C H A N D I G A R H

SPECIAL STORY
500 families fear displacement
TIRA (Kharar), Dec 16— Despite the Punjab government’s claim that the people of the 29 villages to be acquired for Anandgarh would not be displaced, there are at least 500 families who live outside the lal dora of the villages, and are fearing displacement. The New Town Planning and Development Authority, Anandgarh, says that it would acquire the land which falls outside the lal dora only and would not touch the villages.

Villagers who live outside the lal dora at Tira village (displaced from Karsan village, Chandigarh, 25 years ago), who say they will not allow the Punjab Government to acquire their houses. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

Admn invokes ESMA against postal staff
CHANDIGARH, Dec 16 — With a view to normalising postal services, the Chandigarh Administration has invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act against the striking postal staff.

City police settles 172 complaints
CHANDIGARH, Dec 16 — A happy smile played on her lips as 84-year-old landlady Amrit Kaur walked out of the Sector 17 Police Station, “feeling good”. Along with her problem, the Chandigarh Police today redressed complaints of 172 city residents.

HC regularises services of 18 UT lecturers
CHANDIGARH, Dec 16 — A Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court comprising Mr Justice R.S. Mongia and Mr Justice K.C.Gupta today regularised the services of 18 UT lecturers after setting aside the order of the Central Administrative Tribunal delivered in April, 1998, and directed the UT Administration “to pay them all consequential benefits with effect from the dates of initial recruitments.”

COMMUNITY

‘Mayor to be chosen unanimously’
CHANDIGARH, Dec 16 — The differences in the local unit of the BJP will be sorted out and the new Mayor will be chosen unanimously. This was stated by Mr Ram Dass Aggarwal, MP, while addressing mediapersons here today. He was recently appointed in charge of the local unit and is on his first visit to the city. The Mayor, Ms Shanta Hitabhilashi, was present on the occasion.

Parking blues at District Courts
CHANDIGARH, Dec 16 — The parking space at the district Courts complex has become a headache for the visitors. The place has become accident and theft prone due to the shortage of space. There is always the fear of a vehicle being damaged or being stolen.

Red tape withers bouquet
SAS NAGAR, Dec 16 — It’s bureaucrats “at work” again. Red tape has deprived residents of perhaps the first-ever two day flower show which was planed to begin today.

Vijay Divas celebrated
CHANDIMANDIR, Dec 16 — As a ceremonial guard reversed arms and buglers sounded the Last Post at the Veer Smriti war memorial, the valour displayed and sacrifices made by officers as well as men during the 1971 Indo-Pak war were once again brought to the forefront during the Vijay Diwas celebrations in the cantonment today.

Youth hospitalised with burns
CHANDIGARH, Dec 16 — A Head Constable’s son fell from the roof of his house in Sector 20 after sustaining serious burn injuries while heating water for his bath today morning.

Winter camp for challenged kids
CHANDIGARH, Dec 16 — As many as 40 children are participating in the on going winter camp at Government Institute for Mentally Retarded Children.

• Plaza carnival
  
  

CRIME

PU employee dies
CHANDIGARH, Dec 16 — A Panjab University employee was declared dead on arrival at the PGI, Chandigarh. Jaspal Singh, according to sources in the police department, died due to natural causes.

• Pedestrian injured

• Theft from car

• Girl consumes acid

• Forged draft

Hit-and-run case
PANCHKULA: A 23-year-old boy, Shivdeep Singla, died in a hit-and-run accident on the Pinjore-Kalka road, last night. He was found by the roadside this morning though the scooter he was riding could not be found.

Woman dupes husband
CHANDIGARH, Dec 16 — After nearly seven years of marriage, a husband was allegedly duped off ancestral jewellery by his wife. Instead of going abroad after selling the ornaments, she allegedly tied the knot for the second time.

EDUCATION

Lecturers resent non-implementation of Act
CHANDIGARH, Dec 16 — The Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union has expressed resentment against the apathy of the finance department over the implementation of the pension-cum-gratuity Act 1999.

Kids captivate
PANCHKULA, Dec 16 — The annual function of Woodlands House School, Sector 8, was held here today. Children danced their way right through the two-hour programme.

COURTS

HC Judge advocates Lok Adalats
KHARAR, Dec 16 — Mr Justice H.S. Bedi of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has appealed to the litigants to come forward for the settlement of their cases through Lok Adalats so that a permanent decision through mutual compromise could be reached at. He was addressing a gathering here today in connection with a subdivision-level Lok Adalat in the Judicial Complex here today.

Lok Adalat settles 1,864 cases
CHANDIGARH, Dec 16 — In a special Lok Adalat organised at the Sector 17 District Courts today, Rs 66 lakh was awarded as compensation to the litigants and as many as 1,864 cases were solved. A sum of Rs 1,17,975 was also realised as fines.

CULTURE

A success story of hard work, not mere luck
CHANDIGARH, Dec 16 — Bhagwan D. Ahuja is a classic rags to riches story but one drenched with sweat and dedication with a purpose for achievement. A small town high school passout aspiring to be a bank manager with the State Bank of Patiala only with self-study is a rare achievement. This was not sufficient with Mr Ahuja migrating to USA and starting his life anew. He is now Director of the American Innovative Technology Inc.

Cultural programme by banks CHANDIGARH, Dec 16 — Children dancing to the tune of the Bollywood song “It happens only in India” enthralled the audience at Tagore Theatre, Sector 18, here today.  Children perform during the cultural show organ ised by the PNB and the SBI at Tagore Theatre in Sector 18, Chandigarh on Saturday.  — A Tribune photograph

HEALTH

Docs exchange expertise on medical emergencies
CHANDIGARH, Dec 16 — The two-day Continued Medical Education  programme on medical emergencies began at the Command Hospital, Chandimandir near here today, with the GOC-in-C, Western Command, Lt Gen Surjit Singh lighting the traditional lamp.

SPORT

Easy going for seeds
CHANDIGARH, Dec 16 — The seeds had it easy on the first day of the Chandigarh scholarship tennis tournament — 2000, being held at the Lake Club Courts, here today.

Gill is honorary secy of CRA
CHANDIGARH, Dec 16 — Mr P.S. Gill of the State Transport Authority is the new honorary secretary of the Chandigarh Rowing Association.

ADMINISTRATION

FIRs sans hassle, says new SP
SAS NAGAR, Dec 16 — There is no need to hide the incidence of crime and every case should be registered, the new SP, Mr Gurmeet Singh Chauhan, said here today. Mr Chauhan, who took charge on Wednesday evening, said stress would be laid on the registration of FIRs without any hassles. “There will be free registration of cases,” he said.

Four more tubewells to be sunk in SAS Nagar
SAS NAGAR, Dec 16 — The local Municipal Council has asked the Public Health Department (PHD) to clean the entire sewer and stormwater drainage systems in the town by March 31 next year.

Purchase of equipment for PGI okayed
CHANDIGARH, Dec 16 — The purchase committee of the PGI, in a meeting held here today, gave a green signal to most of the items on its agenda to purchase latest equipment, besides exhaustive plans to modernise and upgrade the hospital facilities, in the current financial year.