C H A N D I G A R H

Flaw in PGI Act: senior doctors may move court
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — Loopholes in the PGI Act mean that even when a doctor is selected for a higher post, he could still be junior to his juniors working in other departments.

PU Senate meeting put off
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — In an interesting development, the Panjab University Senate meeting scheduled for December 17 has been put off. The postponement also puts off elections to the Panjab University Syndicate scheduled at the meeting of the faculties two days prior to the Senate meeting.

Upgrade efficiency of workers: Oberai
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — The situation on the labour front is turning explosive in the country. The job market is shrinking and unemployment is on the rise. Employment growth in the government and organised private sector is less than 1 per cent. Public sector undertakings are already in spin as the disinvestment process in their case has begun.

Hindi aids immigration to Australia
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — Hindi and Tamil are the only two Indian languages recognised as community language in the context of Australia as a multi-cultural society.

Political connections ‘stall arrest’
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — The city police seems to have no qualms about allowing the law to drift from its course at times. At least that is what appears from the fact that out of eight accused mentioned in the FIR of ‘attempt to murder’ case registered in September this year, one has been allowed to go scot free.

Sukhna dredging contract cancelled
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — A contract between the Chandigarh Administration and the Dredging Corporation of India to take out silt from the bed of Sukhna Lake has been called off as the Administration has disallowed a move by the corporation to give the work on subcontract to some other persons.

Is the re-employment scheme applicable?
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — A debate has begun among Panjab University teachers regarding post-retirement reemployment scheme for teachers. While many are under the impression that this scheme has been scrapped, others think that it is still applicable.

Labourer stoned to death
PANCHKULA, Dec 10 — Mystery surrounds the murder of a labourer hailing from Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh who was found dead in Sector 1, here today.

Phone payment dates extended
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — Keeping in mind the postal strike the local office of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has extended the last date for the payment of telephone bills. Bills having last date of payment as December 11 are now payable till December 26.

READERS WRITE

MCC should be dissolved
THE functioning of Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, has been causing eyebrows to be raised since the day of its inception. In the four years of its existence, it has increased water tariff many times, imposed sewerage tax on domestic as well as commercial consumers, heavily increased the charges for the use of janj ghars, Nehru Park, the Parade Ground and also the parks in various sectors.

CHANDIGARH CALLING UNDOUBTEDLY, music is a great synthesiser. It has the capacity to bring together on one stage even the most hardcore followers of different paths and ideologies. If you don’t believe, it will be appropriate here to refer to the cultural evening organised the other day by the Punjab Labour Department for delegates, who had come here from various parts of the country and abroad. Besides, officers of the ILO, a number of eminent industrialists, bureaucrats, trade union leaders and others were present to enjoy the evening.

COMMUNITY

Cops, human rights — ‘two sides of a coin’
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — ‘‘It takes courage to speak in front of senior officers, especially in the police department’’. This was evident at the International Human Rights Day celebration by the Chandigarh police in the auditorium, Traffic Lines, here today. The beat constables, in trembling voices, spoke out their interpretation of ‘Human Rights’.

Proper planning in tourism stressed
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — "Tourism, if properly planned and managed, can help conserve the environment, and in some places even enhance it, because characteristics and quality of natural, social and cultural environment at a destination are the main attractions for tourists,'' said Mr Pradeep Sankhala, Chairman, Tiger trust while addressing a seminar on global trends in eco-tourism here today. The seminar was organised by the Institute of Tourism and Future Management Trends.

Music, cuisine cast spell
PANCHKULA, Dec 10 — The fragrance of chameli adorning dinner tables mingled with that of spices and herbs which spiced up the nawabi cuisine at the Rampur ki dawat, a treat arranged by the Haryana Tourism Department.

Water supply to be affected on Dec 12, 13
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — Water supply in the city is likely to be affected on December 12 and 13 due to a strike call given by the National Co-ordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers against privatisation of the power sector. The employees across the county will observe the strike from 8 am on November 12 to 8 am on November 13.

Community centre thrown open to public
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — Eighteen years after the UT Administration planned and constructed a community centre in Sector 47, the building was finally thrown open to members of the public here today. The centre has a provision of 37 rooms and 3 big halls for holding three functions simultaneously.

Amid a lot of dust this horse cart blazes a winning trail at the Ghoda Rehra Race in SAS Nagar on Sunday. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

A battle of wits for animals, masters SAS NAGAR, Dec 10 — It was a battle of wits for the animals and their masters. Both raced against time to log on to the least time at a “rehra-godha race” organised by different local and Chandigarh-based associations of horse and mule driven carts in the Industrial Area here today. A 1.5 km stretch of a road was chosen as the “ race track” by the organisers to test the skills of the participants.

