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Gulati Silk Store raided, 8 shahtoosh shawls seized
Owner picked up for questioning
Chandigarh, February 20
A showroom Gulati Silk and Sarees in Sector 17 was raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Wildlife Trust of India jointly this afternoon. The team, led by Mr Khalil Sarvar, CBI Inspector, and Mr Ashok Kumar, Senior Adviser of the Trust, raided the premises and seized eight shahtoosh shawls and other products.

Drug trafficker outsmarts guards, flees
Was arrested for possessing 155 kg charas
Chandigarh, February 20
In a great setback to the Narcotics Control Bureau, an international drug trafficker and Israeli citizen, arrested for smuggling charas earlier this month escaped from its custody last night.                           Lior Avi Ben Moyal

PU employee, maid die in mishap
Kharar, February 20
A Panjab University employee and his maid were killed in an accident here late last night. According to the police, the two, Robert B. Singh and Sonia, were returning to the campus from the Mullanpur Garibdass when the car were in crashed into a stationary truck.

HOMEWARD BOUND: A flock of mynahs flies back to nests on cold Sunday evening near a road bordering Mohali in Sector 48, Chandigarh. — Tribune photo by Pankaj Sharma

Six arrested for burglaries
Mohali, February 20
Superintendent of Police Mohali Rakesh Agarwal said at a press conference here today that six persons were arrested for 15 burglaries.

120 cases of liquor seized,
one held
Mohali, February 20
The Excise Department, Ropar seized 120 cases of liquor from a Punjab bound truck here this morning. The truck (GJ-7Z 8900) was coming from Chandigarh in the morning and was signalled near Daon village on the Mohali-Kharar road.

Rare cacti in full bloom

Some of the most beautiful flowers blossom on thorny grounds. So it is at the National Cactus and Succulent Botanical Garden and Research Centre, maintained by HUDA in Panchkula’s Sector 5. This is a unique garden in Asia with some of the most rare cacti in its huge collection of 40,000 plants of 3,500 outdoor and indoor varieties. The vast and well-laid-out garden spread over 8 acres is home to some of the endangered species of cacti. — Tribune photos by Karam Singh

Outdoor cacti

Neopartrea

Gultifaulm

Lithopus

Euphorbia (hybrid)

Howorthias

JobsFest: no takers for call centres jobs
Chandigarh, February 20 With unemployment on the rise and jobs hard to get, jobs being offered at call centres are going abegging. Seven Business Process Outsourcing companies that set up shop at the two-day JobsFest 2005 which concluded at a hotel here today, have had a dismal response. 1,800 offered jobs at fest
Companies staff wait for applicants at the JobsFest 2005 on the concluding day at a hotel in Chandigarh on Sunday. — Tribune photo by Pankaj Sharma

From washroom cleaner to high-end manager
Chandigarh, February 20
As a student of Government College, Hoshiarpur, Surinder Rehill enacted a role way back in 1971 in a play called Der Hai Andher Nahin. Later this Doaba boy translated into reality the title of the play by dint of sheer hard work as he struggled to make a place for himself in Canada.

Junior army men have edge over civil officers in pay market
Chandigarh, February 20
While Armed Forces officers in the top echelon continue to remain at a disadvantage vis-a-vis senior civil services officers as far as promotions are concerned, those in the junior and middle rung Army officers now have a distinct advantage over their counterparts in the civvy street.

Passport seekers advised to avoid fraud agencies
Chandigarh, February 20
“Do not engage an unauthorised agency while filling in your passport forms and related documents,” said Mr Arvind Kumar, Regional Passport Officer, while talking to The Tribune.

• Passing Thru

COMMUNITY

Tribune ImpacT A house that good Samaritans built Chandigarh, February 20 The chhoti si asha of the four destitute orphans has been fulfilled. They finally have a roof over their heads. From a small dilapidated shack, they have moved into a double-storeyed house, comprising two rooms and a bathroom. All smiles: The orphan children outside their newly-built house in Chandigarh. — Photo by Manoj Mahajan City to have another new electric crematorium Chandigarh, February 20 The city is all set to have a new electric crematorium. The development is important in the context that the existing facility in the city was outdated and it often broke down.

Muslims participate in Muharram procession in Sector 29, Chandigarh on Sunday. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

‘3Qs for success in business’
Mohali, February 20
The National Institute of Personnel Management (Punjab Chapter) organised a one day seminar 3Qs for corporate excellence in Chandigarh yesterday. Mr V. Aswatha Ramaiah, a management trainer, identified 3Qs for success in the corporate world: intelligence quotient, emotional quotient and spiritual quotient.

Sarav dharam sabha on Beant’s birth anniversary
Chandigarh, February 20
On the occasion of his 82nd birth anniversary, a sarav dharam sabha was held at the samadhi of the late Mr Beant Singh, former Chief Minister of Punjab, yesterday.

• Postal staff’s strike on March 15

CRIME

2 brothers beaten up; police inaction alleged Panchkula, February 20 Owners of a chicken corner in Sector 7, who were allegedly beaten up by a group of lottery vendors on Wednesday night for not serving them chicken in odd hours, have alleged that the Panchkula police ishushing up the case. Lucky and his brother Ranjit at their house in Chandigarh on Sunday. — A Tribune photograph

Thieves took away his taxi; police dilly-dallies
Chandigarh, February 20
A taxi driver from Patti near Amritsar in Punjab is unsuccessfully running from pillar to post to get an FIR registered by the Punjab police, even after a week of his vehicle having been hijacked by unidentified persons after offering him a drink laced with some sleep-inducing substance.

