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TOP STORIES

Trains delayed, flights grounded
Chandigarh, December 22
Seven trains were delayed and three flights were cancelled due to inclement weather today.

The Sector 17 Plaza looks perfect in its reflection following showers on Sunday. Tribune photo: S Chandan

Political interference hinders investigations 
Chandigarh, December 22
Political interference seems to have taken a toll on police investigations into the rape case of a minor girl by five police constables.

Signature campaign in support of rape victim
Chandigarh, December 22
Representatives of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) held a signature campaign at the Sukhna Lake here today seeking justice for the 16-year-old girl allegedly raped by the PCR staff.

Leaders try to take mileage 
Chandigarh, December 22
Vice-chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes Raj Kumar Verka, who was in the city today, said the rape incident at Khuda Lahora had turned into a political drama with parties trying to take political mileage out of it.

COMMUNITY

Fighting for justice for Ruchika, 150 join AAP
Panchkula, December 22 
As many as 150 people from Panchkula today joined Anand Prakash, the father of Ruchika's friend Aradhna, to be part of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Prakash along with his daughter Aradhna has been fighting for justice for Ruchika Gilhotra and against a former Haryana Director General of police (DGP) SPS Rathore. Prakash had recently joined the AAP after finding corruption to be the root cause of injustice in various cases.

A meeting of the Aam Aadmi Party in progress at Panchkula on Sunday. Tribune photo: Nitin Mittal

Kumaoni culture comes alive at Tagore Theatre
Chandigarh, December 22 
The Kumaon Sabha, Chandigarh, organised a Kumaoni cultural programme "Kumaoni Kautik" at the Tagore Theatre, Sector 18, here today.

health notes
CME on pharmacovigilance
Chandigarh: The Pharmacovigilance Centre, Regional training and Resource Centre, PGIMER, organised a one-day training on pharmacovigilance on Saturday. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare started the Pharmacovigilance Program of India (PvPI) to monitor the adverse drug reactions. PGIMER director inaugurated the training and encouraged the clinicians to report adverse drug reactions. 

GMCH-32 takes a leap forward
Chandigarh, December 22
Twenty years after its establishment, Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, has started its own CT scan centre. The centre is currently under trial (having performed tests on over 20 patients in the past couple of days). It will become operational in January (2014). The service until now was available via a centre running on a public private partnership mode where the costs were 40 per cent higher (Rs 500 for head) than government hospital rates and the condition of one poor-free test per 10 poor patients existed.
The CT scan centre at the GMCH-32 is under trial. Tribune photo: Parvesh Chauhan

women unsafe in panchkula
Dark days, even darker nights
Panchkula, December 22
Panchkula remains to be unsafe for women. Leave aside the presence of police personnel, not even a single PCR vehicle is seen in isolated areas.

mayoral elections
Councillors divided over choice of candidate 
Chandigarh, December 22
A majority of nominated councillors are expected to support the Congress in the forthcoming Mayoral elections, but most of them are divided over the choice of candidate.

Man accuses daughters-in-law of grabbing his property 
Mohali, December 22
A police complaint was lodged by an elderly person of Bhoopnagar village against his two daughters-in-law, accusing them of grabbing his land and property fraudulently.

Demands will be fulfilled: Bansal to residents’ body
Chandigarh, December 22
Local MP Pawan Kumar Bansal today assured the residents of Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) houses that he would take up the issues raised by them with the UT Administration and the officials of the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB). This was stated while addressing a rally in Sector 45.

Year 2013 ender
business
Tourism booms despite slump
Chandigarh, December 22
With frequent surge in fuel and vegetable prices, the monthly budgets of households were severely affected this year, burning a hole in the pocket of the average residents.

The Adviser to the UT Administrator, KK Sharma, (right) participates in a cycling meet at the Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh last Sunday. A Tribune photograph

REPORTERS' DIARY
When official slept whilst MC discussed property tax
Deshraj Chaudhary, Chief Accounts Officer (CAO) of the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, and the man who handles the civic body’s annual budget of Rs 637 crore, preferred to sleep in the recent meeting of the MC House when the important agenda item of property tax was being discussed. When some of photojournalists caught him on camera, his colleagues woke him up. Interestingly, Chaudhary asked his colleagues ‘Kya Hua Property Tax Ka’. Now, one can gauge the seriousness of MC officials over the important issue of property tax, which affects almost every family of the city beautiful.

