C H A N D I G A R H

Top stories | Community | Education

Neighbourhood | Courts | Crime | Sports

TOP STORIES

UT babus don't own property in city
Chandigarh, May 2
Bureaucrats, who run the Chandigarh Administration, do not have even a single residential or commercial property in the City Beautiful.

Salman mobbed by fans at mall, hurt
Chandigarh, May 2
While keeping his fans waiting for hours ahead of the launch of his apparel store, Being Human, at the Elante mall in the Industrial Area here today, little did Salman Khan know that he would be mobbed by his "aggressive fans", who bumped into him as soon as he reached the showroom.

Bollywood actor Salman Khan being escorted by his bodyguard and the police at the Elante mall in Chandigarh on Thursday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

COMMUNITY

Army commemorates mechanisation of cavalry
Chandigarh, May 2
The Army celebrated the Platinum Jubilee of the mechanisation of the Indian Cavalry at Chandi Mandir. It was on this day in 1938 that Scinde Horse became the first regiment to convert to tanks from horses. Since then, this day is commemorated every year as Armoured Corps Day.

Senior officers and their wives at Kheterpal Officers Institute in Chandi Mandir on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

Kits distributed among students
Chandigarh, May 2
A student kit distribution ceremony was organised today by GCS Computers under the aegis of the Swaran Jayanti Shahari Rozgaar Yojna (SJSRY) at PTU Regional Centre, Sector 9, Chandigarh.

Members of the Democratic Rights Organisation protest against the acquittal of Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, at Sector 17, Chandigarh, on Thursday. Tribune Photo: Manoj Mahajan

PG definition invites objections
Chandigarh, May 2
City residents have started raising objections on the definition of 'Paying Guest', which was decided by the UT Administration. Advocate Ajay Jagga, in his representation to the UT Advisor KK Sharma, has submitted that the UT's decision will prove to be a disaster for the city as it will cause multiple problems such as parking chaos, disputes and also people with unverified antecedents will sneak into the residential areas under the garb of PGs etc. It is also against the terms of allotment of these residential sites, Jagga submitted.

Yoga session spells out meditation methods
Chandigarh, May 2
An eight-session yoga awareness drive, Yogic Jiwan Darshan - Ek Anubhav, concluded at Government College of Yoga Education and Health, Sector 23 A, Chandigarh today.

Railway projects hanging fire; UT admn blamed
Chandigarh, May 2
Owing to the lackadaisical attitude of the UT administration in clearing railway projects coming up in Chandigarh, a number of major projects have not seen the light of day so far. Several meetings had been held between officials of the Railways and the administration to speed up clearance process, but in vain.

Construction of an underpass under way at Daria in Chandigarh. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Special train to tackle summer rush
Chandigarh, May 2
In order to deal with a heavy rush of passengers from Kalka to Shimla during the summer holidays, the railway authorities are going to ply a special holiday train from Kalka railway station for two months.

High drama at traffic barricade
Chandigarh, May 2
A traffic constable was allegedly assaulted by an ex-serviceman in Sector 11 here on Thursday. According to the police, Bhupinder Rawat, who works as a security guard in Pinjore, slapped a traffic constable deployed at a barricade after he was stopped for checking.

Rural polls: Mohali BJP severs ties with SAD
Mohali, May 2
In a major decision, the Mohali unit of the BJP has decided to snap ties with the SAD in the forthcoming Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections scheduled for May 19. Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Sukhwinder Singh Goldy, district president of the BJP, said the party would contest all the Block Samiti and Zila Parishad seats on its own. “We have snapped our ties with the SAD in the elections as we (the BJP and the SAD) could not reach a consensus on the sharing of seats,” said Goldy.

Community Centre
Haven for addicts
Mohali, May 2
The Community Centre building in Phase VI has turned into a haven for thieves and drug addicts as the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) has failed to take care of its property on which huge public funds have been spent. Ever since the centre has been vacated by the police, following the Punjab and Haryana HHC orders, the building has been targeted by criminal elements.

Pensioners knock at CAT doors
Chandigarh, May 2
Feeling aggrieved with injustice, a large group of Senior Administrative Grade Pensioners have approached Principal Bench of CAT, New Delhi. They claim that Central Government Pensioners at certain levels have been deprived of their rightful minimum pension from 1-1-2006 as compared to similarly placed post 2005 pensioners.

