C H A N D I G A R H

“Matka chowk”, they call it, for, it has a huge “matka”-like structure made of fibre glass. This roundabout on the prestigious Jan Marg has been designed and maintained by the Chandigarh Housing Board. Now when Spring is on its last legs, the seasonal perennials have been in full bloom to give the visitors to the city a soothing and pleasing sight. In fact it is this roundabout which has been witnessing for the past several years, all major rallies and demonstrations, be it against the Chandigarh Administration, the Punjab Government or the Haryana Government. This picture, symbolic of City Beautiful, was taken by Karam Singh.

IAF gadget not used for 15 years
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — A ''critical requirement'' to track and analyse flight parameters of weapon systems fired from combat aircraft remains unavailable to the IAF almost 15 years after it was procured.

Screening panel on cell phones
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — The Union Government has dug up its four-year-old instructions on providing mobile telephones and pagers to senior government officials, necessitating setting-up of screening committee for their purchase and use.

University session to begin early
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — In a significant step aimed at academic improvement, the forthcoming session (2000-2001) of Panjab University will begin much earlier than normally expected.

Phone back-up service on anvil
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — The local telecom authorities are in the process of setting up a contingency plan by providing a back-up service in case of breakdowns occurring due to faults in the cable, like the one on Sunday, when more than 50,000 phones were cut off from the rest of the telecom network in the city for the second time in six months.

MCC to auction cinema parking lots
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — The controversy regarding the auctioning of the parking lots around seven city cinema halls, allegedly occupied illegally by the cinema house owners for the past several years, is finally over with the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh deciding to auction them on March 22.

4 firms shortlisted for designing golf course
PANCHKULA, March 14 — Four consultancy firms have pre-qualified for bidding of the 18-hole golf course proposed on international standards in Sector 3 along the Ambala-Shimla National Highway and to be spread over almost 140 acres.

COMMUNITY

‘Don’t fiddle with HUDA policies’
PANCHKULA, arch 14 — The Panchkula Property Consultants Association has demanded that the state government should not fiddle with the policies of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) frequently since it would mess up property matters.

Probe sought into cable licence fee collection
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — The Chandigarh Territorial Youth Congress Committee today demanded a CBI inquiry against the Mayor and BJP Councillors of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation for dithering over the issue of collection of cable licence fee.

Little done to check number of rickshaws
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — The Administration has done little to control the ever- increasing number of rickshaws, though the deadline to implement the Chandigarh Rickshaw (Regulation and Control) Byelaws, 1960, subsequently amended in 1997, expired on October 15.

CRIME

2 powermen charged with demanding bribe
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — Complying with directions issued by a city court, the Chandigarh Police has registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act against two employees of the Electricity Department accused of demanding a bribe from an advocate for restoration of electricity.

BJP’s memorandum to Adviser
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — Members of the local unit of the BJP presented a memorandum to the Adviser to the Administrator regarding the rehabilitation of dairy farmers uprooted from Nizampur-Burail, following the acquisition of their land by the administration.

‘India, China have close cultural ties’
CHANDIGARH, March 14 —Peace between nations during the current times can be established only if they are strong enough to repel aggression, said Brig Chitranjan Sawant, a prominent Sinologue, at a lecture in Panjab University here today.

BUSINESS

Traders air grievances
SAS NAGAR, March 14 — Local industrialists aired their grievances relating to the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation at a meeting organised by the Mohali Industries Association here yesterday.

EDUCATION

KV Sangathan will soon be history on the HMT campus when Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pinjore, closes forever on March 31. — A Tribune photograph

Parents, staff worried over KV closure CHANDIGARH, March 14 — Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan is pulling out of the HMT premises, Pinjore, and the Kendriya Vidyalaya, located on the sprawling campus is all set for closure on March 31. Matric paper cancelled SAS NAGAR, March 14 — The English paper of the matriculation level examination of the Punjab School Education Board held on March 13 at a centre in Government Senior Secondary School, Dera Baba Nanak has been cancelled following complaints of mass copying.

COURTS

Teacher's cheque dishonoured
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — Convicting a schoolteacher in a cheque dishonour case, the UT Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr H.S. Madaan, has sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for six months, besides imposing a fine of Rs 2,000.

PGI professor's selection stayed
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — Issuing notice of motion for March 28, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed the appointment to the post of professor of paediatrics (allergy and immunology) in the PGI by a method other than the one suggested by the governing body.

Truck driver sentenced to RI for killing cyclist
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — A truck driver, accused of fatally injuring a cyclist, was today sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for one year, besides being fined Rs 500, by UT Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate H.S. Madaan.

CULTURE

Tremendous response to Cyanide Y2K festival
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — The festival of Chemical Engineering (Cyanide Y2K) in Panjab University which began here today witnessed a great response from technical institutions all over the country this year.

Musical Holi at Funcity
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — Vekeena, a VJ of channel V, and a number of Punjabi singers will take part in the Holi bash at Funcity on March 20.

HEALTH

PGI diagnosed 1,600 HIV cases till 1999
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — A two-day workshop on "The collaborative role of NGOs in the implementation of the National AIDS Control Programme'' commenced at the UT Guest House today. It is being organised by the State AIDS Control Society in accordance with the guidelines of the National AIDS Control Organisation.

1680 children vaccinated
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — As many as 1680 children were given free Hepatitis-B vaccines at a camp organised by Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, and Rotary Club, Chandigarh under Swaran Jayanti Shahri Rozgar Yojna Scheme.

SPORT

Oarsmen prepare for Olympics
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — A national rowing camp in preparation for the Sydney Olympics in September is in progress here. In all, 14 oarsmen have been shortlisted by the Rowing Federation of India for this 45-day camp.

Camp for Santosh Trophy on
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — The training-camp-cum-selection-trials of 34 probables selected by the Chandigarh Football Association for the Senior National Football Championship played for the Santosh Trophy is in progress.

ADMINISTRATION

PUDA plot owners get extension
SAS NAGAR, March 14 — Hundreds of owners of residential and commercial plots allotted in various urban estates of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority before 1989 have been given a year's extension more to raise constructions on their plots, subject to the payment of a certain fee.

Crushers get 3 months’ time for relocation
ZIRAKPUR, March 14 — The Punjab Pollution Control Board has granted three months’ time for the relocation of stone crushers in the Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat area. According to a notification issued by the board, these crushers are located

MCC plans complaint centres
CHANDIGARH, March 14 — To redress the grievances of the general public in a time-bound manner, the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh will come out with the "citizen's charter" soon.