Chrysanthemum show comes to a close
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — Hundreds of people thronged the Sector 33 Terraced Garden to enjoy the beauty of colourful chrysanthemums on a bright sunny morning at the concluding day of the annual chrysanthemum show.

Telecom Dept told to pay compensation
PANCHKULA, Dec 10 — Directing the Telecommunication Department to pay Rs 10,000 for mental agony and harassment on account of excessive billing, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum ordered the complainant, Mr Krishan Kumar Aggarwal, a resident of Swastik Vihar, to deposit the corrected bill within a month. As costs of proceedings, another Rs 1000 was given to Mr Aggarwal.

DC redresses 13 complaints
PANCHKULA, Dec 10 — Taking serious note of a complaint on irregularities by gas agencies in the supply of cylinders, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.K. Monga, ordered the constitution of area-wise committees to look into complaints of irregular supply, overcharging and underweight cylinders.

Army to assist postal authorities from today
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — The delivery of mail is likely to improve tomorrow with the postal authorities seeking the help of the Army to tide over the situation created by the all-India indefinite strike by the postal staff, which entered the sixth day today.

Invest in alternative energy, says expert
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — The building sector has grown over the years to become a significant consumer of energy and contributor to the green house effect and efficiency gains through good design and incorporation of new technologies can bring down the consumption of energy considerably. 

Sehgal for eco-friendly way to curb forest fire
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — Mr Ajay Sehgal, an IFS officer of the 1986 batch of Uttar Pradesh cadre, who belongs to Chandigarh, has just returned after attending an international workshop on community-based fire management held at Bangkok from December 6 to 8.

Inderjeet wins Wagon R rally
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — Dr Inderjeet Kaur won the first prize of Rs 50,000 in the Wagon R ‘Mil-Edge’ Rally, here today. The 75 kilometres rally, with as many as 70 participants, was flagged off from Sector 7, this morning.

PRO’s appointment challenged
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — The appointment of Mrs Manju Wadwalker as the Public Relations Officer of the PGI has reportedly been challenged in the Punjab and Haryana High Court by Mr Kumar Bharat, another applicant for the post. Mr Bharat belongs to Karnal and was one of the 12 contenders for the post.

CRIME

Scooter thief arrested
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — The local police has arrested Kuldip Sonu of Shimla district for allegedly stealing a scooter. Mr Lal Chand of a Sector 20 had reported that the accused stole his scooter, which was parked at Math Mandir in the same sector, yesterday morning.

380 boxes of shaving blades stolen
ZIRAKPUR, Dec 10 — As many as 380 boxes of shaving blades were stolen from the godown of a company situated on the Chandigarh-Ambala highway in Bhabhat village here yesterday night.

BUSINESS

Abolish octroi on medicines: chemists
SAS NAGAR, Dec 10 — The Punjab Chemists’ Association has sought the abolition of octroi on medicines in Punjab. The demand was made at a meeting of the Punjab Chemists’ Association held here today. As many as 80 delegates from different district chemist associations attended the meeting.

EDUCATION

Pay issue figures at Principals’ meeting
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — The Government needs to look into the matter of resolving the pay demand-related issues for teachers. It was adversely affecting studies in colleges. This was mentioned at a meeting of the Principals’ Association of Privately Managed Colleges at the local GGDSD College here today.

CULTURE

City disappoints women artists
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — The City Beautiful may be the major cultural centre of the entire northern region, but when it comes to giving recognition to the budding talent of the female artists, the society is “not so generous.”

HEALTH

Massive polio immunisation drive
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 —Around one lakh children below the age of five were administered polio drops at 461 centres, including 15 mobile booths, spread across the city as part of the first phase of the nationwide polio immunisation drive today.

SPORT

Overall trophy for St Joseph’s School
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — St Joseph’s School, Sector 44, bagged the overall trophy in the Chandigarh Taekwondo Championship which concluded here today at the Skating Rink, Sector 10. Gurpreet Singh, Jabbad Singh and K. Romi were declared best fighters in the boys’ section while Chinki, Sanpret and Rita in the girls’ section.

Sandhu panel wins Golf Club poll
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 — Eight members of the Gurinderjit Singh Sandhu panel were elected executive members to the managing committee of the local Golf Club here today. The other three in the 11-member managing committee are independents.

UT rowing academy to have national status
CHANDIGARH, Dec 10 —The proposed rowing academy at Chandigarh will have a budget of a few crore rupees with inputs from the Sports Authority of India, according to Col CP Singh Deo, secretary-general of the Rowing Federation of India.