C H A N D I G A R H

Resplendent Mother Nature
A squirrel nibbles at a crumb at the gate of Chandigarh Golf Club. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan		Summer flowers in bloom with the famous water fountain of the city in the background. — Tribune photo by Karam Singh

Building byelaws should go: Jacob
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — "Industries in Chandigarh are shackled by archaic building byelaws. These need to be amended to pave way for everyone to expand in the non-polluting sector to create more employment opportunities in the Union Territory," says Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd), Administrator of Chandigarh.

NDA, IMA cut training time
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — To offset the shortage of officers in the armed forces, the intake of cadets in the Kharakvasla-based National Defence Academy is being increased. At the same time, the training period of NDA cadets has been cut short by six months, while training for gentlemen cadets at the Dehra Dun-based Indian Military Academy has been further reduced to as less as five months.

Opening Punjabiat to the world
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — Since two years he has been busy putting Punjab’s culture together so as to introduce to the fast modernising world the basic tenets of Punjabiat.

‘Give details of tenants or get challaned’
ZIRAKPUR, April 18 — The proprietors of commercial establishments who have not submitted particulars of their workers or tenants in accordance with directions issued earlier will be challaned.

Of great designs that made cities
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — For once the mention of the city’s architectural majesty took the attention of an objective viewer to the lesser known cousin of French architect Le Corbusier.

COMMUNITY

Encroachments continue with impunity
CHANDIGARH, April 17 — Even as the municipal authorities have announced the setting up of special anti-encroachment cells headed by nodal officers, illegal constructions continue with impunity in the city.

Kedar Nath Sharma’s name removed
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — In a sudden move, the new management of the Dhanwantry Ayurvedic College and Hospital has removed the name of Pandit Kedar Nath Sharma, former president of the College Managing Committee, from the name of the institute.

A case of misplaced priorities
SAS NAGAR, April 18 — In its zeal to beautify the town, the municipal council appears to have swept planning under the carpet. Lakhs of rupees is being spent on laying concrete footpaths at cost of essential services like telephones, electricity and storm water drainage.

Navratras prove ordeal for Swastik Vihar
PANCHKULA, April 18 — Dirt, flies and corridors packed with camping pilgrims have been the bane of Swastik Vihar showroom owners during the eight-day Navratra mela. They complain that their market, adjacent to the Mansa Devi Temple complex is a "living hell" during the festival.

Venkateshwara temple nearing completion
PANCHKULA, April 18—A temple of Lord Venkateshwara, fondly referred to as Balaji by his devotees, is coming up in Sector 12 A of the township. Situated in 4000 square yards and being constructed at a cost of over Rs 25 lakh, it is the first of its kind in the region which will cater to the 1000-odd families of Andhra Pradesh residing in Chandigarh and around.

Phones lose ring in town
SAS NAGAR, April 18 — Due to a technical fault, hundreds of level-267 telephones in the town have been out of order for the past few days, causing harassment to subscribers. Complaints of faulty telephones working on the 67 series have also surfaced.

Non-availability of liquor upsets club members
PANCHKULA, April 18 — The non-availability of liquor, especially beer, at the Gymkhana Club in Sector 6 here has irked members who allege laxity on part of the authorities managing the affairs of the club in getting the licence renewed.

Seminar on ‘Khalsa’ from April 24
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — A three-day seminar on ‘near contemporary and later perspectives of the Khalsa’ will be organised by Panjab University and the Institute of Punjab Studies from April 24 to April 26, an official press release said here today.

CRIME

Woman succumbs to injuries
SAS NAGAR, April 18 — A woman of Guru Nanak Colony in Phase X here, Sangeeta, who had been admitted to the Sector 32 Government Hospital after she had allegedly doused herself with kerosene on April 11, today succumbed to her injuries.

