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One-time road tax for MUVs
Chandigarh, July 20
In a significant move, the Chandigarh Administration has decided to charge one-time road tax from the owners of vehicles with more than five-seat capacity for personal use.

University staff greet Prof Sobti

Chandigarh, July 20 Within hours of the announcement that Prof R.C. Sobti would be the next Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University, the university’s teaching and non-teaching staff made a beeline for his residence on the campus to congratulate him. Elated father Sai Das Sobti blesses his son, Prof RC Sobti, who was named Vice- Chancellor of Panjab University in Chandigarh on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

Communication is the key: PU VC-designate
Chandigarh, July 20
In 1974, when Ranbir Chander Sobti joined Panjab University as a teaching assistant in the Department of Zoology here, not many could have imagined that this humble bright scientist, who was still doing his PhD, would one day head the university as its Vice- Chancellor.

I had a full innings, says Prof Pathak
Chandigarh, July 20
Having served Panjab University for six years as its Vice-Chancellor, Prof K.N. Pathak said today that he would be embarking on projects for which he got little time all these years. “I had a full innings and am ready to move on,” he said talking to The Tribune this evening.

Woman lured, discarded
Panchkula, July 20
For the sake of a son, a local goldsmith had allegedly remarried the mother of a daughter after luring her, but discarded the woman after she failed to fulfil his wish despite two abortions.

11-year-old servant beaten up

Chandigarh, July 20 An 11-year-old domestic help was allegedly thrashed by her employers, a doctor couple, in Sector 38-C here on the night of July 18. They gave Shushma, the domestic help, a sound beating for almost six hours and a neighbour couple was called in. Doctor refutes charge Shushma with her mother and brother in their house in Janta Colony, Sector 25, Chandigarh, on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

COMMUNITY

MC staff kept away from poll duties 

Mohali, July 20 Even as employees from different departments have been put on poll duty for the forthcoming civic body elections, the staff of the local Municipal Council has been kept away election duties. A gate of the municipal office closed for supporters of a prospective candidate in Sector 68, Mohali, on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Vicky Gharu

Filing of papers for MC poll ends
Mohali, July 20
The filing of nominations for the Municipal Council elections scheduled to be held on July 30 ended with 61 prospective candidates filing their papers here today. With this the total number of nominations has reached 175.

Rodrigues calls for improving life through technology

Chandigarh, July 20 The Punjab Governor and Administrator, Chandigarh, Gen. S.F. Rodrigues (retd.), called upon leading IT professionals to create special programmes and software to help improve lives of people through modern information and communication technologies. General S.F. Rodrigues (retd), Mr Kiran Karnik and Mr Lalit Sharma at the inaugural session of the e-revolution conference in Chandigarh on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

Drive against defacement soon
Panchkula, July 20
The Panchkula Municipal Council chief, Ms Manveer Kaur Gill, on Tuesday claimed that investigations in a case of alleged irregularities in allotting tenders of recarpeting of roads to a company, had been completed by the district administration.

Dharna against retrenchment

Dera Bassi, July 20 High drama was witnessed outside the premises of the SR Industries on the Dera Bassi-Barwala road here today with the employees’ union alleging forcible ferrying of female employees by the management to the factory. Workers of the SR Industries on Barwala-Dera Bassi road protest against the retrenchment of staff at Dera Bassi on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

BJP holds rally against terrorism
Panchkula, July 20
In protest against the alleged revival of terrorism in the country, especially the serial bomb blasts in Mumbai and Srinagar, workers of the Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organised a rally here on Tuesday.

Kumhar Colony residents to be relocated
Chandigarh, July 20
The Chandigarh Administration has identified a chunk of land in Sector 52, near Kajheri village, to rehabilitate slum-dwellers from Kumhar Colony, Sector 25. Sources said the site was being cleared for rehabilitating the slum-dwellers. They said July 21 was the deadline for shifting the slums.

PUDA staff present memorandum
Mohali, July 20
PUDA Employees Federation today presented a memorandum to the PUDA Authority indicating apprehension of PUDA employees regarding the Greater Mohali Development Authority (GMDA).

Tributes paid to Qasmi
Panchkula, July 20
The fact that art and literature are the genuine unifying force which transcend territorial barriers’ found its true meaning at a meeting of the literary persons and artists who converged at the Haryana Urdu Akademy complex to pay tributes to the Lahore based legendary poet , critic, columnist and fiction writer, Ahmed Nadim Qasmi today.

• Factory worker run over by train
• Tribune manager retires
• Sahit akademy director honoured

CRIME

Man held for kidnapping girl, refutes police charge
Chandigarh, July 20
Even as the Chandigarh Police today claimed to have solved the alleged kidnapping case of a minor girl of Sector 51 with the arrest of a Sector 22 shopkeeper and the recovery of the girl, the accused refuted the charges of the police and the victim’s family and maintained that he was being implicated in the case. The girl was allegedly kidnapped from near her house on Monday.

Student leader held for cheating
Chandigarh, July 20
The police today arrested the president of the Students Organisation of India (SOI) and his supporter, both students of Government College Sector 11, on the allegations of cheating, impersonation and forgery for using fake stamps and letter pads of college Principal to procure bus passes.

