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PU Elections
Lean turnout at open house
Chandigarh, September 7
The battle lines are drawn. As Panjab University and the Chandigarh Administration gear up for student elections tomorrow, the candidates today put their last ditch efforts to woo voters.

Election scenes at Panjab University, Chandigarh, on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

Tough electoral fight in colleges
Chandigarh, September 7
The toughest fight in the students' elections in city colleges is set to take place at DAV College Sector 10. Awash with colours and heavy with the unmistakable air of elections, the college also organised the first ever open house debate among the four contending presidential candidates.

600 students kidnapped: NSUI
Chandigarh, September 7
Members of the NSUI have alleged that over 600 student voters of the university have been “kidnapped” by PUSU and SOPU. In a press note issued by Harpreet Singh Harry President, NSUI PU Campus unit, “NSUI is pained over the episode of kidnapping of over 600 student voters from PU campus by PUSU and SOPU. These students are being kept in farmhouses in the vicinity of Chandigarh and are being entertained by serving liquor etc.

DNA reports say no baby swapping
Chandigarh, September 7
The fortnight-long controversy over the swapping of a baby boy with a baby girl at the ESI Hospital, Ram Darbar, ended today with the findings of DNA reports by the Central Scientific Forensic Laboratory (CSFL), Chandigarh.

Tribune Impact
CE visits street, orders change of wiring duct
Chandigarh, September 7
Following a story “A street full of electric shocks” about Ram Darbar Phase II, Mr V.K.Bhardwaj, Chief Engineer, today visited the spot and ordered the changing of the insulation duct of the wiring in the troubled area.

School sites’ auction on Sept 12
Chandigarh, September 7
The first ever auction of school sites by Estate Office will be held on September 12. The auction which was scheduled for today had been postponed as the incumbency certificates had not been received from the engineering department. Besides, all the applicants had not been intimated about the date of auction.

COMMUNITY

BJP takes out Vande Mataram Shatabdi Yatra
Chandigarh, September 7
The Punjab BJP today celebrated the centenary of Vande Mataram as the national song with great fervour and zeal all across the state. Led by its president and MP from Hoshiarpur, Mr Avinash Rai Khanna, a convoy of hundreds of vehicles of BJP workers formed a part of the Vande Mataram Shatabdi Yatra which began from Hoshiarpur and ended at Chandigarh.

Killer manholes: MC refuses information on flimsy grounds
Chandigarh, September 7
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (CMC) today failed to give a direct reply to an application, under the Right to Information Act- 2005, pertaining to the death by drowning of a four-year-old child in a Sulabh Shauchalaya in Sector 56 and a woman police constable in Sector 30.

Erratic power supply hits Zirakpur
Zirakpur, September 7
Zirakpur may be one of the fastest growing townships in the region but basic civic amenities have failed to keep pace with its haphazard growth. A case in point is the erratic power supply which continues to disrupt normal lives.

Fighting to remove pension anomaly Chandigarh, September 7 In the twilight of her life, the widow of a brigadier who was decorated during the Second World War, has been forced to take up a fight for getting anomalies in her pension rectified. Frail, confined to a wheelchair and needing constant attention at the age of 92, Mrs Sudarshan Kaur, a resident of Sector 9 here, has been writing to the authorities concerned for the past two years to get certain anomalies in her family pension rectified, but to no avail. Mrs Sudarshan Kaur at her residence in Chandigarh on Tuesday. — A Tribune photo

Denial of basmati status to 2 varieties irks farmers
Chandigarh, September 7
The inability of the government to notify PUSA 1121 and CSR 30 as basmati varieties by the government has agitated rice exporters and farmers in Punjab and Haryana. On the contrary, the government has included Shabnam as basmati variety this year.

Will Army hear his plea for fair play?
Panchkula, September 7
Lt-Colonel D.P. Thapar retired from the Army a good 20 years back. His photographs in Army regalia adorning the walls of his Sector-2 residence and book shelves and cabinets are all an indication that his heart is still with his battalion.

Stamp vendor’s licence cancelled
Chandigarh, September 7
The Collector, Chandigarh, today cancelled the stamp vendor licence of Ms Mamta Bakshi, who was running her business from the premises of the Estate Office in Sector 17 here.

Cop hurt in altercation
Chandigarh, September 7
A spat between a Chandigarh Police constable and a CTU bus driver over a trivial issue turned violent, which left the policeman with a head injury. The incident took place in the bus which was passing through the Industrial Area this morning.

18 Engineer regiment martyrs remembered
Chandigarh, September 7
The Commanding Officer and all the ranks of 18 Engineer Regiment today remembered 34 personnel who lost their lives while constructing a bridge at Kinnaur on this very day last year.

Breakfast becomes costlier
Chandigarh, September 7
Your grocery budget is going to be toppled yet again. The prices of bread, wheat flour, refined flour, curds and cottage cheese have all become expensive. The price of staple breakfast for most people-bread-have increased by Rs 2, and the prices of curds and cheese, too, have gone up.