Student falls off school building, hurt
Panchkula, May 2
A 14-year-old girl of Little Flower School, Sector 14, fell off the first floor of the school building under mysterious circumstances today. Palak Mehra, a 9th standard student, suffered multiple fractures on her back.

Poll expense limit raised by 50,000
Panchkula, May 2
The State Election Commission has announced an enhancement of Rs 50,000 in the expenditure by the candidate in the forthcoming Municipal Corporation elections here. The state election commissioner Dharam Vir announced that the election expenditure has been enhanced from Rs 1.25 lakh to Rs 1.75 lakh in the forthcoming elections. Notably, the candidates had raised the issue before the election commissioner in the recent meeting. In 2003, the expenditure was fixed at Rs 75,000, which was increased to 1.25 lakhs during elections in 2008. — TNS

EDUCATION

RTE act
UT notifies per child reimbursement
Chandigarh, May 2
After a series of meetings, the UT finally notified the per child reimbursement for 2010-11 and 2011-12, paving the way for the Education Department to reimburse private unaided schools for the admission to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and disadvantage group students under the Right to Education (RTE) Act.

From schools
Earth Day observed
Earth Day was celebrated at Government High School, Sector 46. Various cycle-related competitions such as slow cycling, decorate your cycle, largest team on a cycle and picking up balls were organised on the occasion. About 150 students participated in the contest. Headmistress Suhinder Kaur gave away prizes to the winners.

Students present an item during the annual day function of Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 1, Chandimandir, in Panchkula on Thursday. A Tribune Photograph

Cost accounting exam not to be re-conducted
Chandigarh, May 2
The Panjab University (PU) Syndicate today decided that the cost accounting exam for BCom II, which was held on April 10 and then cancelled due to incorrect format, will not be re-conducted. The Syndicate authorised Vice-Chancellor Arun Grover to decide on the grace marks to be given to the students.

Fee structure of private schools under scanner
Chandigarh, May 2
The overall fee structure and financial matters of private unaided schools of the city are all set to come under the scanner as the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s appointed committee on the issue of fee hike has begun its proceedings as per the court’s direction. The first hearing of the committee headed by Justice (retd) RS Mongia is expected in the next three weeks.

Sarabjit Singh’s death
PU student organisations burn Pakistan govt’s effigy
Chandigarh, May 2
Demonstrating against the death of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in a Pakistan jail, representatives of various student organisations at Panjab University staged protests on the campus. The students also burnt an effigy of the Pakistan government, condemning the latter for not sending Sarabjit back for treatment.

Dance, musical play mark GMCH technofest
Chandigarh, May 2
Students of Paramedical Sciences and Medical Technologist of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, organised Technofest - 2013 here today. In this cultural event, students of paramedical sciences performed Indian classical, western, bollywood dances and bhangra. The programme started with the worship of Lord Ganpati, followed by a classical dance by the students.

Bollywood actress Kirron Kher at Technofest-2013 at the GMCH-32 in Chandigarh on Thursday. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

Gandhi’s life highlighted
Chandigarh, May 2
The Department of Gandhian Studies, Panjab University, today organised a seminar under the Students’ forum ‘Gandhian Way’. Simaranjit Singh, a student of MA, fourth semester, initiated the discussion on “Spiritualism and Gandhi”. He mentioned in the beginning that as a child, Gandhi usually used to listen the discourses of spiritual saints at his home and had great impact of the teachings of the Bhagavad Geeta and Ahimsa as Parmo Dharma (non-violence is the absolute duty).

NIPER students to suspend stir for 8 days
Mohali, May 2
Students of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) have decided to suspend their ongoing stir for eight days, following an assurance by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers that it will take action on their demands.

Labour Day celebrated
Chandigarh, May 2
The Department of Lifelong Learning, Panjab University, in collaboration with the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), celebrated Labour Day with the residents of the YWCA and labourers working in the association and adult learners.

