C H A N D I G A R H

UT Home Secy N.K. Jain goes on long leave
Administration looking for successor
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — The Home Secretary of Chandigarh Administration, Mr N.K. Jain, has taken a long leave, after the Administration received a fresh panel of names to select his successor.

Stray cases of bogus voting
PANCHKULA, March 16—The panchayat polls in the district went off peacefully barring stray cases of alleged bogus voting which led to tension in a few villages here today. However, voter turnout was heavy and most polling stations had reported 60 per cent voting by afternoon.

Mann causes chain reaction at Cyanide Y2K
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — Harbhajan Mann nite at Panjab University was the grand finale of the three-day technical festival, CyanideY2K, organised by the Department of Chemical Engineering.

Army Chief in city
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — The Chief of the Army Staff, Gen V.P. Malik, arrived here today on a two-day official visit to Western Command headquarters in Chandi Mandir. He was accompanied by his wife, Dr (Mrs) Ranjana Malik.

The Chief of the Army Staff, Gen V.P. Malik, with the GOC-in-C, Western Command, Lieut-Gen Vijay Oberoi, and the AOC, 12 Wing, Air Cmdr S.K. Banerjee, on his arrival at Chandigarh on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Karam Singh

ACE & PAES
Leander working hard on singles, says dad
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — Leander Paes has been working hard on his singles to improve his ATP ranking so as to gain direct entry in the French Open and Wimbledon Championship, says Dr Vace Paes, his father.

COMMUNITY

Entry to rly station from Panchkula side soon
Chandigarh, March 16 — The work to provide entry to the Chandigarh railway station from the Panchkula side is in its last stages. The revised target to complete the work has been fixed by March end.

NOC not needed for power connections
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — The Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) has, in pursuance of the Punjab Government policy to simplify interaction between the general public and government agencies, has done away with the requirement of obtaining No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the PUDA for grant of fresh electricity connections by the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) for Zirakpur.

Holi revellers, don’t break traffic rules
Chandigarh, March 16 — The police has made elaborate arrangements on the eve of Holi to prevent incidents of rowdyism and sabotage by anti-social elements in the city.

Rise in consumer exploitation
PANCHKULA, March 16 — An alarming rise in consumer exploitation and the need for awareness among the consumers was stressed at a function held at Manav Mangal School in Sector 11, here yesterday, to commemorate the World Consumer Day.

‘Extend consumer drive to villages’
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — The Administrator of Chandigarh, Lieut-Gen JFR Jacob (retd), today gave a call to extend the consumer movement to villages.

Inaugurating the consumers awareness mela here today, General Jacob said the consumer movement, which established its roots after enactment of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, remained confined to urban areas.

Narrow stretches that take their toll
SAS NAGAR, March 16 — The SAS Nagar-Kharar section of the Chandigarh-Ludhiana highway claims four lives in a month on an average. This year alone eight persons died and another 30 were injured in 12 road accidents, say the Kharar police records.

One-way traffic has always proved fatal for motorists
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — The accident rate on a stretch of 31 km from Zirakpur to Jharmari barrier, near Ambala, on the Chandigarh-Ambala National Highway-22 has increased many fold since the last two years.

ITBP officer cremated
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — The mortal remains of Commandant Narayan Dutt Joshi of the Indo-Tibet Border Police Force (ITBP), were consigned to flames at the Sector 25 cremation grounds here today.

Beware of half-bodied trucks
PANCHKULA, March 16 — The weather-beaten half-bodied truck racing across the Panchkula-Kalka highway gives no indication of death’s presence. Not until it is too late. The anxious car driver desperately steps on the brake pedal too late. He makes the ‘‘final exit’’ with his shoes on and is not the only one.

Superfast operators seek SHO’s transfer
SAS NAGAR, March 16 — The Mohali Superfast Operators Union, which runs light commercial vehicles, today demanded the immediate transfer of the SHO of Phase I, Police station for his alleged biased role in a dispute involving the union.

Leader’s behaviour condemned
SAS NAGAR, March 16 — The local Municipal Employees Union today condemned the way a BJP leader behaved with two members of the staff.

