C H A N D I G A R H

Plot quota up for gallantry awardees
CHANDIGARH, Feb 9 — On the lines of benefits in allotment of plots extended by the Punjab Government to the families of those killed or disabled during the Kargil action, the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) has increased the quota of plots for the gallantry award winners of the defence and para-military forces.

They open fridges and relish sweets
CHANDIGARH, Feb 9 — After Sectors 7 and 11, it is the turn of residents of Sector 16 to be the victims of the simian menace and the culprits are not hordes of monkeys but a small three-member simian family, straying into the area for about past one week.

MCC's parking lot under
Bar Association’s control
CHANDIGARH, Feb 9 — It is a loss the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh never expected. Even after the transfer of all the parking lots to the MCC by the Chandigarh Administration, the land allotted as parking lot between the Sector 17 District Courts complex and the Inter-State Bus Terminus is being managed by the District Bar Association.

Special kids have fun winning medals
CHANDIGARH, Feb 9 — The Government Institute for Mentally Retarded Children, Sector 32, was adjudged the best institute at the Seventh Special Olympics, North-West Zone, which concluded at the Sector 7 Sports Complex today. The participants from the institute bagged a total of four gold, nine silver and 42 bronze medals.

Phone that rang elsewhere
CHANDIGARH, Feb 9 — A resident of Ram Darbar is surprised as the phone number allotted to his new telephone connection with an STD facility, had been functioning elsewhere. Yash Paul Sharma, a resident of house number 278 of the colony, had booked a telephone under the non-OYT category on August 23, 1999. His waiting-list number was IA/NOYT-G-0010108.

Core group to study transport system for city
CHANDIGARH, Feb 9 — A three-member core group has been constituted to study the feasibility and viability of various alternatives to mass rapid transport system (MRTS) for the growing vehcular traffic in the Union Territory of Chandigarh.

REGIONAL BRIEFS

Two faces of nature: Mustard in bloom and trees with their leaves shed. Tribune photographer Karam Singh captures the spring and autumnal picture in one shot from near Banur.

	Retirement age issue gets bogged down Feb 9, 2000
	Army to have B.Ed institute Feb 8, 2000
	Marathon effort sees Anil, Pushpa through Feb 7, 2000
	Anandgarh will be the city of the future Feb 6, 2000
	PUDA allows PCOs, fax, Internet in homes Feb 5, 2000
	Rs 368 crore for expansion, land acquisition Feb 4, 2000
	Zirakpur takes up beautification projects Feb 3, 2000
	Full-fledged herbarium yet to come up Feb 2, 2000

COMMUNITY

‘Conflicts in democratic societies on the rise’
CHANDIGARH, Feb 9 — "Conflicts will continue to happen. No one can stop them but efforts can be made to reduce the human sufferings during these conflicts," says Brig-Gen Martin Rutsch, an ICRC delegate to the Armed and Security Forces in South Asia with headquarters in New Delhi. He was in Chandigarh to conduct a two-day capsule course for the Chandigarh police on the International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.

PU staffers kicked out at dusk
CHANDIGARH, Feb 9 — At least 10 Panjab University non-teaching staffers who had served well over a month after their retirement date, were served job-termination letters till late past evening.

Illegal businesses from homes continue
PANCHKULA, Feb 9 — The unauthorised commercial activities being carried on in residential areas puts a question- mark on the intentions of the Haryana Urban Development Authority(HUDA) in executing the stipulated guidelines.

Time to express love again
LOVE is in the air and on air. It’s the time of the year again to express those heartfelt feelings, to make that someone in your life really special and celebrate the feeling of being in love. Yes it’s Valentine’s Day. One of those firangee festivals that has become so much a part of our country today. The day that comes only once in a year and provides the best opportunity to show those hidden feelings. A day of proposals, acceptances, denials, bunking college or simply freaking out.

Lukewarm response to auction of sites
SAS NAGAR, Feb 9 — An open auction of commercial sites in the urban estate attracted a lukewarm response as the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority was able to sell only 11 sites of the total 25 sites put up for auction here today. A revenue of over Rs 3 crore was earned.

Orphan’s tale of woe
CHANDIGARH, Feb 9 — Till some time back, orphan Ravi was earning bread for his four younger sisters and a brother, but today he finds himself weak and helpless. The reason: badly damaged pelvic girdle. He can be cured with an operation which would cost Rs 72,000.