Student chapter of computer society inaugurated
Mohali, May 2
The Rayat & Bahra Institute of Engineering and Biotechnology, Mohali campus, inaugurated the student chapter of the Computer Society of India (CSI), which included inter-college mega events “Prometheus-13” to arouse technical skills in students.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Link roads in poor shape
Dera Bassi, May 2
The poor condition of link roads in Dera Bassi and Lalru areas has been a reason of so many accidents. The residents expressed that they had been facing a tough time due to the deep potholes on these link roads. They further said that these roads had not been repaired for the many years now, which was the root cause of their poor condition. Ironically, during the wheat harvesting season, it becomes difficult for the farmers drive their trolleys across these roads. Residents said that they had complained this matter to concerned authorities so many times, but nothing had been done so far.

A link road in bad shape at Dera Bassi. Photo: Parmod Mehta

Ropar IIT unveils technology to produce bio-fuel from farm residue
Ropar, May 2
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar, in association with Aston University, Birmingham, UK, unveiled a technology to produce bio-fuel and bio char using agricultural residue, especially paddy straw, here today. Explaining the benefits of the technology, Professor Robert Berry, executive dean of Aston University, said it would help in protecting environment as well as increasing monetary benefits for farmers.

Pharmacists want services regularised, to hold state-level protests
Patiala, May 2
Expressing resentment over the non-regularisation of the services of pharmacists and the class IV employees, the Rural Health Pharmacists Action Committee has decided to hold state-level protests in the coming days. These employees have been working as contractual employees for the last many years and despite repeated assurances of regularising their services, the Punjab Government extended their contract last year but only for one year, which ends on May 31, 2013.

LPG consumers to get direct cash subsidy
Fatehgarh Sahib, May 2
After a successful implementation of the first phase of various schemes under the Direct Cash Transfer Scheme, the district administration has geared up to implement the second phase, under which the LPG consumers would be covered under the Direct Cash Transfer Scheme. Addressing the meeting of the bank officials, members of standing committee and Swarn Jyanti Gramin Swaey Rozgar Yojna, Additional Deputy Commissioner BS Sandhu directed the banks to arrange special camps in their respective banks on 25th May.

COURTS

P'kula property case
File containing attachment order lost, official tells court
Chandigarh, May 2
In the dock for allegedly being involved in the sale of a property that had been attached by a court in 1990 in a disproportionate assets case, Estate Officer of HUDA Ashwini Kumar today informed the court that the file containing the attachment order for the said property had been lost somewhere and he had also got a police report lodged with the police station in Sector 5, Panchkula, in this regard.

Ruchika case
School’s recognition hinges on PIL
Chandigarh, May 2
The Punjab and Haryana High Court was today told that the recognition granted to Sacred Heart School-26 would be subject to the outcome of a petition filed in public interest in the Ruchika molestation matter.

Domestic violence: Advocate appears before court
Chandigarh, May 2
Advocate Arvind Thakur today appeared before the court of JMIC Parvesh Singla in response to a notice issued to him in a domestic violence case. The advocate pleaded innocence and said he was being defamed and all the allegations levelled against him were baseless. The court directed the advocate to submit his reply in writing.

Pak spy not produced in court for security reasons
Chandigarh, May 2
Pakistan spy Kashif Ali, who has been lodged in the Burail jail, was not produced in the court for a hearing today due to security reasons arising following the death of Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan late last night. The jail authorities feared that the spy could be attacked by protesting groups. The jail authorities moved an application in the court for the postponement of the hearing. The court accepted the application and the case was adjourned to May 30.

President's medal for Army man
Chandigarh, May 2
Lance Naik Sham Raj Kishor of 126 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army), Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, has been awarded the Jeevan Raksha Padak for displaying exemplary courage in the face of grave danger and with utter disregard to his personal safety. He rescued two civilians trapped in the flash-floods in the Ravi on July 2, 2011. He was on leave at the time of the incident.

Lt-Gen Sanjiv Chachra, GOC-in-C, WC, pins the Jeevan Raksha Padak on Lance Naik Sham Raj Kishor on Thursday. Tribune photo

CRIME

24-year-old youth stabbed to death in Mohali
Mohali, May 2
A 24-year-old youth was stabbed to death by seven persons at Parch village near Mullanpur here today morning. The three accused, Pritam Singh alias Sonu from Sector 11, Chandigarh, Kuldip Singh alias Vicky, and Maya Ram, father of Vicky, have been arrested on the charge of murder of Jasbir Singh at around 8 am. The other accomplices in the crime - Binder, Mani, Rana and Rockey - are still at large. All accused, except Sonu, belong to the same village.