• Literacy week on

• Staff sing national song

CRIME

2 boys held for stealing mobile phone
Chandigarh, September 7
The local police today arrested two boys on the charge of stealing a mobile phone. According to the police, Mr Vivekanand of Sector 45-C had lodged a complaint with the police on July 27, alleging that his mobile phone was stolen from a book shop in Sector 20, where he had gone for some work. Acting on the complaint the police put the telephone number and the mobile phone set number on surveillance and procured the call details.

3 booked in dowry case

BUSINESS

RBI suggests steps to check tampering of credit, debit cards
Chandigarh, September 7
Have you lost your hard-earned money through the ATM, even when you are sure you did not withdraw the money? Or your credit card bills show purchases, which you never made.

Cell operators stress on wireless infrastructure
Chandigarh, September 7
With Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh refusing to allow installation of towers in residential areas, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) have underlined the importance of augmenting wireless infrastructure to keep pace with the explosive growth of mobile subscriber base.

EDUCATION

PU scientist presents paper in Turkey
Panchkula, September 7
Manu Sharma, a scientist from Panchkula doing PhD at the University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, on a fellowship of Indian Council of Medical Research, presented a paper at the XIXth International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry held at Istanbul, Turkey, recently.

Low-cal cookery contest held Chandigarh, September 7 The Chandigarh Chapter of the Indian Dietetic Association organised contests on poster making and cookery during the ongoing ‘Nutrition Week’ celebrations at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, here. Participants admire posters at the poster-making competition in Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh, on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

Centre for special kids opened
Chandigarh, September 7
Vivek High School yesterday opened its doors to children with special needs through Jagriti, a centre, that caters to their academic and social needs. The centre was inaugurated by parents of enrolled students. The lamp was lit. Prayers followed the introductory talk by Ms Gurman Sandhu, one of the educators of the centre.

KBDAV Principal honoured
Chandigarh, September 7
Ms Madhu Bahl, Principal of KBDAV, Sector 7-B, has been honoured with the National Teachers Award 2005, by the President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. The award consists of a citation, certificate, a medal and Rs 25,000 as the award money.

ITI employees, students decry Punjab Govt
Lalru, September 7
The ITI Employees Union and students of the local ITI organised a gate rally here today against the “anti-employees” policies of the Punjab Government.

CULTURE

Now Raj Babbar speaks for farmers
Chandigarh, September 7
Raj Babbar has taken his own time to realise that friends were not friends after all. Having parted ways with the Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav whose pro-capitalist policies had begun to stifle his sensibilities, the three-time MP is professing a new political faith now. The challenge for him is to get others to profess it too. And today saw the actor-politician progress in the desired direction; socialism by his side.

Works of art – old and new
Chandigarh, September 7
Had it not been for Kala Maitri’s pursuits, the students of Government College of Art would never have been able to meet 83-year-old Jeet Singh. Perhaps the oldest Art College alumnus living in Chandigarh, Jeet Singh was the cynosure of all eyes at PU Fine Arts Museum where Kala Maitri’s impressive art exhibition opened last evening.

‘Husn-e-Ghazal’ released
Chandigarh, September 7
An audio album of ghazals, titled “Husn-e-Ghazal” by well-known composer and playback singer of several films and TV serials, Devki Anand, was released at the Pracheen Kala Kendra complex here yesterday at a function. Releasing the album, M.L. Koser, Director-Registrar of the kendra complimented Devki Anand for the soulful and melodious compositions which reflect the emotional intensity of lyrics.

SPORTS

Sandeep dejected over 2 defeats

Chandigarh, September 7 Despite the freak accident that marred his chance to participate in the hockey World Cup, his heart and soul is in Germany. “I am as enthusiastic about the game as I would have been while playing in the field. Though the results have dealt me a severe blow, I have accepted it as God’s will”, said Sandeep Singh, while watching the match between India and England at the PGI here this evening.

Sandeep Singh watches the India-England match from his bed in the PGI on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Chandigarh Football Academy in semifinals
Chandigarh, September 7
The Chandigarh Football Academy (CFA) sailed into semifinals after thrashing Chhattisgarh by a huge margin of 21-0 in the 4th Administrator’s Challenge Cup Football Tournament being played at Football Stadium, Sector 17, here today.

Cricket academy for budding players

Zirakpur, September 7 To cater to the needs of budding cricketers of the town and adjoining areas, a cricket academy has been opened at St Vivekanand Public School here today. “The academy is open for any interested player, who is willing to join”, said Ms Leena Verma, Principal of the school. A student gets training at the newly opened cricket academy at St Vivekanand School in Zirakpur on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

St Stephen’s, St Peter’s to clash in final
Chandigarh, September 7
St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, will take on St Peter’s School, Sector 37 in the finals of Chandigarh State Atoms Under-13 Football Tournament for the Shivalik Trophy being played at the Shivalik Public School ground in Sector 41, here, today.