Open House response
Poor planning is directly proportional to commotion
Instead of setting up 300 examination centres in the tricity, the authorities concerned could have set up centres at the district headquarters. Furthermore, they should have consulted the Chandigarh police to make arrangements for the smooth conduct of the examinations. Special trains as well as more buses are required to be introduced in the tricity.
Candidates appearing for the examination of Punjab Food Inspector rush to board a bus at the ISBT in Sector 43, Chandigarh. Tribune Photo: Parvesh Chauhan

EDUCATION

Shubhreet’s feat leaves audience clapping
Chandigarh, December 22
A sterling dance performance by Shubhreet Kaur, a single-legged girl, stole the show at a cultural programme, “Yes I am a Rockstar”, held at Vivek High School, Sector 38, here today. The event was a mélange of dance, music and a fancy dress events.

Beauty & the Beast staged
Chandigarh, December 22
Young actors of the Wings Theatre Academy, St Kabir Public School, Sector 26, staged their annual play, “Beauty and the Beast”, in a packed auditorium of the school. The Beauty and the Beast is a popular fairytale, which has had several adaptations in the past. The version enacted today was a combination of children's ideas as well as the ideas drawn from existing adaptations.
Artistes enact a scene from the play ‘Beauty & the Beast’ at St Kabir Public School on Saturday. Tribune photo: Parvesh Chauhan

Special kids celebrate X’mas
Chandigarh, December 22
Sadhna Institute for Children with Intellectual Disabilities, Sector 36, held a cultural event to celebrate Christmas and the new year. Students performed a skit depicting the ‘birth of Jesus Christ’ and victory of good over evil spreading the message of brotherhood and love. 

from schools
Razzmatazz
Chandigarh: The Saupin's-32 organised its 7th annual fete "Razzmatazz" on Saturday. School principal ABS Sidhu inaugurated the event. As many as 50 stalls were put up at the venue. Students Class VII set up a stall and generated funds for the special children of SOREM School, Sector 36. Amusement games added to the fun and gaiety.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Student bags gold in BSc exam 
DERA BASSI, DECEMBER 22
Syed Mehjoob Un-Nisa, a student of Sri Sukhmani International Polytechnic for Women, Dera Bassi, has been awarded a gold medal in BSc (Textile Designing) at the annual convocation of the Panjab Technical University (PTU), Jalandhar.

CRIME

Deputy manager of PNB booked for fraud
Chandigarh, December 22
Two cases of cheating were reported in the city today. In the first case, the police booked the deputy manager of Punjab National Bank (PNB) for duping a resident of Uttar Pradesh on the pretext of sending him abroad.

SPORTS

Delhi’s Sanjay Sikand fastest autocrosser
Mohali, December 22
Rallyists from Delhi won the top honours following the final rounds of the 5th edition of OYA Autocross, Motocross and Offroad Challenge concluded here in Mohali today. In OYA Autocross 2013, Sanjay Sikand of Delhi was the overall fastest followed by Anil Wadia of Delhi and Harvinder Kushwaha of Ludhiana.
Bikers take part in an event on the final day of the OYA Autocross, Motocross and Offroad Challenge in Mohali on Sunday. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

Shemrock Ace Tennis Tournament
Players to clash for title today
Mohali, December 22
As many as 100 players from tricity participated on Day 1 of Shemrock Ace Tennis Tournament, here today. The tournament was divided into different categories according to age group, i.e. under-10 (boys), under-12 (boys), under-14 (boys) and under-12 (girls).

Amarjit lifts overall golf championship trophy
Panchkula, December 22
Amarjit Brara from the USA successfully defended his title and won the overall championship trophy in the Chandigarh Golfing Tour that concluded at Panchkula Golf Club today.

243 take part in chess tourney
Chandigarh, December 22 
During the All-India Open Below 2000 Fide Rating Chess Championship-2013, Rajesh, Sudhir, Ishaan, Pavit, Akshay, Sumit, DS Negi and Bhat Siddharth led the table with four points each in the end of the fourth round, here today.