C H A N D I G A R H

Durga puja starts today
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — The Durga puja celebrations, a festival which entails the worship of giant clay images of Goddess Durga and her four children — Ganesh, Lakshmi, Kartik and Saraswati — in splendidly decorated marquees, is more of a cultural extravaganza specially for the Bengalis living outside Bengal and where the religious aspect has become merely incidental.

An idol of Goddess Durga gets final touches in Chandigarh's Kali Bari on Monday on the eve of the five-day Durga puja celebrations. — Tribune photo by Karam Singh

IAS officer, politician flaunt links
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — A property dispute involving a Haryana IAS officer and a Punjab politician over a bungalow in Sector 5, took another turn today when the police had to be called in with both parties showing off their connections in high circles.

Liquor flows freely on Gandhi Jayanti
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — It does not matter if it is a dry day and it also happens to be the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation. Liquor vend owners in the surrounding areas of the city were more concerned about their income and flouted the government orders on the dry day. 

Student kidnapped, released
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — An engineering student, who was reportedly involved in a tiff with another group at a discotheque last month, was reportedly kidnapped from outside a Sector 17 fast food joint today morning before being released in the evening.

Highway to be closed for 4 days
DERA BASSI, Oct 2 — Vehicular traffic on the Chandigarh-Ambala road will be closed on the Bhankharpur-Dera Bassi stretch near the level-crossing, from October 3 to 6.The authorities have decided to divert the traffic coming from the Chandigarh side through Bhankharpur-Mubarikpur-Dera Bassi route to rejoin the highway at the local DAV High School. 

Court firing: HC issues notice
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — Mr Justice V.M.Jain of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued show-cause notice to the UT Administration and 25 others respondents as to why the probe into the district court firing incidence in June 1998 be not handed over to the CBI.

Living in the geographical past
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — Going by the atlas being provided to students by many city schools, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic, (USSR), still exists as a union, countries like Kazakistan, Uzbekistan and many others exist no where in the world and Czechoslovakia continues to be a single entity instead of two different nations, the Czech Republic of Slovakia.

Men in ‘khaki’ rob resident
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — Mr Ganesh Dutt Pandey, a resident of Indira Colony in Mani Majra, was robbed off Rs 8,250 and a watch by three unidentified persons in “khaki” uniforms, at his house early today.

COMMUNITY

Capturing life, landscapes in frames
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — His works have always been rated as meaningful in the photography circles. And his reputation as the lensman who captures reality and illusion all at the same time gets re-established with his third solo exhibition now on view at Punjab Kala Bhawan, Sector 16.

“People’s movement need of hour”
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — Handling of an issue like Veerappan has been not less than cowardice and the whole system is heading for a collapse because the real people are distanced from decision making and governing.

Functions mark Gandhi Jayanti
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — A prayer meeting was organised to observe Gandhi Jayanti, at Congress Bhawan, Sector 35, here today as part of the celebrations of the local unit of the Congress.

Meeting on Nada Sahib Gurdwara clash today
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — The police continued to be posted outside the Nada Sahib Gurdwara to ensure tension between the management of the gurdwara and vendors did not escalate, here today.

Cadets assured of quality training
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — A traditional camp fire and a cultural programme marked the conclusion of the annual training camp organised by No 2 Chandigarh NCC battalion at Barotiwala, about 40 km from here.

Fervour marks bhajan sandhya
PANCHKULA, Oct 2 — Religious fervour marked the evening of bhajans in the satsang hall of Mansa Devi shrine complex, here today. The evening, was meant to pay tributes to Goddess Durga.

Jacob asks NGOs to work in slums, rural areas
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — The Union Territory Administrator, Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd), today gave a call to people and non-government organisations (NGOs) to work in slums and rural areas to raise the quality of life of underprivileged sections of society, thereby fulfilling the dreams of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi.

Residents complain against muddy water
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — The Residents Welfare Association (Flat Nos 5511 to 5516) of the Modern Housing Complex, Mani Majra, has complained against the supply of muddy water over the past week.

Endless wait for flat’s possession
SAS NAGAR, Oct 2 — Strange are the ways of functioning of the local unit of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA).

BSNL Director’s city connection
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — The newly-created Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), which is now the biggest public sector enterprise in the country, has a local connection. Mr Prithipal Singh, former Principal General Manager Telecom, Chandigarh has been appointed as one of the four Directors to head the BSNL.

• UT Finance Secy bereaved

• Unidentified body found
  
  

CRIME

Four booked on assault charge
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — The police has booked four Colony No 5 residents on the charge of assaulting Mr Charan Singh, a resident of the same colony.

Doctor’s house burgled
PANCHKULA, Oct 2 — A sum of Rs 70,000 in cash and gold ornaments valued at Rs 30,000 were stolen from a doctor’s house in Sector 9 this afternoon while the occupants were away to work.

Murdered child’s body recovered
NAYAGAON, Oct 2 — The body of nine-year Joyti, who was allegedly bludgeoned to death by her father and step-mother, and buried beneath their house in Janta Colony here, was, today, retrieved by the police in the presence of Mr Malkeet Singh, Tehsildar, Kharar and Mr Gurmail Singh, Naib Tehsildar. The corpse was emitting a foul smell and had started decomposing.

EDUCATION

New vocational courses at PRC
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — The Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre (PRC) at SAS Nagar will introduce new vocational courses for its inmates. While a course on sewing and tailoring has been initiated recently, a radio and TV technician course is in the offing, while another course for producing computer technicians is being planned.

Workshop ends with display of works
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — The ten-day regional round square conference on ''My responsibilities towards the environment'' at Vivek High School, Sector 38, ended today with a final display of the creative items made by students.

Gandhian Studies Dept launches website
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — The Department of Gandhian Studies, Panjab University, organised a special lecture on “Gandhi’s answers to the challenges of the 21st century” by Prof. Ramjee Singh, an eminent Gandhian scholar. The function was presided over by Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal, MP. 

Ramanujan’s theories discussed
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — A five-day international conference on number theory and discrete mathematics, in honour of mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, was inaugurated by the Vice-Chancellor, Panjab University, Prof K.N. Pathak, at the university physics auditorium here 

HEALTH

Alcohol not sole cause of liver diseases
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — Specialists, from India and abroad, deliberated on the effect of liver cirrhosis on brain functions, on the concluding day of the two-day conference organised by the Department of Hepatology in the PGI, here today.

468 examined at eye camp
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — As many as 468 persons were examined and 47 operated upon for cataract during the three-day eye camp organised by the Rotary Club of Chandigarh Mid-Town, which ended here today. The camp was organised in association with Rotary Innerwheel, Rotaract Club, Chandigarh Midtown and District Blindness Control Society.

SPORT

Dev Samaj girls bag CBSE basketball trophy
CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — IS Dev Samaj Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 21 and SD Public School, Sector 32 emerged winners in the girls and boys categories, respectively, in the CBSE basketball tournament for cluster XI which concluded here this evening at New Public School, Sector 18. In the girls’ final, ISDSSS-21 outplayed Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 27, 46-29, with a half time score of 16-11.

Umpire of international repute
AMONG the minuscule hockey umpiring fraternity of the city is a smart,well-built man whose stern looks on the field during matches are enough to cool down frayed tempers. His decisions are seldom questioned as they are based on years of experience on the hockey ground.