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TOP STORIES

Six-fold rise in chickenpox cases
Chandigarh, July 7
If the figures are any indication, there is a sharp rise in the incidence of chickenpox in the city. Compared to merely 112 cases reported last year (January to June), there has been a phenomenal increase of 644 per cent with 834 cases in the corresponding period this year. Though officials of the health department admit to the increase in chickenpox cases, they attribute it to improper compilation of last year’s data.

False ceiling collapses in High Court
Furious, judge orders notices to UT depts
Chandigarh, July 7
A false ceiling collapsed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court while Justice Mahesh Grover was holding the court this morning. Those present in the courtroom had a narrow escape as a portion of the false ceiling came crashing down right on the dais. 

Asheema Case
Kin see police bias, block road
Panchkula, July 7
High drama was witnessed at the district courts complex when relatives of Asheema, who allegedly committed suicide yesterday, blocked the way of prisoners’ van ferrying the accused to Ambala Jail after they were sent to judicial custody here today. The relatives alleged that the police was biased and lenient.

Agitated relatives of Asheema argue with police officials outside the district courts in Panchkula on Monday. A Tribune photograph

COMMUNITY

Need to raise awareness on drug abuse: Dua
Chandigarh, July 7
Editor-in-Chief of The Tribune H.K. Dua inaugurated a three-day exhibition on “Drug abuse in today’s society” at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research here today. The exhibition was oraginised to commemorate the 45th Founder’s Day of the institute.
Editor-in-Chief of The Tribune H.K. Dua takes a round of an exhibition on “Drug abuse in today’s society” at the PGIMER, Chandigarh, on Monday. A Tribune photograph

Care group to find alternative energy source
Chandigarh, July 7
A care group of officers comprising secretary to Governor, finance secretary and UT chief engineer has been constituted to find alternative source of energy and promote the solar power concept as a long-term solution to energy problem.

55 new bus shelters for city soon
Chandigarh, July 7
The municipal corporation is set to provide 55 bus queue shelters across the city soon. The state-of-the-art shelters will be constructed by private parties on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis.

UT, Punjab police lock horns over FIR
Chandigarh, July 7
Even 24 hours after the alleged kidnapping of Mukerian-based Co-operative Bank Manager Sumit Gupta, no FIR has been registered either by the UT or the Punjab police as they have locked horns over the issue of the jurisdiction of the case. While the Chandigarh police is trying to wash its hands off the case on the plea that Gupta’s cell phone had indicated his location in Mohali, the latter claims that the mobile phone was last operational in the area of Sector 52.

187 anganwadi workers held
Chandigarh, July 7
The Chandigarh police today arrested 187 anganwadi workers along with their president Usha Rani for trying to barge into the office of director, social security, women and child development, Punjab, in Sector 34 here this afternoon.

Policemen lift anganwadi workers after they were arrested from the office of director, social security, women and child development, Punjab, in Sector 34, Chandigarh, on Monday. A Tribune photograph

CTU driver bitten by snake
Chandigarh, July 7
Chandigarh Transport Undertaking driver Jagir Singh was bitten by a venomous snake after he had gone to answer the nature’s call at the transport’s depot No. 2 toilet here this morning.

Transferred XEN takes along plum projects
Chandigarh, July 7
Certain officials are indispensable for the UT engineering department. So, while obeying the UT administrator’s order to reshuffle officials sitting on sensitive posts, a transferred official in public health has taken along plum projects along with his new posting.

Power cuts a routine in Panchkula
Panchkula, July 7
Despite tall claims made by the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN), residents of the township continue to bear the hot and humid weather without power. Over the past three days, unscheduled power cuts, ranging from two to six hours, have become the order of the day.

Mohali power officials ‘helpless’
Mohali, July 7
Yesterday’s rain brought relief from power cuts in Mohali which has been facing a power crisis for the past five days.

