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Chandigarh, October 25 Festivities marked the beginning of the six-day Panjab University Zonal Youth and Heritage Festival-2004 at DAV College here today.

HC notice to MC on shopping festival issue
Chandigarh, October 25
A Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion to officials of the Municipal Corporation for tomorrow on a petition pertaining to the Divali shopping festival filed by the Market Welfare Association of Sector 22.

• SSP inaugurates Sec 22-B shopping festival

Ex-serviceman dies while pacifying clashing groups
Mohali, October 25
An ex-serviceman lost his life while trying to pacify two clashing groups at Mauli Baidwan village, near here, last night.

Punjab Kisans protest against land auction

Chandigarh, October 25 Activists of the Punjab Kisan Sabha here today sat on a fast at Matka Chowk for getting the auction of a piece of a land of a farmer at Chattewal village stalled. The farmers are seeking the intervention of the Punjab Chief Minister and have faxed a letter to him in this regard. Representatives and activists of the Punjab Kisan Sabha stage a dharna at Matka Chowk, Chandigarh, on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

Police torture victim demands justice Chandigarh, October 25 Allegedly tortured by the Punjab Police for his refusal to pay a bribe of Rs 100 bribe, a man called off his scheduled marriage fearing, he might not sire children. Mohali resident Buta Singh's marriage had to be finalised with a girl from Sector 41 of Chandigarh only three days after he was allegedly beaten up on June 22 before the incident. A 27-year-old Buta Singh has been paying through his nose with his medical and legal bill running into around Rs 70,000. All this for his refusal to part with Rs 100 five months ago. A crippled Buta Singh fighting a lone battle. — Tribune photo by Malkiat Singh.

Convention on human rights from Oct 29
Chandigarh, October 25
Over 100 experts from all over the country are expected to attend a two-day human rights and mental health convention being held from October 29 at the ICSSR hall in Panjab University at Chandigarh.

CHANDIGARH CALLING Sentinel spotted a ritha tree in the park, just in front of Lt Col H.M. Singh’s house (No 1144, Sector 34). The Singhs were served ritha, a sweet nutty fruit, as a prasad at the Gurdwara Nanak Mata in pilibhit during their pilgrimage in 1997. They planted ritha seed in a pot in 1999. The sapling was planted in the park. Next year it bore fruit, sweet as the prasad. Toilets for parks Smile and serve Rickety wheelchairs Traffic cops

COMMUNITY

Cheque for patient bounces Chandigarh, October 25 Duped by a “masquerading philanthropist”, 19-year-old Rajeev Sharma, a patient of chronic renal failure at the PGI, and his family are yet to come to terms with reality. That their dream cheque of Rs 3.2 lakh received as donation from self-proclaimed good Samaritan 24-year-old Jaskaran Singh Randhawa last month has bounced, is still to sink in. Rajeev Sharma (centre) with his father Bilas and mother Geeta Devi at the PGI serai on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

BJP for adequate facilities in slums
Panchkula, October 25.
The local unit of the BJP has demanded adequate facilities of housing, power and sanitation in various slum and labour colonies in the township.

Illegal parking of vehicles irks Sector 9 residents

Chandigarh, October 25 Residents of Sector 9 are a troubled lot, thanks to the VIPs' vehicles parked in front of their houses in clear violation of the law. The Residents Welfare Association of this sector has recently apprised the Governor of Punjab, Justice (retd) OP Verma, about the inconvenience they are undergoing but no action has so far been taken in this regard. VIP vehicles parked in front of houses in Sector 9, Chandigarh, on Monday. — — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

Fauji Beat
Infantry losing sheen, courtesy govt apathy

Infantry Day is celebrated on October 27, every year. It was on this day in 1947 that an infantry battalion saved the honour of the country when it was suddenly flown to the Srinagar airfield to bush back the raiders supported by the Pakistani army. Despite modern wars having become hi-tech, the infantryman’s fighting pattern still corresponds to the olden days.  Recruits being trained in bayonet fighting at 14 Gorkha Training Centre, Subathu.

Readers write
End stray cattle menace
It is surprising that the Chandigarh Administration is sleeping over the issue of stray cattle. Every other day a precious life is lost due to the cattle menace on roads but no effective action is taken to tackle it. Is the administration waiting for some targeted number of deaths or injured persons before taking action?

• Dharna may hit power, water supply

• Kohli elected to national academy

• Protest by BSNL staff

CRIME

2 hurt in road mishap
Panchkula, October 25
Two persons were seriously injured when the autorickshaw they were travelling in turned turtle after being hit by a speeding Scorpio on the Panchkula- Zirakpur highway.

Two children arrested for thefts
Chandigarh, October 25
A child thief duo from Kumhar Colony, Sector 25, involved in around 50 cases was today arrested by a team of the Sector 17 police station.

BUSINESS

RBI dispels rumours on coins
Chandigarh, October 25
The Reserve Bank of India has clarified that 25 and 50 paisa coins are legal tenders. In a press note issued here today, the Assistant General Manager of the bank, Mr Dharampal Sharma, has stated that RBI offices and the commercial banks would continue to freely accept all the coins for exchange in bank notes.

EDUCATION

Education board holds state-level competitions

Mohali, October 25 The Punjab School Education Board organised state-level educational competitions here today. Around 500 students from four zones — Amritsar, Ludhiana, Faridkot, and Bathinda, Ropar — participated in these competitions. Students of Government Senior Secondary School, Nathana (Bathinda), perform in one-act play “Kiv Kurhe Tutte Pal” at the Punjab State Education Board complex in Mohali on Monday. — Tribune photo by Malkiat Singh

R&D results should reach market: VC

Chandigarh, October 25 The inaugural function of the 13-day national workshop on “Prospects of bio-sensors in modern biology and biotechnological applications” was held at ICSSR Complex, Panjab University, here today. Dr Laxmi Prasad makes a point at the inaugural session of a seminar on “Biosensors in modern biology”, which began at the ICSSR complex, Panjab University, Chandigarh, on monday. — A Tribune photograph.