'Community policing' plan in Panchkula
PANCHKULA, April 18 — To enlist greater public cooperation in the prevention and detection of crime in Panchkula district, the police proposes to launch an ambitious programme of ''community policing.'' For this purpose, the two police stations of Sector 5 and Raipur Rani have been chosen, a press note issued by the Superintendent of Police, Mr Sudhir Chowdhary, said here yesterday.

ADMINISTRATION

Water crisis: penalty for law violators
PANCHKULA, April 18—To mitigate the water supply shortage in the township in the summer season, a team consisting of an SDE, JE and an official from the Estate Office will conduct a survey in each sector here.

Census operation: training of supervisors begins
PANCHKULA, April 18 — The training of enumerators and supervisors for conducting the census operation for the year 2001 has begun in Panchkula district.

First aid training concludes
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — The eight-day-long special training programme on first aid by the police concluded at the Children’s Traffic Park in Sector 23 here this evening. The course was conducted by St. John’s Ambulance Brigade.

Fourteen buses impounded
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — As many as 14 buses which were plying in the city without the requisite documents were impounded by the police following a special drive launched by Dr Sagar Preet Hooda, ASP, central, late last night.

Books donated to library
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — Rotary Shivalik Chandigarh donated 508 books to the Central State Library. . The book-donation function was inaugurated by Ms Anuradha Gupta, a former UT Home Secretary, here today.

EDUCATION

Excited kids plan vacations
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — The summer is in full swing and everyone is planning something or the other for the upcoming vacations. Parents are excited regarding the holidays as they feel this is the time when they can take some days' off from their work and give optimum time to their children, who are waiting for the summer vacations impatiently and have made their future plans.

COURTS

Strike unlawful
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — Holding the advocates’ strike (now suspended) to be unlawful in their opinion, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mr Arun B. Saharya, and Mr Justice V.K. Bali further held that it was not recognised by them.

CULTURE

Photo exhibition to be inaugurated today
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — The Photographic Society of Chandigarh will open an exhibition of photographs in colour tomorrow. A special section of the exhibition will focus on moments from the tercentenary celebrations of the Khalsa.

HEALTH

Camp on mental retardation
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — The Government Institute for Mentally Retarded Children, Sector 32, will organise a community awareness camp on April 23 at Government Middle School, Karsan, to identify mentally retarded children.

"Malaria on the decline but we are taking no chances"
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — The Central government is contemplating a move to stop supplying insecticide spray to control malaria, keeping in view a decline in the incidence of the disease over the years, it is learnt.

Seminar on learning disability today
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — A seminar on specific learning disability will be organised tomorrow at the Sector 24 Indira Holiday Home under the aegis of the ODE foundation. The purpose is to create awareness about learning disabilities and their effect on the academic performance of school-going children.

Hearing time again for 5 soldiers
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — Five soldiers who faced imminent career regression due to hearing disability have virtually been given a fresh lease of life with the Western Command Hospital, Chandi Mandir, introducing microscopic ear surgery this month.

SPORT

Rubber girl stretches herself
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — ''It is my aim to represent India at the international level and show magnificent performance,'' said Rajni Sharma, a gymnastics prodigy of Patiala, who was here yesterday to meet her aunt. Rajni was a star of the 45th National School Games at Patiala in February.

BUSINESS

Industrialists for better health services
PARWANOO, April 18 — Industrialists and residents of the town have demanded better health services for them.

Industrialists cite problems
SAS NAGAR, April 18 — The Managing Director of the Punjab State Electronics Development and Production Corporation, Mr G.S. Pirzada, today, said recreational facilities, hotels and other related services were required at SAS Nagar in order to attract the IT industry in a big way.

Computer company opens regional office
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — The Aptech Computer Education inaugurated its local regional office, covering the northern region, here today.

‘Hotel business growing rapidly’
CHANDIGARH, April 18 — “Global hotel industry is growing rapidly and is expected to create three million new employment and business opportunities in the next few years,” said Ms Margaret Hess, an expert from Culinary Institute Le Cordon Bleu, International Hotel Management and Regency Hotel School.