C H A N D I G A R H

Admn makes rules to streamline rent of its prime property
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — Prime property collectively valued at more than Rs 150 crore owned by the Chandigarh Administration in Sectors 17, 22, 21, 23 and 34 and other places will now be governed by a set of rules to streamline the collection and hike in rents besides deciding the future process of letting out this property.

Big trader pays only Rs 14,000 rent when market rate is Rs 1 lakh
Has the Chandigarh Administration let off the big traders in Sector 17 lightly while fixing rents for its own showrooms? Around 15 traders in Sector 17 are sitting on one of the most expensive real estate properties in the country and are paying a rent of only Rs 14,000 per month for an average area that varies between 2000 square feet and 2500 square feet.

SPECIAL STORY
Jain’s leave plea referred to Centre
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — The Chandigarh Administration is yet to sanction earned leave to its Home Secretary N.K. Jain whose Special Leave Petition in a corruption case registered by the Special Cell of the Central Bureau of Investigation for anticipatory bail was rejected by the Supreme Court yesterday.

Another VIP kid in police net
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — Sons, wards and relatives wards of VIPs living in the city have been known to act as a law unto themselves and instances of their being involved in one incident or the other have been routinely highlighted by the media.

3 accidents in 4 hours on UT-Ambala highway
DERA BASSI, May 6 — One person was killed and one received minor injuries in three separate accidents, which occurred within 4 hours on a 2-km stretch, between Zirakpur and Bhankharpur, of the Chandigarh-Ambala highway, last night.

A die-hard walker with an umbrella braves the shower to complete his morning ritual. This Tribune photograph was taken by Pankaj Sharma on Saturday at Rose Garden in Chandigarh.

THE ANCHOR

PGI's coin-operated phones are sick. They need care CHANDIGARH, May 6 — The coin-operated telephones in the PGI building are sick. Or, they have succumbed to injuries. Urgent technical attention is required.

Mohali bus-stand to be upgraded
SAS NAGAR, May 6 — The local main bus-stand will be upgraded under an ambitious joint venture of the Punjab State Bus Stand Management Company (PUNBUS) and the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) to modernise bus-stands in Punjab.

City's first shopping carnival from May 21
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — The city's first ever shopping carnival will be held at the Sector 17 City Centre from May 21 to 28. Talking to newsmen here today, Ms Priti Kohli, one of the organisers of the carnival, said the eight-day carnival was being organised with the cooperation of the Chandigarh Administration.

COMMUNITY

9 houses gutted in lightning
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — Though the near monsoon-like conditions during the past three days brought the much-needed succour to the people in the region from the gruelling heat, it sent life out of gear in Himachal Pradesh where vagaries of weather claimed lives of five more cattlehead and gutted nine houses during the past 24 hours.

Causeway that can cause major tragedy
NADHA (Kharar), May 6 — A causeway linking the Nadha village with Nayagoan, north west of Chandigarh, is on the verge of collapse, thanks to the lackadaisical attitude of the Punjab Public Works Department.

Civic body chief seeks improvement in services
SAS NAGAR, May 6 — Taking a serious note of the poor services being provided by different government agencies on behalf of the local Municipal Council, the Administrator of the council, Mr Jaipal Singh, yesterday, told the officials of the departments concerned to improve the services. The council pays the departments for rendering their services.

Water supply affected by thunderstorm, power failure
DERA BASSI, May 6 — Thunderstorm, rain and power failure badly affected the water supply in the township this morning and put the residents to great inconvenience.

‘MC survey a public harassment’
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — Air Marshal Randhir Singh (retd), President, Chandigarh Defence Colony Welfare Association, in a letter to the Commissioner of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, Mr M.P. Singh, has described the door-to-door survey being conducted by officials of the Public Health Circle of the corporation for levying of sewer cess as “public harassment”.

Ghar bachao panel’s plea
SAS NAGAR, May 6 — While hailing the decision of the Punjab Government to regularise unauthorised constructions in the periphery of Chandigarh till December 1998, the Ghar Bachao Committee of Nayagaon has urged the government to sympathetically review the constructions of the needy persons raised after the cut-off date.

CRIME

Judicial remand for accused in skeleton case
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — The police has recovered two gold bangles and a gas cylinder reportedly stolen by the accused in the skeleton case of Sector 18.

