavengers fails
Chandigarh, May 19
The national scheme for the ‘liberation and rehabilitation of scavengers and their dependents’, implemented by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment since 1992, has failed to achieve its objectives in many States, even after 10 years of implementation involving investments of more than Rs. 600 crore.

Administrator firm on checking encroachments

Chandigarh, May 19 The Punjab Governor and Administrator, UT, Chandigarh, Justice O.P. Verma (retd) today asked officials of the local administration to develop "zero tolerance" to encroachments on public land and ensure strict vigil to check these. Deputy Commissioner M. Ramshekhar gives a presentation to the Governor of Punjab and UT Administrator, Justice O.P. Verma (retd), on the problem of encroachments in Chandigarh on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

COMMUNITY

Little Magazine has stood test of time
Chandigarh, May 19
The magazine may be called The Little Magazine, but it seems to be the bold answer against the profit-making media, the creation of the market forces. Started by Antara Dev Sen, daughter of Nobel prize winner Amartya Sen, about three years ago, the magazine has stood the test of time and is on a constant move upwards, creating a niche for itself in the literary world.

Panel fails to take decision
Move for privatisation in sanitation
Chandigarh, May 19
The nine-member all party committee of councillors today failed to take a final decision on whether privatisation should be allowed in sanitation even as eight nominated councillors today supported the privatisation proposed by Mayor Subhash Chawla.

FLEECING AT CINEMAS
Visitors pay for parking on HUDA land
Panchkula, May 19
The two cinema halls in the township are charging money from cinema buffs for parking vehicles outside their premises in spite of the fact that paid parking has so far not been introduced anywhere in the district.

LEAF FROM HISTORY
Bureaucrats ran the show in city
CHANDIGARH became a Union Territory on November 1, 1966, with the bifurcation of the larger state of Punjab into the purportedly Hindi-speaking Haryana and the Punjabi-speaking Punjab. This immediately brought it under the direct charge of bureaucrats. The Chief Commissioner, as the head of the Chandigarh bureaucracy, immediately lost his boss, the Chief Minister of Punjab.

Air Marshal Gandhi arrives in city Chandigarh, May 19 The Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command (WAC), Air Marshal A.R. Gandhi, arrived on a three-day inspection visit to the Chandigarh Air Force Station here today. He is accompanied by his wife, Ms Matilda Gandhi, president Air Force Wives Welfare Association (AFWWA) (regional).
The Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command, Air Marshal A.R. Gandhi, inspects a guard of honour on his arrival at the Air Force Station in Chandigarh on Monday.

FAUJI BEAT
Civil-military talks should resolve pending issues

UNTIL 2001, one civil and military liaison (CML) conference for all the states, which are in the territorial jurisdiction of the Headquarters Western Command, was held annually. But from 2002, a separate conference is held for each state. For Punjab, the first such conference was held in the second week of May at Punjab Bhawan. Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, Punjab, addresses a civil-military liaison conference in Chandigarh.

Youth fest organised
SAS Nagar, May 19
The local Rotract Club organised a youth festival at the Gian Jyoti Institute of Management and Technology (GJIMT) here yesterday. Members of 33 clubs of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Uttaranchal participated in the event.

PUDA demolishes illegal shops
SAS Nagar, May 19
Continuing with its anti-encroachment drive in the township, a team of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) demolished some illegal shops and the office and shed of a local truck union in Phase VI and some stalls near the HIG quarters in Phase I here today.

CRIME

Driver hangs himself
Chandigarh, May 19
Vijay Kumar (29), a driver posted with the Centre for Rural Research and Industrial Development, Sector 19, allegedly ended his life by hanging himself from the roof of his one room accommodation in the CRRID office here this morning.

Armed youths injure two
Chandigarh, May 19
Two brothers, who had come to the city for preparing for an entrance test, were injured after they were attacked by armed youths following an altercation in the market of Panjab University here this evening. The injured, Varinder Gill and Vikramjit Singh Gill, have been admitted to the General Hospital, Sector 16.