Ample power, but breakdowns common
Chandigarh, July 7
Though the UT power department is not imposing rotational power cuts, breakdowns are becoming a daily phenomenon in various parts of the city.

Update voter's list by July 15, DC tells officials
Mohali, July 7
Mohali deputy commissioner Rahul Bhandri has said updating the voter’s list will be permissible only up to July 15 .

Online social communities, a virtual reality
During the past two-three years with the increasing number of web-based (online) social network sites (SNSs) and the success of MySpace and Facebook, cyworld, Orkut, YouTube and Bebo, on account of their affordability and reach, urbane youngsters in the country with no active profiles on social network communities have integrated these sites into their daily routine.

Embassies rigid on adoption: Lawyer
Chandigarh, July 7
“The adoption of a stringent approach by major embassies in India, while dealing with applications for taking up children, is causing hardship to childless non-resident Indian couples,” feels lawyer Ranjit Malhotra.

Admn enhances allowance for decorations
Chandigarh, July 7
The Chandigarh administration has enhanced the monthly allowance for various decorations. The allowance for Paramvir Chakra has been enhanced to Rs 10,000, for Ashok Chakra Rs 7,000 and for Sarvotam Yudh Seva Medal Rs 6,000.

Doctor bereaved
Chandigarh, July 7
City-based doctor Ravinder Chadha’s father Charan Dass Chadha passed away today at 7.30 am at his Sector 16 residence.

Letters
Parking at railway station

EDUCATION

High cut-off stretches nerves of college students 
Chandigarh, July 7
A day prior to the admission process, the merit lists for the cut-off percentage for different streams have been displayed at various colleges today.

Students search their names in merit list of a college in Chandigarh on Monday. A Tribune photograph

No seats for OBCs in city
Chandigarh, July 7
Thousands of students belonging to other backward classes (OBC) and aspirants for admission to various colleges of Chandigarh would be deprived of their constitutional right to get admission under the 27 per cent reserved quota in the ongoing academic session 2008-09.

Class XI Admissions
General seats in science full at three schools
Chandigarh, July 7
Fifth day of centralised counseling for Class XI saw that all the seats were lying vacant in general health care course, which had been newly introduced in vocational stream from this session in GMSSS-32. The counseling was underway at GMSSS-10 here.

PU Notes
Interview schedules for admissions
Chandigarh, July 7
Interview for general category in MA Part-I (psychology) for the session 2008-09 will be held on July 10 from 9 am to 5 pm. The interview for reserved category and NRI category will be held on July 11 from 9.30 am to 5 pm in department of psychology at PU.

SSA teachers protest new contract
Chandigarh, July 7
More than 800 Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) teachers, today held a protest rally on mosque grounds, Sector 20, against the indiscriminate attitute of the administration towards them.

Criminal case against PUSU president closed
Chandigarh, July 7
Tejpal Singh Cheema, president of the Panjab University Students Union (PUSU), today claimed that he had been falsely implicated in a case of causing injuries, forced detention and outraging modesty of a woman.

COURTS

Booked for drinking, accused acquitted after a decade
Chandigarh, July 7
In yet another example of delayed justice, a decade after Avtar Singh and four others were booked for reportedly drinking at a public place, they were acquitted by a local court today.

Order against HUDA upheld
Chandigarh, July 7
Upholding the orders of the Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed HUDA to pay Rs 2,000 as cost of litigation for harassing a resident of Gurgaon.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Rly overpass to be opened next week 
Patiala, July 7
The overbridge at railway phatak No. 21 would be inaugurated by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on July 15.

A view of the new flyover on phatak No. 21 in Patiala. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

‘Check sale of exposed food’
Patiala, July 7
In an attempt to check the practice of selling unhygienic food stuff being sold in open, civil surgeon Avtar Singh Jarewal has asked senior medical officers of the district to be on alert against the sale of such eatables.

Preneet visits injured Cong workers
Rajpura, July 7
Member of Parliament Preneet Kaur today visited the Congress workers who received injuries during the MC elections on June 30. She assured all possible help to the victims.

