C H A N D I G A R H

ANTI-ENCROACHMENT DRIVE
Angry shopkeepers gherao police station
Allege thrashing by Magistrate, gunman
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — Protesting against the alleged beating up of shopkeepers and bystanders by the anti-encroachment staff reportedly led by Anti-Encroachment Magistrate, Mr H. S. Sohal, shopkeepers from Palika Bazaar and Sadar Bazaar gheraoed the Sector 19 police station late in the evening today. Seeking "strict" action against Mr Sohal and his staff, the crowd also raised slogans.

PGI proposal on conveyance allowance okayed
NEW DELHI, Nov 16 — The PGI governing body meeting today okayed the institute’s proposal on conveyance allowance for all faculty members and some categories of employees according to the Fifth Pay Commission recommendations.

How death snatched a valiant IAF pilot SAS NAGAR, Nov 16—Death came very unexpectedly to a valiant soldier of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Sqn Ldr Anil Sharma, who succumbed to his injuries in the salty water and soil of Kutch.

A file photo of Sqn Ldr Anil Sharma and Deepika Sharma.

Police websites fail to interest public
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — If the present trend of hits — visit to a website — is any indication, the worldwideweb (www) sites launched by various police organisations in India have failed to generate any public interest.

City soldier lays down life 
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — Adding to the saga of brave men from the city, another local lad has laid down his life for the country while fighting militancy in Kashmir, leaving behind his widowed mother, an unmarried sister and a would-be-bride, whom he was to marry on February 22.

Capt Atul Sharma with his mother and sister in happier days.

Sprucing up of Dakshin Marg begins
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — In an attempt to stop people from crossing the central verge dividing the busy Dakshin Marg, the Engineering Department has started a project to raise rows of wire mesh on both sides of the central verge and also beautify the area sandwiched between the two rows of wire mesh.

College tense after clash
DERA BASSI, Nov 16 — Tension gripped the campus of local Government Degree College following a clash between two groups today. The groups, one of college students and the other of outsiders, reportedly clashed over a college girl, sources revealed.

35 lakh okayed for carpeting roads
SAS NAGAR, Nov 16 — Work estimates totalling over Rs 35 lakh have been approved by the local municipal council for laying a premix carpet on “B” roads in Sector 71 here.

Civic body chief’s poll put off
SAS NAGAR, Nov 16 — The election for the presidentship of the SAS Nagar Municipal Council will now be held on November 18.

COMMUNITY

S. Africa beckons Indian tourists
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — “Agriculture, rural development and small scale industry of Punjab and Haryana are areas of interest to us,” says Mr D.K. Pillay, Deputy High Commissioner of South Africa to India, beckoning tourists from North India into visiting his country.

World Bank to fund potable water schemes
KHARAR, Nov 16 — The World Bank has agreed to finance various schemes of providing drinking water to the residents of Punjab and more funds would be made available for this. This was disclosed by Mr Narinder Singh, Public Health Minister, Punjab, while talking to mediamen at Baba Zorawar Singh Fateh Singh Khalsa Girls College in Morinda, yesterday.

“Print media’s role in IT age vital”
PANCHKULA, Nov 16—The Press, being the fourth pillar of democracy, should endeavor to provided unbiased reports to mobilise public opinion and to build the character of society.

Focus on women’s legal literacy
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — The women activists should come up to launch a drive to educate and awaken the women about their legal rights, said Babu Parmanand, Governor of Haryana, while he was speaking at a one-day seminar on “Legal literacy for women” organised by Jan Shikshan Sansthan here today.

When kids’ actions said it all
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — No heavy underlying message, just light entertainment was what the play Khichdi was all about. The play, enacted by the Theatre Age, a group of street children from Sector 25 Janata Colony, was laced with puns on men in general. Under the direction of Zulfiqar Khan, the play more than succeeded in fulfilling the objective of saying it all through actions.

Cops at illegal snack shops CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — What does a chawala or the paan-bidiwala do when a group of policemen eat omelettes, paranthas, gulp tea and smoke cigarettes and just walk away, without paying him anything? The poor fellow just bears it since the Khaki-wearing protectors of the law have the power to wield their batons against his unauthorised stall.

Children give shape to pond
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — Mrs Shanta Abhilashi, the Mayor of Chandigarh, inaugurated a 7.5-acre children’s park in Sector 26 here yesterday.

Essay writing contest on Dec 3
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — Mr M.S. Malik, president of the Jat Sabha, Chandigarh, today said the annual Bhai Surinder Singh memorial on-the-spot painting and all-India essay writing competition would be held at Jat Bhavan in Sector 27 here on December 3 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

BSNL chief stresses better services
KHARAR, Nov 16 — Dr D.P.S. Seth, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, has stressed the need to provide better customer services to subscribers. He was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of the new telephone exchange building here today.

CRIME

Girl disappears, parents shattered
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — Eerie silence, shattered by spasmodic wails, unnerves the visitors as they approach the Sector 29 residence of High Court employee Badhe Ram Sharma. His 23-year-old daughter, working as a clerk in Punjab Advocate General’s office, disappeared under mysterious circumstances a week ago.