Granthi held for rape
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — The police today arrested a granthi on a charge of raping a maidservant of a house in Sector 22 here.

4 of family hurt in mishap
SAS NAGAR, May 6 — At least four persons, including three children were injured after they were hit by a Maruti Zen car in Phase IX here late today evening. All the injured — Santosh (7), Kesar Wati (5), Mohar Singh (14), and their father, Ram Swaroop — were riding a rehri when the car hit them.

Scooterist killed in mishap
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — An unidentified scooterist died after he was hit and injured by an unidentified person on a motor cycle near the Mauli Jagran brick kiln. The person on the motor cycle fled from the spot.

BUSINESS

Traders resent poor power supply
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — The Sector 32-D Traders Welfare Association has resented the attitude of officials of the electricity wing of the Engineering Department of the Chandigarh Administration towards its problems.

EDUCATION

BCA course loses shine
CHANDIGARHMay 6 — The Bachelor of Computer Applications course has lost charm among students in colleges affiliated to Panjab University. There is demand to add another academic year, with stress on information technology.Students have made several representations to the university. Principal H.L. Gandhar and Principal R.C. Jeewan, among several college heads, have forwarded the demand. Prof Charanjit Chawla, a Fellow, among several others have repeated the demand of enhancing one academic year for the course on the floor of the house.

Khuda Lahora students trek in hills
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — Nearly 100 students of Government High School, Khuda Lahora, took part in a hiking and trekking camp to Jainty Devi Hills.

Chinese film festival from May 8
CHANDIGARH, May 6 —The Panjab University Teachers Association will organise a Chinese film festival in association with the Chandigarh Film Society from May 8 to 12, an official press release said here on Friday.

‘EEDP programme a success’
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — The early education development programme (EEDP), started about seven years ago, has come to stay in about 500 DAV Public Schools in the country, according to Ms Nisha Pushin, Curriculum Development Officer, of the DAV College Managing Committee.

Rag pickers shift from bori to basta
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — In all, 15 students who are also rag pickers, were given school bags along with the exercise books and other stationery under the project, Bori Se Basta, by Mr D.S. Saroya, DPI (schools) of Chandigarh, in a function today at Government High School, Sector 40-A, here.

Count teaching experience got during PG: CAT
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — Declaring Dr Jagdish Chander to be eligible for the post of professor of microbiology advertised for appointment in Government Medical College, here, the Central Administrative Tribunal has held that the Union Public Service Commission discriminated against the applicant by ignoring the "teaching experience gained during post-graduation".

Talent search contests held

COURTS

Anil Malhotra is PGI counsel
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — The PGI has appointed Mr Anil Malhotra as counsel for the Institute in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Supreme Court and Consumer Commissions for civil, criminal and arbitration cases.

CULTURE

Rafi numbers regale Carnival crowd
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — Old numbers of music legends Mohammad Rafi and Mahender Kapoor were the highlight at the Plaza Carnival in Sector 17 here this evening.

HEALTH

Handicapped get artificial limbs
BADDI, May 6 — The newly constituted Rotary Club of Baddi organised a camp for the free distribution of artificial limbs, tricycles, clippers and crutches here today. The camp was organised with the association of the Rotary Club of Nalagarh, S.S. Jain Sabha, Nalagarh, and Opcar Society, Delhi.

SPORT

Empowering women with martial arts
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — Romeos in Mahendragarh and Rawari better be careful. Next time anyone of them ogles at a village belle, he may be greeted with a karate chop.

CITCO official on Japan tour
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — Pawan Kapoor, a Sports Officer of the Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation Limited (CITCO), yesterday, left for Japan to take part in the Japan Future Tennis Tournament 2000. Players from over 20 countries will take part in the tournament.

NICS score 19-run win
PATIALA, May 6 — The NICS Cricket Academy scored 19-run win over MES Cricket Club in a league match of the Patiala District Under-12 Tournament at the MES Grounds here today.

ADMINISTRATION

Look into 'illegal' canteens, DC told
CHANDIGARH, May 6 — Disposing of a writ petition, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, here, has directed the UT Deputy Commissioner-cum-Estate Officer to look into the representation against "illegal canteens" in the district courts and take action within six months.