The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Friday, March 16, 2001,
Chandigarh, India

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TOP STORIES

MC cuts down water, sewerage rates
SAS Nagar, March 15
The Municipal Council has finally decided to cut down the water and sewerage rates after months of controversy over the hike. The rates had been hiked during the tenure of the Administrator of the council last year and the increase had been implemented just before the newly elected body took over the charge of the council.

Death in PGI: probe ordered
Chandigarh, March 15
The UT Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr Parag Jain, ordered an inquiry today into the case of the death of Mohinder Kaur. It was alleged that the woman had died due to the negligence of some of the PGI doctors. The ASP (Central), Mr H.G.S. Dhaliwal, has been asked to look into the matter.

PGI admits use of inferior tiles
Case likely to be referred to BIS
Chandigarh, March 15
Accepting the fact that some of the samples of the mosaic tiles used in the construction of the PGI Nursing Institute building could have been of inferior quality, the PGI’s Engineering Department officials, on the basis of the communication received from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), are pursuing the matter with the hospital administration for referring the issue to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and initiate action against the manufacturers.

REGIONAL BRIEFS

EARLIER STORIES

	HC clears decks for computer education in govt schools March 15, 2001
	Panchkula MC defines its limits March 14, 2001
	MC meeting to take up privatisation of sanitation March 13, 2001
	HC summons SSP, SHO March 12, 2001
	City painted red, gold, pink, green.... March 10, 2001
	Liquor may cost more from April 1 March 9, 2001
	Residents to have voice: panel March 8, 2001
	New road to Mohali March 7, 2001
	Admn fixes conversion rates March 6, 2001
	Four international awards for Nek Chand March 5, 2001
	Why is UT spending crores to rehabilitate migrants? March 4, 2001
	Court stays vote-counting for Chandigarh Club March 3, 2001

Jhankar 2001 off to a colourful start
Chandigarh, March 15
The four-day All India Inter-university Youth Festival, Jhankar 2001 took off to a colourful start at Panjab University here today. Inaugurated by Mr Satyapal Saini, Minister of Information Technology, Punjab, the festival is being organised by Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC).

Students of Panjab University present a cultural programme at the inauguration of Jhankar 2001 organised by the Panjab University Students Council, in Chandigarh on Thursday. Photo Pradeep Tewari

BOTTOMLINE
Cricket makes a comeback as India down Aussies
Chandigarh, March 15
It was jubilation all around the city and its surrounding townships, with people distributing sweets and bursting crackers as India created history to win the second test match against the mighty Australians in Kolkata around 4.20 this evening.

COMMUNITY

Lending an ear to phone subscribers
Chandigarh, March 15
Senior officials of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) had to face an embarrassing situation when enquiry telephone number 197 ‘did not log on after repeated attempts during a Khula Manch held at the Consumer Mela at Nehru Park, Sector 22 to redress grievances of the subscribers of the BSNL here today.

Snag in phone exchange
Chandigarh, March 15
Normal functioning of various offices was affected since morning after a major fault occurred in the Fetex telephone exchange in Sector 17 here.

Cities ‘evolve with time’
Chandigarh, March 15
“The planners have to provide for a change as the cities evolve with the passage of time and with the changing requirements of residents,” says Mr Ronald G. Allen, a noted city planner, architectural designer and site planning expert from the USA.

CTCC demands PM’s resignation
Chandigarh, March 15
Activists of the Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee(CTCC) organised a protest rally in Sector 17 Piazza demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, following the exposures by a website alleging large-scale corruption in a defence deal.

Farmers’ dharna at Matka Chowk
Chandigarh, March 15
Hundreds of farmers from various districts of Punjab here today started an indefinite dharna at Matka Chowk on the call of five different farmers’ unions.

‘Tax policy killed Punjabi film industry’
Chandigarh, March 15
“The compound tax policy adopted by the Punjab Government a couple of years ago was a major reason for the decline of Punjabi film industry,” said Vijay Tandon, a National-Award-winning actor, director and script writer.

Photographers to strike work tomorrow
Chandigarh, March 15
To protest against the imposition of 5 per cent service tax on the photography services by the Central Government, the photographers of Chandigarh, SAS Nagar and Panchkula will strike work on March 17.

PDS sugar for poor only
Chandigarh, March 15
The levy sugar will now be supplied under the public distribution system (PDS) only to the families below poverty line. The directions to this effect have been received by the Chandigarh Administration from the Union Ministry of Consumers, Food and Public Distribution System. Prior to this sugar was being supplied to the non-income tax assessees.

Rs 5 lakh for quake relief
Chandigarh, March 15
The Chandigarh Golf Club has contributed Rs 5 lakh towards the Red Cross Earthquake Relief Fund for Gujarat.

Former Tribune employee dead
Chandigarh, March 15
Mr Bal Kishan, a former Advertisement Foreman of The Tribune, died here today after a brief illness. He was 75.

READERS WRITE
Honouring Nek Chand
During the silver jubilee celebrations of the Rock Garden, a delegation of the London-based Nek Chand foundation came to India and honoured the creator of the Rock Garden. It is a pity that no attempt was made by India’s Ministry of Tourism and the Chandigarh Administration to honour this son of the Soil who has made Indians proud by putting the Rock Garden on the world map of tourism. The celebration was a low-key affair and missed the opportunity to promote tourism in Chandigarh.