Arpana workers’ exhibition
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — A three-day exhibition-cum-sale of hand-embroidered garments, bed covers, etc and household linen by Arpana workers started at Hotel Piccadily here today. It will remain open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. till March 18 and all its proceeds will go to the charities.

Women’s programme concludes
SAS NAGAR, March 16 — A six-week entrepreneurship development programme for women concluded here today.

Fruit prices high in Panchkula
PANCHKULA, March 16 — Fruit prices continued to be high in the local markets of the township though these were marginally cheaper than prices prevailing in Chandigarh. Vendors, however, were of the opinion that prices would fluctuate over the next month and come down considerably.

CRIME

Elderly resident crushed to death
Chandigarh, March 16 — An elderly resident was crushed by a bus near the Cricket Stadium here this afternoon.

BUSINESS

Beopar Mandal flays changes in rent Act
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — The Chandigarh Beopar Mandal today condemned the changes in the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act 1949, recently approved by the Punjab Government.

Market body chief submits memorandum
Chandigarh, March 16 — The President of the Janta Rehri Market, Mani Majra, Mr Sat Pal, today met Mrs Vanita Rai, Adviser to the Administrator, and submitted a memorandum of demands.

EDUCATION

PU courses in French, German
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — Keeping in tune with the current trends, the Departments of French, Russian and German of Panjab University have offered short-term courses which are likely to commence from April 10.

‘Literature vital to field of culture’
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — Literature is an engrossing lyrical expression of moods of suppression in society, said Dr Harminder Singh Deol, DPI (colleges), Punjab, while inaugurating a three day seminar on ‘Punjabi Language and Culture: its Standing and Challenges’, being organised by the Punjabi Department in Panjab University here yesterday.

A colourful cultural farewell
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — The farewell party of the Sector 10 Government College of Art held today was “an affair to remember”.

Fancy dress contest for kids

COURTS

Judge’s retirement results in adjournment of cases
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — It is justice delayed! Cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act are being adjourned following the retirement of Additional District and Sessions Judge-cum-Special Judge for NDPSA cases, Mr. G.S. Sandhu.

Judge transfers case
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — The UT District and Sessions Judge, Mr B.S. Bedi, today transferred a case to the court of an Additional District and Sessions Judge as he was “likely to retire on superannuation on March 31”.

Bail plea case; notice issued for March 24
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — Issuing notice for March 24 on the anticipatory bail plea moved by the ‘‘president’’ of UT Secretarial Employees Welfare Association K.B. Goel, the UT Additional District and Sessions Judge-cum-Special Judge for CBI cases, Mr S.S. Lamba, today directed that ‘‘in the event of petitioner’s arrest, he shall be released on bail...’’

Anticipatory bail plea declined
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — The anticipatory bail plea moved by a resident of Una district, accused of charging money for sending the complainant abroad, has been declined by the UT District and Sessions Judge, Mr. B.S. Bedi.

HEALTH

102 women operated upon
DERA BASSI, March 16 — A total of 102 women underwent family planning operation at a block-level camp at the local Civil Hospital here today organised by the Punjab Health System.

SPORT

National mountain bike contest
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — The Chandigarh Amateur Cycling Association is holding the inaugural hero National Mountain Bike Championship from March 24 to 26, Mr Rakesh Mohindra, organising secretary of the championship, announced here today.

Bhupinder, Harinder best athletes
PATIALA, March 16 — Bhupinder Singh Gora and Harinder Kaur were declared best athletes in the boys and girls sections, respectively, in Government Mahindra College’s annual sports meet, which concluded here today.

Paes en Sport to promote CLTA players
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — The CLTA has selected Paes en Sport, one of the top sport companies in the country, for the job of promoting Chandigarh’s promising junior players.

Medal of medals trophy for Pikka, Neelu
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — Pikka pritpal Singh clinched the medal of medals trophy in the silver division played today between winners of the 13 monthly medal rounds at the Chandigarh Golf Club here today.

ADMINISTRATION

Additional work for MCC Commissioner
CHANDIGARH, March 16 — The Chandigarh Administration, on a request from its Finance Secretary, has transferred some administrative departments to the Commissioner of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, Mr M.P. Singh.