Internet lab opened Chandigarh, October 25 An Internet lab was inaugurated at Government College for Men, Sector 11, by the Chandigarh Home Secretary, Mr R.S. Gujral, here today. Prof Balwinder Singh, Principal of Government College, Sector 11, Chandigarh, explains a point to the UT Home Secretary, Mr R.S. Gujral, at the inauguration of the Internet lab.

NSS camp concludes
Chandigarh, October 25
A 10-day NSS camp, organised by the National Institute of Nursing Education at the PGI, concluded at Saharanpur village here today. Ms Gurkirpal Kaur, wife of the Dean Students Welfare, Panjab University, Prof Nirmal Singh, presided over the function.

COURTS

Bar groups hold meetings
Panchkula, October 25
The District Bar Association today accepted the resignation of four office-bearers of the Association, even as the latter convened a separate meeting of lawyers and demanded that a general body meeting of the Bar be convened to discuss the crisis.

Burail jailbreak hearing on Nov 18
Chandigarh, October 25
The Additional Sessions Judge, Mr Balbir Singh, today fixed November 18 for the framing of charges in the Burail jailbreak case.

CULTURE

Actors against nudity in videos
Chandigarh, October 25
Does sex sell? Not necessarily, if you ask the star cast of the new movie "Kiss Kis Ko" based on the life and times of the wellknown musical group, "A Band of Boys".

LIFESTYLE

For Shernaz scripts are utmost
An attempt to dissolve cultural barriers will be made when “Molly Sweeney”, directed by Rehaan Engineer , will be staged at Tagore Theatre, Sector 18, here on Tuesday. The story revolves around three characters — Molly Sweeney (Shernaz Patel) Frank (Rehaan Engineer) and Dr Paddy Rice (Vijay Crishna).

Music of ‘Pind di Kudi’ released The music of Punjabi film, “Pind di Kudi” was released at Sector 27 today. In all there are nine songs in it. The producer, Iqbal Singh Dhillon, actor Sarbjeet Cheema, and actress, Shibha Pakhdi were present on the occasion. Talking about their movie Iqbal Singh said,” The movie is full of entertainment and is basically a comedy. Sarabjeet Cheema and Shibha Pakhdi, stars of Punjabi movie, “Pind di kudi”, at the launch of its music in Chandigarh on Monday. — Tribune photo by Pankaj Sharma

Rani Mukherjee is Pargati’s role model
PRAGATI Trikha, a student of class fourth of DAV School, Sector 15, loves acting. But she is an extraordinary child as till now she has acted in four films and six teleserials.

Digital film festival opens today THE digital Film Festival opened on Sunday at Lalit Kala Akademy, Sector 16. It was inaugurated by Ms Alice Cicolini, Secretary of Arts and Culture, British Council India. It has been organised by British Library in collaboration with the Punjab Lalit Kala Akademy. Ms Alice Cicolini, Head of Arts, British Council (second from right) inaugurates the digital film festival at Lalit Kala Akademi, Sector 16, Chandigarh on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

HEALTH

Prof Gopalan takes charge
Chandigarh, October 25
After Deputy Director, Administration, Meeta Rajivlochan’s repatriation to her state cadre Maharashtra last week, the senior most faculty member, Prof Sarala Gopalan, has taken charge of the seven administrative wings at the PGI.

100 units of blood collected at camp
Panchkula, October 25.
Mr Ajay Singh Chautala, MP, today inaugurated a blood donation and health camp here, by being the first blood donor at the camp. The camp was organised by the Youth Welfare Association, Sector 14, in association with the Health Department at the Sector 15 Community Centre today.

Dental camp

SPORTS

Shivalik boys lift u-19 Volleyball title

Chandigarh, October 25 Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, beat SD Public School, Sector 32, 3-1 to bag the under-19 boys volleyball title in the UT Inter-School Volleyball Tournament played here today at the Sports Complex, Sector 7. The under-19 boys volleyball team of Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, Chandigarh, which won the UT inter-school volleyball meet held on Monday at the Sports Complex, Sector 7, Chandigarh.

New Public School, DAV-8 in basketball final

Chandigarh, October 25 Hosts New Public School, Sector 18, will clash with DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, in the final of the Rao Jai Singh Memorial Basketball Tournament being played here. In the semifinal, NPS-18 boys outplayed YPS, Mohali, 60-48. The spirited cagers of YPS gave a tough time to seasoned NPS-18 boys who have more experience of playing throughout the year. For winners the scorers were: Uday 11, Ashish 10 and Harinder 9. For losers the scorers were: Gurwinder 16, Ather 11, Navjidner 6. A player from Police DAV School, Amritsar, dodges a DAV School, Sector 8, player during a semifinal of the Rao Jai Singh Memorial Basketball Tournament at New Public School, Sector 18, Chandigarh, on Monday. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

ADMINISTRATION

UT told to frame new rules for STA Asst Secy 
Chandigarh, October 25
In a significant order the Chandigarh Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal has asked the Chandigarh Administration to frame fresh rules for the post of Assistant Secretary in State Transport Authority.

12 shortlisted for UT postings
Chandigarh, October 25
The Haryana Government today finalised 12 names to be forwarded to replace four Haryana Civil Services officers posted with the Chandigarh Administration.