The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Sunday, December 31, 2000,
Chandigarh, India

C H A N D I G A R H

Wine shop murder case: police claims sound hollow
CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — The largest dacoity ever reported in the city, involving an amount of Rs 64 lakh and murder of two salesmen working in wine shop was mentioned in the noteworthy achievements list the annual review released by the police department, despite the fact that the three accused, including the main accused had not been arrested yet.

Cops in mufti to check hooliganism
CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — All you hunks in leather jackets, do not put your arms around the reed-thin strangers in micro-minis twirling around the polished dance floors in the discotheques on the New Year’s Eve.

Chemists beware, men in khaki are watching you
CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — For checking over-the-counter sale of drugs to be supplied strictly on prescription, the Chandigarh police will start sending decoy customers to chemists.

REGIONAL BRIEFS

Tribune lensman Karam Singh captures a bird basking in the sun in Cactus Garden, Panchkula.

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

North to ‘import’ 450 MW of power
CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — To meet the power shortage in the coming summer season, the Northern Region Electricity Board will bring 450 MW from the Eastern region to the northern region. At present only 60 MW of electricity is being brought to the northern states from the surplus eastern states due to technical constraints.

Agitated shopkeepers block traffic
PANCHKULA, Dec 30—Agitated shopkeepers and mechanics of the Old Panchkula Motor Market Association blocked traffic on the Shimla-Kalka road for over an hour in protest against police laxity in dealing with thefts reported in the previous month.

Servant decamps with valuables
CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — Ms Jaspreet Kaur was surprised when she entered her house in Sector 37 after being out for a week. The scooter was missing. She soon realised that her colour television set and a music system, besides other valuables, had also been taken away by her servant.

COMMUNITY

SAS NAGAR ROUND-UP
Focus on IT, rise in crime
SAS NAGAR, Dec 30 — The Municipal Council elections, activities in the sphere of information technology, extension plans for the town by PUDA and the gradual rise in the crime graph were among the points of focus during the year that has come to a close.

EARLIER STORIES

	Police gears up for New Year celebrations December 30, 2000
	Another railway line for Ambala-Rajpura section December 29, 2000
	City to get power from Nathpa-Jhakri December 28, 2000
	Private luxury buses to Punjab may operate from ISBT December 27, 2000
	Six resolutions passed at World Punjabi Conference December 26, 2000
	BJP workers protest against Satya Pal Jain December 25, 2000
	Top MC posts go to Congress December 24, 2000
	Admn, IT companies sign MoU December 23, 2000
	UT Admn seeks more powers from Centre December 22, 2000
	HUDA cashing in on public money December 21, 2000
	Illegal additions in govt houses December 20, 2000

MCC ROUND-UP
Year of surprises, controversies
CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — The surprise defeat of the BJP candidates for the posts of Mayor and Senior Deputy Mayor, massive increase in water tariff, levy of sewerage cess and conflicts and controversies marked the year 2000 for the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh.

DEFENCE ROUND-UP
Reaching out to countrymen
CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — For the Western Command, the beginning of the millennium was an year of reaching out to fellow countrymen by way of giving them a glimpse of its ethos as well as lending a helping hand in times of distress.

Internet enabled TVs to hit the market soon
CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — Imagine, while watching a movie on TV Madhuri Dixit appears on the screen wearing an exotic dress or Shah Rukh Khan in a stylish coat. Always wanted to own such clothes? No problem, just ‘tap’ an available system in your television set and seek for the dress.

Prabhat pheri today
CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — The four-day function of the Nagar Kirtan Seva Society of Sector 28 will conclude with a prabhat pheri, in which more than 75 gurdwaras from the city and its periphery are expected to take part, here tomorrow.

Nagar kirtan taken out
SAS NAGAR, Dec 30 — A colourful nagar kirtan procession was organised here today in connection with birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, which falls on January 2.

Jacob distributes blankets
CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — It was a surprise New Year gift for over 600 rofless person. All of them got a blanket, to save themselves from the chilling winter, here tonight. UT Administrator J.F.R. Jacob, after reading reports in newspapers about the death of two rickshaw-pullers due to cold, went on this special drive. He was also accompanied by Mr M. Ramsekhar, Deputy Comissioner, Chandigarh.

Complainant retracts statement
SAS NAGAR, Dec 30 — Can a poor man take on the might of the police, even if a member of the force allegedly makes an attempt to molest his wife? Perhaps, no, if one goes by yesterday’s incident at the Phase VII excise barrier here, when a Punjab police constable allegedly tried to molest a woman who runs a tea-stall in that area.

CRIME

Three held for liquor smuggling
CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — Three persons, accused of carrying liquor beyond the sanctioned limit, were arrested by the Chandigarh Police. As many as 82 pouches were reportedly taken in possession after their personal search was conducted.

Crimes up in Dera Bassi
DERA BASSI, Dec 30 — Apart from the increase in the number of fatal accidents on the Chandigarh-Ambala national highway, the crime rate has gone up manifold in this subdivision during the past year.

31 rounded up in special drive

BUSINESS

Business round-up
Upswing in trade and business
CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — From banking to telephones to the Internet, the year 2000 witnessed the emergence of new players in the market and increased competition, largely benefiting the consumers. The city was also host to some major trade fairs and national and international business conferences.

EDUCATION

Making friends with children
IN this city of parks and gardens where festivals and shows are aplenty, the recently concluded Chandigarh Carnival stands out for some unique impressions it has made on its participants and spectators. One of the big draws at the festival was the Friends of Children Corner which offered numerous free activities to the children.

PU ROUND-UP
Year of turbulence
CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — The year saw unprecedented turbulence in Panjab University where the Vice-Chancellor and the Chandigarh Administration appeared up in arms against each other. The Senate had its own group leanings on issues.

PU professor invited

CULTURE

A joshila welcome to New Year
CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — It was quite a recharging experience this evening at a picturesque city resort which reverberated with sounds of powerful music beats. Holding the fort were three men from Delhi who call themselves Joshilay and accompanying them was the sweet hostess of MTV Classic and MTV Fresh, Mini Mathur, who was very much in town today to see the gathering through the last few moments of the year.

CULTURAL ROUND-UP
Year of artistic might, cultural glory
Chandigarh, Dec 30 — The same feeling, which Napoleon Bonaparte had voiced centuries ago about the passing glory and the persisting obscurity, fills one’s heart today as one watches another splendid year go by. Glory is fleeting, obscurity is forever — he had said.

A westerner in love with Hindi
CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — Her fine diction and pronunciation of Hindi would give any Indian a complex. Mariola Offredi, an Italian by birth, is the associate professor of Hindi Language and Literature at the Department of Eurasiatic Studies, University of Venice.

Mariola Offredi

Millennium musical blast on Lashkara
CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — To welcome the New Year a special New Year entertainment programme, “Millennium Musical Blast’ will be telecast on Lashkara Channel on Dec 31 from 11 p.m.