• Cop remanded in custody
• Ambala resident dies in mishap
• Boy stabbed

BUSINESS

Tent dealers’ bandh today
Chandigarh, February 20
Supporting the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal, the Chandigarh Tent Dealers Welfare Organisation decided to observe half-day bandh tomorrow.

EDUCATION

On a mission to make people read books                                                   Chandigarh, February 20 S.S. Dosanjh, columnist, and former head, Department of Journalism, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, is on a mission — closer to literature so that they learn to ponder and introspect. A view of the visitors to the book exhibition at Chandigarh Press Club on Sunday. — A Tribune photograph PU staff to go on mass leave today Chandigarh, February 20 In protest against the non-implementation of pension scheme, more than 3000 teaching and non-teaching employees of Panjab University would proceed on a half-day mass casual leave and sit on dharna outside VC’s office on Monday.

Opening of new engineering institute announced
Chandigarh, February 20
Rayat Educational and Research Trust announced the opening of Rayat and Bahra Institute of Engineering and Bio-Technology for undergraduate and postgraduate level courses, at a press conference, here today,

PEC students launch website
Chandigarh, February 20
A group of students of Punjab Engineering College launched a website, www.pecworld.com, here today. The site is part of the Pecworld programme and aims at bringing together the alumni and students of PEC.

Pre-schoolers enjoy at carnival
Chandigarh, February 20
Eurokids, a pre-school in Sector 18, organised a kids carnival on the school premises here today. The school wore a festive look with big balloons, banners, buntings and swings all over.

CULTURE

Enchanting Bharatnatyam recital by Shilpi Baruri
Chandigarh, February 20
“Every dance has its own aura, but Bharatnatyam is close to my heart as it embodies all three ingredients of dancing — mood, musical melody and timing,” says Kolkata-based Bharatnatyam exponent, Shilpi Baruri.

‘Parinde hun jaan kithhe’ staged at Tagore Theatre
Chandigarh, February 20
Love and religion are two volcanic emotions which can bring radical change in the life of a human being was conveyed in Punjabi play ‘Prinde jaan hun kithhe’ staged by the Adakar manch Mohali at Tagore Theatre on Saturday evening.

Book of Punjabi poems released
Mohali, February 20
A collection of Punjabi poems titled “Lok Pira” by Punjabi poet Puran Singh Kirti was released at Shivalik Public School, Phase VI, here today. Dr Atamjit, Shiromani playwriter released the book.

LEISURE

Fusion gurus rock city with ‘Rhythm Asia’ “No system of music can retain its vitality for long unless it is frequently enriched from other sources ." Endorsing this belief of musicologists were the trio of Louiz Banks, Sivamani and Niladri Kumar at an interactive session at the Hotel Shivalikview on Saturday. Louiz Banks, Niladri Kumar and Sivamani in Chandigarh. — A Tribune Photograph

‘Addi-tappa’, a film sans hero Punjabi cinema like its Hindi counterpart, is in an experimental mode. First-time producer Jeet Matharu is set to enthral Punjabis with an all girls’ movie, Addi-tappa. With romantic element altogether missing, he is confident that the film will grip the attention of viewers with its thriller contents. Jeet matharu director of ‘Addi-tappa’. — A Tribune photograph

Sham-e-ghazal regales audience
‘Pathhron se k’han milti hein muraaden dil ki, tum mazaaron pe chiraagon ko jlyaya na kro, ‘tere bemaar ne chehre pe kafan oad liya , ab zaroorat nahin tum Zulfon ka saya na kro’ the couplets of Ashaq Ambalvi melting into the musical composition of R.D. Kailley submerged many hearts in sea of emotions.

SPORTS

Spice XI, HFCL XI emerge winners
Panchkula, February 20
Spice XI and HFCL XI recorded victories in contrasting styles in their semi-final matches in the inaugural Punjab Telecom Operators Friendship Cup Cricket Tournament at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Sector 3 here today.

1,200 Yadavindrians take part in race Chandigarh, February 20 More than 1,200 students of the Yadavindra Public School, Mohali, tested their endurance when they participated in the annual cross country race which was held today. Students cheer fellow runners of the Cross-Country race of Yadavindra Public School, Mohali, on Sunday. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

Sunny wins 4-wheeler Autocross event
Chandigarh, February 20 Reigning champion Sunny Sidhu again won Four-wheeler category event by clocking 3:3.47 seconds in the Indian Oil Flat Track and Auto Cross held today at the Circus grounds, Sector 17. Participants of the Autocross negotiate dirt tracks as part of the Indian Oil Flat Track Autocross on Sunday at Sector 17, Chandigarh. — Photo by Manoj Mahajan

Bedi Club outplays Minerva Club
Chandigarh, February 20
Bedi Cricket Club outplayed Minerva Cricket Club by six wickets in the Amartex Cricket Club Tournament played here today at the JR Institute of Cricket Technology, Barwala, near Panchkula.