COMMUNITY

Illegal liquor shop in residential area
PANCHKULA, Feb 15 — An English and country wine liquor shop operating illegally from the residential area in Sector 18 has not only become an eyesore but also a pain the neck for the residents of the sector.

Garbage heaps dot Zirakpur
ZIRAKPUR, Feb 15 — Heaps of garbage at various places have become a common site in the Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat. Though the panchayat authorities have given the sanitation on contract at the rate of Rs 50,000 for one year, there is no improvement in the sanitation condition of the area. As many as 52 dustbins but none is being utilised.

Villagers oppose AVA notice
SAS NAGAR, Feb 15 — The panchayats of the 28 villages proposed to be acquired under the Anandgarh project today opposed the ten-point public notice — circulated by the Anandgarh Vikas Authority — to develop the area on modern lines.

'War was only option in 1965'
CHANDIGARH, Feb 15 — "India reduced the defence forces in Kashmir under a UN resolution after Independence, and Pakistan started its infiltration there, thus situation became uncontrollable gradually," said Major-General Narender Singh, while delivering a speech on the Indo-Pak war of 1965, at Government College, Sector 46, here today.

Preserving dying culture
CHANDIGARH, Feb 15 — The Federation of Migrant Groups from North Western India, now Pakistan, came into existence in 1997 to rejuvenate the dying culture and tradition of the 10 million migrants from Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan and tribal areas of Kurram, Tochi, Khyber and Bolan in 1947.

Rally against Anandgarh on Feb 18
KHARAR, Feb 15 — The Anandgarh Hatao Sanjhi Sangharsh Committee, formed by residents of 28 villages of Kharar tehsil, where the Punjab Government has proposed to set up Anandgarh, has decided to organise a rally on February 18 in Jayanti Majri village, to which prominent political leaders will be invited. This was decided at the meeting of the committee held yesterday.

CRIME

Car recovered, thief arrested
CHANDIGARH, Feb 15 — The Punjab Police recovered a car (CHK-981) from Kurali last night, which was stolen from Sector 22, and arrested the thief — Harminder Singh.

BUSINESS

Amend ST rates, Administration urged
CHANDIGARH, Feb 15 — The Chandigarh Beopar Mandal has hailed the decision of the Administration to reduce sales tax on some of the items and bringing it at par with Punjab and Haryana.

EDUCATION

Grants sought for computer education
CHANDIGARH, Feb 15 — Reflecting changing educational priorities these days, computer courses have become a big attraction in the colleges of Panjab University.

MCM DAV College wins trophy
CHANDIGARH, Feb 15 — The local MCM DAV College walked away with the running trophy at an inter-college history quiz contest here today.

COURTS

Lawyers to abstain from work till Friday
CHANDIGARH, Feb 15 — The District Bar Association today decided to abstain from work till February 18 for expressing solidarity with the family of advocate Parveen Kumar Sharma “abducted” on February 8.

Contempt of court case dismissed
CHANDIGARH, Feb 15 — An application for initiating action under the Contempt of Court's Act against advocate R. S. Walia, accused of abusing a witness, has been dismissed by the UT Civil Judge (First Class) Mr Baljinder Singh.

Two get RI in leg fracture case
CHANDIGARH, Feb 15 — Convicting two Saharanpur district residents, accused fracturing a youngster's leg, the UT Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Ms Paramvir Nijjar, today sentenced them to rigorous imprisonment for one year each, besides imposing a fine of Rs 500.

Insurance company told to compensate client
PANCHKULA, Feb 14—The District Consumer Disputes Redressal forum has ordered the New India Assurance Company in Mani Majra to make a payment of Rs 14,866 along with interest at 12 per cent per annum from October 1, 1997, till actual payment, and a payment of Rs 2500 for mental agony and Rs 1000 as cost of proceedings to Mr Hazara Singh, a resident of the township, for negligence and deficiency in service.

Jailed for violating colonies Act
CHANDIGARH, Feb 15 — The Chief Administrator of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA), Mr K.B.S.Sidhu, today disclosed that two persons of Gurdaspur had been sentenced by the Judicial Magistrate, Batala, to rigorous imprisonment for two years with a fine of Rs 1,000 each for violating the Punjab Regulation of Colonies Act, 1975.

Land allotment challenged
CHANDIGARH, Feb 15 — The allotment of land to 13 house building co-operative societies of Chandigarh by the Chandigarh Housing Board was challenged in the Punjab and Haryana High Court by way of a writ petition by Mr Kamal K Sharma, a resident of Chandigarh.

HEALTH

Conference to assess anti-AIDS drive
PANCHKULAFeb 15 — Addressing civil surgeons and district health officers from all over Haryana, the Director-General of Health Services-cum-Project Director, Dr P.L. Jindal, said that there was an urgent need to check the spread of AIDS before it entered the epidemic level.

A project for needy, disabled
PANCHKULA, Feb 15 — Reaching out to others and keeping hopes alive— the theme of the Nav Jeevan Project, introduced by the Inner Wheel District 308, was remembered by its members at a press conference, organised by the group in Sector 6 here today.

IISc developing rabies vaccine
SAS NAGAR, Feb 15 — A cost-effective DNA vaccine for rabies and Japanese Encephalitis Virus is being developed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. The first phase of clinical trials of the vaccine for rabies is being done.

Heart repair charges cut
CHANDIGARH, Feb 15 — The BRS Heart Institute and Research Centre at Kot Billa has decided to charge only Rs 1 lakh instead of Rs 1.3 lakh for open-heart surgery in March, in the memory of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.

SPORT

Sub-jr boxing meet concludes
CHANDIGARH, Feb 15 — Sharda Sarvhitkari School, Sector 40, became the overall champion in the 14th Chandigarh Sub-Junior State Boxing Championship which concluded past evening at the Sector 23 Boxing Coaching Centre.

Pankaj, Bharti win gold
CHANDIGARH, Feb 15 — Pankaj Sharma won the gold medal in below 63 kg section for men on the penultimate day of the Senior National Judo Championship, being held at Sector 42 Indoor Badminton Hall.

Bhatia is tennis panel chief
CHANDIGARH, Feb 15 — Mr D.V. Bhatia, a former President of the Chandigarh Olympic Association, has been nominated Chairman of the Ranking Committee of the All-India Tennis Association.

ADMINISTRATION

Files damaged in passport office fire
CHANDIGARH, Feb 15 — A fire was reported in the Regional Passport Office in Sector 34 here this morning.

Brig K.S. Grewal laying a wreath at Veer Smriti War Memorial at Chandi Mandir on the occasion of the 89th anniversary of the Corps of Signals.

Admn’s no to patient care allowance CHANDIGARH, Feb 15 — The Chandigarh Administration today clarified to the agitating members of Joint Action Committee of the Sector 16 General Hospital that they would not be paid any patient care allowance. Corps Day celebrated CHANDIGARH, Feb 15 — The Corps of Signals celebrated its 89th Corps Day at Chandi Mandir near here, today. A wreath was laid on behalf of all ranks of the corps by Brig K.S. Grewal at Veer Smriti War Memorial and homage was paid to the gallant soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.

PUDA to allot LIG houses to govt employees
SAS NAGAR, Feb 15 — The Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority will sell at least 80 LIG houses in Phase 9 here to Punjab Government employees.