An apology for a hospital
Bassi Pathana, July 7
The civil hospital is facing neglect. Though the government has provided equipment at the hospital, it is lying unused due to lack of manpower.

Residents sore over shifting of ISBT
Kalka, July 7
Hundreds of daily commuters from Kalka, Pinjore, HMT, Surajpur, Chandi Mandir and adjoining villages are sore over shifting of the Inter-state Bus Terminus, Sector 17, to Sector 43 as it was causing inconvenience to them. They alleged that almost all buses plying between Kalka and Chandigarh were diverting to the ISBT-43 from Transport Chowk near Sector 26 which resulted in great trouble for daily commuters, particularly students and patients.

Ouster of Ambala DC sought
Chandigarh, July 7
Brahmin Mahapanchayat state president Dr Viresh Shandilya along with his supporters sat on a dharna outside Haryana Raj Bhawan seeking suspension of the Ambala DC.

SPORTS

‘Deadly Enemies’ make way into kids’ life
Football ground is no more 110 yards for the kids of the city, nor has the the cricket pitch remained 22 yards. Now these grounds have shrunk to 15 inches. The old “Hide and Seek” game has been elbowed out by “War Crafts”, and “Dead & Alive” has been overtaken by “Deadly Enemies”. Thanks to the hi-tech video games, technology has changed the meaning of entertainment .

Qamar, Bhavtarnpreet qualify for main draw
Mohali, July 7
Ankit, Ankit Saini, Qamar, Pranay, Sanchit, Yash Gupta, Mrinal and Rahul Aggarwal secured their places for the main draw in boys’ under-12 age group in Manav Mangal AITA Total Tennis Talent Series at Manav Mangal Smart School, Phase X here today.


Bhavtarnpreet Singh returns a shot during the AITA championship at Manav Mangal Smart School, Phase-X, Mohali, on Monday. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

Badminton: Bhawna clinches women’s title
Chandigarh, July 7
Bhawna of AG Haryana won the top honours beating Saroj of her own state’s department 21-15, 21-14 in the final of women’s singles in the North Zone Indian Audit and Accounts Department (IA&AD) Badminton Tournament-2008-09, started at Badminton Hall, Sector 42 here today.


Bhawna in action during audit badminton championship at Sector-42, Chandigarh, on Monday. A Tribune photograph

U-15 Cricket Tourney
CFP shortlists 40 players 
Chandigarh, July 7
The Cricket Federation of Punjab (CFP) has shortlisted 40 players for coaching camp to prepare the state team for participation in the All-India National Under-15 Cricket Tournament being organised by the Cricket Federation of Tamil Nadu in Chennai from August 13 to 17.

PGA to hold first golf tourney for caddies
Chandigarh, July 7
Eightyfive amateur caddies from Chandigarh, Chandi Mandir and Panchkula will converge on the par-72 greens of the Chandigarh Golf Club on July 21 for the first golf tournament for amateur caddies to be organised by the Punjab Golf Association (PGA).

CRIME

Home guard held for outraging modesty
Chandigarh, July 7
Rishi Pal Rana, a home guard with the UT police, was arrested on charges of outraging the modesty of a woman.

Youth commits suicide
Chandigarh, July 7
A 21-year-old youth allegedly hanged himself at his residence in Dadu Majra here this afternoon.

Copper wire worth Rs 1.5 lakh stolen
Chandigarh, June 7
Copper wire worth Rs 1.5 lakh and electric equipment were stolen from two plots in Industrial Area, Phase II, here last night.

3 rounded up after raid on ghee factory
Mohali, July 7
The police conducted a raid on a factory allegedly manufacturing adulterated ghee and spices here tonight and rounded up three persons.

Student leader held for trespass
Chandigarh, July 7
The Chandigarh police today arrested student leader Abhishek Puri on charges of trespass, rioting and damaging property at vice-chancellor’s residence on November 5, last year.