Youth held on rape charge
Chandigarh, July 20
The local police today arrested a 20-year-old-Darua resident on the allegations of repeatedly raping a minor girl in her locality. The police said the accused was threatening the victim with dire consequences in case the matter was brought to the notice of her parents.

• 1 held for duping bank
• Pirated CDs seized

BUSINESS

SEZ policy biased: IT honchos
Chandigarh, July 20
The Special Economic Zone (SEZ) policy is biased against small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the information technology sector, and in favour of real estate developers.

Special counters for IT returns
Chandigarh, July 20
For the convenience of income tax payers, the Income Tax Department will set up special counters at the Jat Bhavan, Sector 27, from July 24 to 31.

New WagonR launched

EDUCATION

In aviation, attitude is vital Chandigarh, July 20 Ten years of watching the skies open to a plethora of players might quantify as an edge and the Air Hostess Academy’s (AHA) career seminar on the aviation and hospitality industry was all about spreading the buoyancy that these sectors are going through among their students. Sapna Gupta, Chief Consultant and founder of the Air Hostess Academy, addresses students at a seminar in Chandigarh on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

Panjab University
22 awarded certificates in computer applications
Chandigarh, July 20
The Centre for Adult, Continuing Education and Extension (CACEE), Panjab University, Chandigarh, held a function for awarding certificates to the third batch of learners in computer applications. Twentytwo candidates received certificates. The fourth batch with 32 learners had begun from July 18.

Freshers of Panjab University at an introduction session with seniors at the Students' Centre in Chandigarh on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan BEAT THE HEAT: Students of New India School, Sector 15, Panchkula, celebrate “swimming day” with a splash in the pool to get relief from the scorching sun. — A Tribune photograph

DPI’s directive on use of computers
Chandigarh, July 20
The Education Department is going full steam to impart computer-aided education in the city schools. A meeting in this regard was presided over by the DPI (Schools), Mr Ashwani Kumar, here today.Various suggestions to impart computer education in schools were given at the meeting attended by, among others, Principals of 37 government schools.

Training programme concludes
Chandigarh, July 20
The 11-day faculty development programme organised under the aegis of the ISTE chapter of the Indo-Global College of Engineering, Abhipur, near here, concluded today.

Hansraj student clears NTSE
Panchkula, July 20
Gaurav Garg, a student of Hansraj Public School, Sector 6, has cleared the national-level examination of the NTSE, conducted in April, at Gurgaon. Gaurav is one of the two students from here to have cleared the test in which 3500 students appeared. He will get a scholarship of Rs 500 per month till PhD level, school principal Vijay Kumar informed.

COURTS

Complainant missing: CBI
Chandigarh, July 20
The CBI said today in the court of the CBI Special Judge that the complainant in a four-year-old case of corruption involving the officials of the Explosives Department had gone missing.

HEALTH

Triple arterial bypass grafting performed

Chandigarh, July 20 More and more young patients are coming in with coronary heart disease and the reasons stem from a family history of obesity, hypertension, diabetes or faulty lifestyles. When 34-year-old Harpreet Singh, a software engineer, complained of chest pain, doctors thought it to be one of the many cases of a blocked artery. Dr SS Samra explains the surgery during a press conference in Chandigarh on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

Drug awareness camp today
Chandigarh, July 20
In a bid to curb the drug menace in the slums, the Chandigarh police in collaboration with Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, will organise a drug awareness camp in Bapu Dham Colony, Sector 26, tomorrow.

Medical camp held
Chandigarh, July 20
Biochem Pharmaceutical Industries organised a free medical diabetic camp at Joshi Clinic, Sector 40, here. Over 150 patients were examined at the camp, where Dr Barjesh Joshi advised them about preventive measures to avoid diabetes.

SPORTS

UT chess meet results Chandigarh, July 20 Abhinandan Vohra got two points after culmination of the second round on the inaugural day of the four-day 17th Chandigarh Chess Championship 2006 at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Sector 25, here today. The Chandigarh Chess Championship in progress at Navodaya Vidyalaya, Sector 25, Chandigarh, on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

“Mongia’s comeback was expected”
Chandigarh, July 20
As was expected, the big day has again come after one year and three months for local cricketer Dinesh Mongia with his selection in the final 15 for the forthcoming Triangular ODI Series at Colombo, Sri Lanka, commencing from August 14 to 29.

Orissa eves rout UP Chandigarh, July 20 Continuing their winning spree, Orissa thrashed Uttar Pradesh 8-0 whereas West Bengal lost to Tripura by 1-2 their group I quarter-final league in the third Junior Girls (Under-17) National Football Championship at the Punjab Engineering College Campus, Sector 12, here today. Tripura and West Bengal teams vie for victory in a group II quarterfinal match in the third Junior Girls (under-17) Football Championship in Chandigarh on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Air Force w’lifting results 
Chandigarh, July 20
CPL K.K. Gopala won all the events, including snatch, clean and jerk and total, in the 85 kg category of Air Force Weight Lifting Championship 2006-07 at 3 BRD-Air Force Station here today.