One held for eve-teasing
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — One person, Hem Raj, was arrested by the police for eve-teasing and booked under Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code. He was allegedly harassing a woman of Sector 38. The accused was later released on bail.

Accident or suicide?
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — Mystery shrouds the death of a 16-year-old school girl, admitted to Sector 32 Government Medical College and Hospital after “consuming some poisonous substance”.

Computer showroom broken into
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — In a complaint before the police, a Sector 20 computer dealer, Mr Jordan Loyal, today, alleged that valuables were stolen from his showroom after the locks were broken open.

EDUCATION

Regular exams for environment studies
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — Regular examination will be conducted for the subject of environment studies in Panjab University at the under-graduate level in the annual examination to be conducted in April 2001.

PU students’ council meets
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — The Panjab University Campus Students Council met on Thursday afternoon to finalise a list of the office-bearers for student committees on academic, hostel and extra-curricular activities.

ABVP to hold gyan pariksha
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — The local unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) is launching a programme vidyarthi jagran gyan pariksha for student awareness at the school level on November 25 at different places in the city, an official press note stated here today.

Cultural competitions begin at DAV-8
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — The 31st All India Inter- State Inter- School Cultural Competitions began at DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, here yesterday. The competitions were organised by the cultural society of the school.

COURTS

Notice to 2 states, UT on SGJC chief’s sack
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — On a writ petition challenging the Punjab Government notification dated January 6, 1999, removing Mr Kashmir Singh, Mr Dara Singh and Mr Raghbir Singh as President and members respectively of the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission (SGJC), Amritsar, a five-Judge Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion to the states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Chandigarh and the Attorney-General of India for November 23.

Refund cost, Sony India told
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16—The Chandigarh District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-II has ordered Mr Nauri Mastsu, General Manager, Sony India Limited, to refund the cost of a “defective” music system sold for Rs 25,000 to U.K. Bhanot, a local journalist, in November, 1996.

Three remanded in assault case
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — Three persons — Mohit, Ajib Singh and Raj Pal — were sent to fourteen days judicial remand today by the UT Judicial Magistrate (first class) in an assault case. The case against the accused was registered under Sections 147, 148, 149, 323, 452 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code. The complainant, Mr Arish Ahamad, a resident of Sector 35, had alleged that the accused had assaulted him and threatened to kill him.

Haryana lawyers seek separate High Court
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — Seeking the bifurcation of the Punjab and Haryana High Court here, the Haryana Lawyers Association, during a meeting held today, asked for the creation of a separate High Court for the state of Haryana.

CULTURE

Building bridges of culture through poetry
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — Punjabi poet Amarjit Chandan, settled in London since 1980, has kept himself closely associated with literary pursuits, through which he keeps going back to his roots. His poems reflect his yearning to trace the history of Punjab, but manage a universal relevance. His poetry cuts across the boundaries of caste, nation and religion. He was in the city to present a paper in the 10-day workshop on Conflict resolution and peace, organised at the Commonwealth Centre

HEALTH

Eye bank for Ropar’s Civil Hospital
KHARAR, Nov 16 — The Punjab Government has completed all formalities for the setting up of an eye bank in the Civil Hospital, Ropar, and permission is expected to be received from the Union Government soon.

A chance to see better
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — Refractive surgery is a wonderful chance to see better and much better, says a world famous eye surgeon, Dr Verinder Singh Nirankari Director of Cornea Anterior Segment Surgery and Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Baltimore , USA. Dr Nirankari, who is in the city for personal reasons, talked to The Tribune about the basics of LASIK-laser corneal surgery here today.

SPORT

School’s sports meet concludes
DERA BASSI, Nov 16 — A two-day sports meet of Ved Rattan Mohan DAV Public School concluded here today. Apart from dance, different competitions and games were organised during the meet.

Ramesh leads
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — Ramesh Chandra of Training Sector secured first place on the second day of the inter-sector annual sports meet being held at Bhanu near here. The results — 400 m low hurdle — Const Tejveer Singh (L&C) 1, Const Kundan Singh (HP) 2, Const Mukesh Kumar (L&C) 3; hammer throw — Hav Ramesh Chandra (Trg) 1, Const Surender Singh (HP) 2, Const Kailash Chandra (L&C) 3; 200 m race — Const Dhrub Devri (L&C) 1, Const Vishwanath Sakar (GWL) 2, Const Sanjay Kumar (HP) 3; triple jump — Const John Mathew (Trg) 1, Const Devender Singh ( HP) 2, Const Methew PC (Trg) 3.

ADMINISTRATION

MC meeting sought over land issue
KHARAR, Nov 16 — Four municipal commissioners of Kharar have urged the president of the local municipal committee to call an urgent meeting of the committee to discuss the issue of the common land of Khanpur village, which falls within municipal limits.

Recarpeting work to cost Rs 3 crore
CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — The Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, will complete the recarpeting work of the remaining V-6 roads in 33 sub sectors of the city by the end of this financial year in March, 2001. A policy decision to this effect was taken at the Roads Committee meeting held today under the chairmanship of Mr Gian Chand Gupta.