NEWS ANALYSIS
Poor public response puts question mark on
PUDA project
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — A less-than-enthusiastic public response to the PUDA’s prestigious Rs 250-crore housing project in Sectors 76 to 80 at SAS Nagar has put a question mark on the viability of the mega project in the present adverse market conditions.

Encroachers in for tough time
SAS NAGAR, Jan 12 — The Municipal Council has decided to be tough with encroachers in the town. Illegal rehris will be impounded, illegal stalls on road berms be removed and market verandahs will be got vacated for the use of the public.

41 pc hike in auto fare
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — Travelling by autorickshaws in the city will be costlier by close to 41 per cent. The Chandigarh Administration issued a notification here today enforcing the new rates. Autorickshaw owners have been given 90 days’ time to install meters after which action will be initiated against violators by the administration.

Window pane of Judge’s house smashed
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — Tension prevailed among senior officers of the Chandigarh Police after a window pane in the official residence of Mr Justice M.L. Singhal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court was found smashed in the afternoon today.

Youth’s death: mystery deepens
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — The mystery shrouding the death of a youngster, whose body was found in a nullah last week, deepened today with the postmortem examination revealing that the victim had died of 95 percent burn injuries.

Use Bal Bhavans for slum kids: Jacob
SAS NAGAR, Jan 12 — The Punjab Governor, Lt. Gen. J.F.R. Jacob (retd), today urged the Punjab Child Welfare Council to use its Bal Bhavans for the upliftment of the slum children. He was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of a state-level Bal Bhavan in Phase 4 here this afternoon.

• No arrangement for parking

Cold wave recedes, fog to continue
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — The ongoing cold wave in the city and surrounding areas today receded marginally as the minimum temperature rose to 2 degrees celsius while the maximum was recorded at 13.4 degrees celsius, a rise of 1 degree and 1.4 degrees celsius, respectively.

2 officials nabbed for taking bribe
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — The vigilance cell of the Chandigarh Administration with the assistance of the state vigilance bureau today reportedly nabbed two officials while taking bribe .

Gurdas Mann leaves for Mumbai
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — The noted Punjabi pop singer Gurdas Mann was discharged from the GMCH, Sector 32, today morning. The singer accompanied by his wife and relatives left the hospital at around 9.30 a.m. and has reportedly left for Mumbai.

Raising day celebrated
SAS NAGAR, Jan 12 — The Central Reserve Police Force’s 5th Signal Battalion celebrated its 12th Raising Day here today. Various activities like professional and general awareness competitions, games and a seminar for children marked the occasion.

Directions to 1/6 scheme assessee
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — The Commissioner of Income Tax clarified today that all residents of Chandigarh, covered by the 1/6 scheme of the Income Tax Act, must file returns of the income in Form No 2-C.

‘DD centre to function from February’
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — The local Doordarshan relay centre will start functioning from February next. The Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, Ms Sushma Swaraj,will inaugurate it, according to Mr Satya Pal Jain, former MP. He said.

• Tribune employee bereaved

Four hospitalised following mishaps
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — In separate road accidents, at least four persons were admitted to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research with serious injuries.

BUSINESS

IA’s promotional fares extended
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — The management of the Indian Airlines has decided to extend promotional fares from Chandigarh to various destinations in the country till April 30 this year.

Rare honour for PU scientist
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — The Weed Science Society of America has selected Dr Inderjit, Reader in the Department of Botany, Panjab University for the award of Outstanding Young Weed Scientist. This is a signal achievement, as it is the highest honour and recognition given by the WSSA for a weed scientist under 40 years of age.

Teachers’ retirement age
Centre throws ball in states’ court
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — States often turn towards the Centre seeking solution to problems of policy, but in unprecedented case, the Centre has asked for comments of the states before a final decision on the issue of the retirement age of college and Panjab University teachers.

Education board’s matric exam schedule
SAS NAGAR, Jan 12 — The schedule of the matric examination of the Punjab School Education Board beginning from March 12 is as follows:

5500 students take part in contests
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — Stressing the need to adopt the habit of reading good books and visiting libraries, the Governor of Punjab, Lieut-Gen (retd) J.F.R. Jacob today asserted that librarians should equip themselves to face the challenges posed by the cyberage.

IDP organises seminar
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — More than 90 students were today acquainted with environment and others areas needing care when they join academic institutions in Australia very soon. The IDP Education, Australia, organised a team ‘pre-departure seminar’ here today.

PU Prof on NAAC team
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — Dr B.B. Goel, Professor of Public Administration at the Department of Correspondence Studies, Panjab University, who is on the National Cadre of Assessors on Quality Education, was deputed by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council Bangalore, in connection with making an assessment and accreditation of M.S. University of Baroda, Vadodara (Gujarat) from January 8-10, 2001.

Physics contest
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — The first inter senior secondary physics Just A Minute contest was organised at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 16, here today. The contest was organised in collaboration with the Indian Association of Physics Teachers.

KU to cancel entrance tests, says VC
PANCHKULA, Jan 12 — Kurukshetra University has decided to cancel the entrance tests to various courses from next year apart from new job oriented courses. This was stated by Mr R.S. Chaudhary, Vice-Chancellor of the university in his valedictory address at a literary workshop-cum-competition organised by Government Degree College near here today.

Vivekananda’s birth anniversary celebrations
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — A seminar on’ Swami Vivekananda’s Dream India’ marked the beginning of an eight-day long celebrations by the Nehru Yuva Kendra, at Sector 23, here today. The kendra has planned various events to celebrate the International Volunteers Year - 2001. 

• School timings
  

Pay 10 lakh ex gratia to martyr’s kin with costs
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today came to the rescue of Mrs Rajbala, widow of Kargil martyr Lance Naik Bhim Singh, a resident of Dhabi Khurd village in Fatehabad district, who laid down his life for the country on July 2, 1999 at Gurmarg in the Kargil sector during “Operation Vijay”.

Installation art comes to city
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — More than a curator of international repute, Peter Nagy is a lover of India and its rich artistic heritage. He still remembers his first few visits to the country before 1992 which left him craving for more.

Ranjit Mani hopeful of Gabroo...
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — The Punjabi singer who became famous in the region, few years ago, for his album vaeha da card , today addressed a press conference for the promotion his new album Gabroo mar mar jaan, at a hotel in Sector 35, here today.

HEALTH

AIDS awareness camp held 
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — members of the lions club rose along with the staff of the skova dispensary, Sector 31, acquainted the residents of labour colony with the facts about aids at an aids awareness camp held at the colony today.

Panchkula to have Olympic Bhavan
CHANDIGARH, Jan 12 — An Olympic Bhavan having multi-purpose hall, fitness centre, sports hostels for boys and girls, media centre, sports library, swimming pool, conference hall, sports club secretariat and offices is coming up on three acres in Sector 3 in Panchkula.