Gang busted
Mohali, May 2
The police today claimed to have busted a gang, which was involved in the trading of illegal firearms, with the arrest of the owners of two gun houses and one of their clients here. The police recovered five weapons, two .32-bore pistols, one .315 rifle, one .30-bore mouser and one revolver, besides several fake arm licences and related documents from the accused, who have been identified as Ashwani Kumar and Kapil Dev.

Mohali SSP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar addresses a press conference in Mohali on Thursday. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

3 cases of crime against women registered in city
Chandigarh, May 2
A woman today alleged that a person passed lewd remarks and threatened her near Mani Majra. The woman was going was returning home from a market when the incident happened. The police has registered a case of offensive sexual behaviour, outraging modesty of a woman and criminal intimidation under sections 341, 354-A, 354 and 506 of the IPC at Mani Majra.

Tenant arrested on charge of murder bid
Mohali, May 2
The police today arrested Nisha Rana, who was booked along with her husband Navneet Kumar and two other unidentified persons on the charges of attempt to murder of her landlady on April 25. The victim, Gurbachan Kaur had alleged in her complaint that the couple had attempted to strangulate her in order to grab her house at Phase 3B1, in which they (the accused) were living as tenant on first floor.

Accused Nisha Rana in police custody at Mohali on Thursday. A Tribune Photograph

Man shot at during marriage function
Mohali, May 2
Two persons injured their former business partner by opening a fire at him following an altercation at a marriage function last night. The incident occurred at late hours last night at MJ Farms during a marriage ceremony in which Gurdev Singh and Rajveer Singh alias Raja opened fire at Shiv Raj Singh following a tiff.

Accountant arrested in cheating case
Chandigarh, May 2
The CBI today arrested an accountant, Vikram Thakur, a resident of Mukerian, who was wanted in a case, which was registered in 2012. The accused was booked for not depositing VAT of various jewellers, who had hired his services. He has been sent to judicial custody.

Man held for delivering fake RC
Chandigarh, May 2
The Chandigarh police has arrested a person for delivering a fake registration certificate to a resident of Kharar.

SPORTS

Govt allows kids to play in school grounds
Chandigarh, May 2
In a decision that would bring cheer to the children of the city, the Director Public Instructions (DPI) School has allowed gully players to play in grounds of local government schools. The action follows in the wake of highlighting this issue in these columns that a tug of war was on between the elderly and youngsters. The former were not allowing latter to play in the green parks. According to this proposal, the authorities have decided to locate one government school in each sector and children aged upto 19 years will be allowed to play in those schools. They will be allowed to play for a specific period of 2 hour 15 minutes. In summers the playing hours would remain from 4:15 to 6:30 pm while for winters the timings will remain from 3:15 to 5:30 pm.

Illustration by Sandeep Joshi

No stopping these special children
Chandigarh, May 2
"When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. That's what one can learn from these special children. Their smiling faces can motivate any person and their life full of struggle is gesture of a real fighter in them. What more, their passion and dedication mixed with their talent, made these children represent the nation.

City team in final of Manchester Soccer Cup
Chandigarh, May 2
The Chandigarh Football Academy (CFA) team has once again proved their mettle after booking the berth in the final of north east pre-league of Manchester Soccer Cup, being held at Tata Football Academy, Jamshedpur, today.

ITF Men's Tennis Meet
Vijyant Malik knocks out Yuki
Chandigarh, May 2
The seventh seeded former CHART trainee, Vijyant Malik, made a great comeback to upset the top seeded Indian Davis Cupper Yuki Bhambri in straight sets, during the ITF Men's Futures $15,000 Tennis Tournament , being held at CLTA tennis courts, here today.

250 take part in annual sports meet
Chandigarh, May 2
The annual sports meet of Saupin's School, Sector 32, was organised at the sports complex of Sector 46 stadium here today. Around 250 children from class II level to class X level participated in various sports activities.