Work on road links yet to begin
CHANDIGARH, Feb 9 — Even as the development of the Phase III sectors, some of which fall in SAS Nagar, has begun, the work on the missing road links between the city and SAS Nagar is yet to commence.

Sudarshan Chakra expedition flagged off
CHANDIGARH, Feb 9 — The Sudarshan Chakra Cycle Expedition was flagged off from Chandi Mandir Cantonment for its next leg to Solan today. Flagging off the16-member team, the commanding Officer of an Artillery Regiment, Col V.R. Gadekar, wished the team members a successful culmination of the expedition.

Basant 2000 fest today
CHANDIGARH, Feb 9 — The Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) will celebrate the festival of Basant Panchmi as Basant 2000 tomorrow.

CRIME

Foreigner caught taking plane photos
Chandigarh, Feb 9 — The police reportedly detained a foreign national temporarily while he was found moving about in suspicious circumstances near the civil airport area here this noon.

EDUCATION

UBS team wins debate
CHANDIGARH, Feb 9 — The team of Priti Sharma and Vishal Shukla of the University Business School won the first prize in the All-Chandigarh Open Debate Contest held in the UBS Auditorium of Panjab University here today. The second prize went to the team of Simran and Damini of Punjab Engineering College.

Inculcate spirit of idealism: Kang
CHANDIGARH, Feb 9 — The Governor of Kerala, Justice S.S. Kang, today called upon the youth of the country to inculcate a spirit of idealism and patriotism among themselves.

• Mrigank tops contest
• Honour for PU Professor

COURTS

‘Long adjournment’ plea declined
CHANDIGARH, Feb 9 — Declining the plea for “long adjournment” of the appeal against the dismissal of an application for restraining Justice Kuldip Singh from acting as the World Sikh Council president, UT District and Sessions Judge B.S. Bedi today fixed February 21 as the next date of hearing.

Four fined for carrying liquor
CHANDIGARH, Feb 9 — The UT Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Sant Parkash, today fined two Pinjore residents and a city resident Rs 1,000 each for carrying liquor without licence or permit. He also imposed a fine of Rs 500 on another city resident accused of the same offence.

CULTURE

'Punjabi woman has contrasting features'
CHANDIGARH, Feb 9 — Punjabi women always had two contrasting inner features which were highlighted in the folklore over the past three centuries, said Dr Nahar Singh of Punjabi Department during a talk on Punjabi women through her own literary creations at the Department of Sociology, Panjab University, here today.

Cops to stage play
Chandigarh, Feb 9 — Comedy of Terrors, a play by Dario Fo, will be presented by members of the Police Officers Institute in collaboration with the Yavanika Theatre Group.

SPORT

Badminton team chosen
CHANDIGARH, Feb 9 — The Chandigarh Badminton Association has selected a seven-member team which will take part in the Senior National Badminton Championship to be held at Kochi (Kerala) from February 24 to March 1, according to Mr T.P.S. Puri, Secretary of the association. The team was selected on the basis of the performance in the Chandigarh State Badminton Championship which concluded on February 7. The qualifying rounds of the national meet will be played on February 22 and 23.

ADMINISTRATION

2000-line exchange for Phase X
SAS NAGAR, Feb 9 — A new 2,000-line telephone exchange is to be commissioned in Phase X here this month. Stating this today, Mr Khushwant Rai, Deputy General Manager, said this exchange was likely to be expanded to 5,000 lines next month. It would cover residential Phases VIII, IX, X and XI, the Phase IX Industrial Area and Kambala and Kambali villages.

HUDA employees end strike
PANCHKULA, Feb 9 — The protesting employees of the Haryana Urban Development Authority ended their strike here today after the Joint Action Committee comprising representatives of seven organisations held a meeting with the Chief Administrator, Mr NC Wadhwa, at his office in Chandigarh, and arrived at a compromise.

Cop promoted in open darbar
PANCHKULA, Feb 9 — In one case, a constable was given promotion while in another an SI asked to resume duty after having been dismissed from service at the open darbar of the Director-General of Police, Mr S. P. S. Rathore, held at the Police Headquarters in Sector 6, here today. Of the 36 cases attended to during the darbar only 11 cases were civil matters, primarily pertaining to ex gratia.