Rape bid alleged
SAS Nagar, May 19
Family members of an 11-year-old resident of Pashupati Nath Colony, near Industrial Area, here have alleged that one of their neighbours had tried to rape their daughter last night.

One more held in murder case
Chandigarh, May 19
The police today arrested the fifth suspect — belonging to the Sansi community in the murder case of 17-year-old resident of Sector 38, Randeep Singh. The suspect Sanjay Kumar, alias Saddu, was absconding since the murder.

Woman decamps with investors’ money
Chandigarh, May 19
Several persons of the city and its neighbouring towns have been cheated of lakhs of rupees by a woman. The woman, Savitri Devi, ran her business for six months from SCO No 27, Sector 47, before decamping with the hard earned money of her clients on April 25.

BUSINESS

BSNL abolishes clause
Chandigarh, May 19
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has decided to abolish the condition of ‘producing receipt of interface-approved caller line indicating instrument’ for availing themselves of the caller line identification facility (CLIP) on fixed line phones, according to a press note of the corporation.

EDUCATION

Counselling sessions for IAS aspirants
Chandigarh, May 19
The Centre for IAS and Other Competitive Examinations, Panjab University, will organise a counselling programme from May 20 to 23 for beginners who want to appear in the Civil Services Examination-2004. According to the coordinator of the centre, Dr R.K. Mahajan, the counselling sessions will be organised at the centre at 11 am on all days.

Panel to re-work BA-I English syllabus
Chandigarh, May 19
Anthologies in English for the first-year of degree courses in colleges affiliated to Panjab University are to be compiled afresh. A committee has been set up by the university to undertake this task.

SCHOOL WORLD
Geography
About Azerbaijan
THE Republic of Azerbaijan is located on the Caspian Sea, in the eastern area of Transcaucasia. To its north lies Georgia and the Dagestan area of the Russian Federation. It shares its western borders with Armenia and the southern borders with Iran.

COURTS

DISTRICT COURTS
IT returns scam: hearing put off
Chandigarh, May 19
The hearing of the bail plea moved by the Chartered Accountant, Mr N.K Garg, who was arrested by the UT police in connection with a scam relating to income tax returns on the basis of fake TDS certificates, was today adjourned for May 21 by a local court.

• Beant Singh case

Dy Director of zoo seeks regular bail
Chandigarh, May 19
In just over two months after a first information report was registered by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau regarding alleged purchase of meat for animals at higher rates, Deputy Director of Chhat Bir Zoo Gurpal Singh today filed a petition seeking the grant of regular bail.

HEALTH

‘Medicinal method of MTP safer’
Chandigarh, May 19
Complications and side effects of medical termination of pregnancy came up for detailed discussion at an orientation programme organised by the Family Planning Association of India in collaboration with the departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the PGIMER here yesterday.

SPORTS

Chandigarh amass 268 for 9
Chandigarh, May 19
Chandigarh amassed 268 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 90 overs in the three-day Punjab Inter-district Under-19 Cricket Tournament which began here today at PCA Stadium, SAS Nagar.

International draughts meet concludes

Chandigarh, May 19 The first ever South Asian Draughts Championship for men concluded at Patiala last evening. In the three-day meet, teams from Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and India took part. The meet was organised by the Draughts Federation of India. Hosts India, represented by Gurpreet Singh and Gurmail Singh, clinched the gold medal. Participants of the first South Asian Draughts Championship for Men that concluded in Patiala on Sunday.

Volleyball meet
Chandigarh, May 19
Chandigarh area got the better of Bathinda area, while Ambala downed Pathankot area in the Western Command Inter-area Volleyball Championship, which began here today at 12 Wing, Air Force Station.

ADMINISTRATION

PUDA slaps building vacation notice
SAS Nagar, May 19
Offices of the Subdivisional Magistrate and the Tehsildar here are in a fix following the receipt of a communication from the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) calling for the vacation of its building in which the two offices are housed.

Admn gears up to deal with strike
Panchkula, May 19
Keeping in view the employees’ strike on May 21, the district administration has directed all departmental heads to motivate their subordinates not to join the strike.

• Inspector Verma promoted