Then and now

Earthquake relief

CRIME

Sector 17 traders protest
Chandigarh, March 15
A former chief minister of Punjab has been accused of unsuccessfully trying to get a shop in Sector 17 vacated by his tenant with force. The Sector 17 Traders Association yesterday demonstrated in favour of the tenant and demanded that the police take action against the accused.

Students booked

Smack seized

Liquor seized

Mobile phone stolen

BUSINESS

‘Building byelaws cause harassment’
Chandigarh, March 15
The matter of building byelaws was discussed in detail with senior leaders of Chandigarh Beopar Mandal, in a meeting held today at Sector 17, Chandigarh.

EDUCATION

PECFEST begins today
Chandigarh, March 15
The three-day annual Panjab Engineering College extravaganza, PECFEST, opens in the college tomorrow. To be inaugurated by the Home Secretary, UT, Mr R.S. Gujral, the festival is being organised by the Chandigarh Administration and CII Chandigarh Council in collaboration with the college.

National conference on disordered material
Chandigarh, March 15
The national conference on “Recent developments on disordered material” was inaugurated at Panjab University here today by Prof V.D. Gupta, Emeritus Scientist, CDRI, Lucknow, and former Vice-Chancellor Gorakhpur and Allahabad University.

Baby show organised
A clarification

COURTS

Consumer Law Guide released
Panchkula, March 15
The President of the Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Mr R.C. Taneja, released a booklet titled Consumer Law Guide to mark the World Consumer Day, here today.

HIGH COURT
Dy Director told to pay costs in octroi deal
Chandigarh, Mach 15
Holding that action of awarding contract for collecting octroi to an Ahmedgarh-based organisation was tainted with arbitrariness and mala fide, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed that the costs of Rs 10,000 to be paid to the petitioner, shall be recovered from Patiala’s Regional Deputy Director of Local Government.

Provide security to old woman

Recoveries from teachers stayed

Inspect engg. college site jointly

MADHAN CASE
‘Irregularities’ in investigations
Chandigarh, March 15
With pre-trial procedures coming to an end today, the trial of Major Maneesh Bhatnagar of 5 Para by general court martial will commence from March 19.

CULTURE

French film festival begins today
Seven films that delve into women’s hearts
Chandigarh, March 15
The next seven days will witness the screening of some of the best French films made on issues related to women. Among movies to be screened at Kiran Theatre from tomorrow onwards to March 22 are some of the productions by great directors like Pascal Thomas, Stephane Brize, Marion Vernoux and Laetitia Masson.

Embroidery exhibition
Chandigarh, March 15
An exhibition of hand-embroidered works from Lucknow, opened at Aroma Hotel here today. It offers garments embroidered with 36 stitches that comprise the traditional Lucknowi kadhai. Designer Pooja Jethwani, who also manages a Mahila Sewa Sansthan in Lucknow, has stocked sarees, suits, etc in the exhibition.

Book of poems
Chandigarh, March, 15
An anthology of Hindi poems entitled ‘‘Nihathi Ladai Ladte Hue’’ written by noted Hindi writer Prem Vij was released by Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, Food and Supplies Minister, Punjab, here today.

HEALTH

Govt order on sale of mineral water
SAS Nagar, March 15
Keeping public health in mind, the government has decided that only those brands of mineral water which bear the ISI mark will be permitted to be sold after March 29.

New techniques help in diagnosis
Chandigarh, March 15
Experts deliberated over the latest techniques and developments in Histopathology and Cytology during the VI International CME and Update in Surgical Pathology organised by the Department of Histopathology which began in the PGI, here today.

GH-6 patient alleges harassment
Panchkula, March 15
The District Health Department has ordered an inquiry to find out whether or not a doctor of the Sector 6 General Hospital had pressurised a patient to get admitted to a private nursing home.

Laser equipment for eye treatment inaugurated
Chandigarh, March 15
A hi-tech laser equipment for eye treatment was inaugurated at the Western Command Hospital, Chandi Mandir today. The equipment will enhance the capability of the hospital’s Eye Department to take up cases of after-cataract treatment, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and high altitude eye disorders like retinopathies.

A patient being treated with a hi-tech laser equipment, which was inaugurated in the Western Command Hospital, Chandi Mandir, on Thursday. A Tribune photograph

SPORTS

Summer league cricket from March 24
Chandigarh, March 15
The fifth UT Summer League Cricket Tournament is being organised by the UT Cricket Association from March 24, according to Mr S.S. Bawa, secretary of the association.

Rural sports meet
Chandigarh, March 15
The three-day UT Rural Sports Meet began here today at the Sports Complex, Sector 7. The meet was inaugurated by Mr Gyanesh Bharti, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (East), Mr Dharam Singh, former Olympian, was the guest of honour.

ADMINISTRATION

Auction of parking sites on March 23
Chandigarh, March 15
The re-auction of as many as seven parking sites in the city, mostly those adjoining cinema halls, will be held on March 23 and the reserve prices of the same have been fixed by the Finance and Contract Committee (F and CC) in its meeting held yesterday.

MC not to remove cantilevers
Chandigarh, March 15
The Municipal Corporation has at present no plans to remove cantilevers of the houses in Mani majra. The residents of the area, particularly the old abadi areas of Marhiwala, Pipliwala town, Gobindpura and Subhash Nagar, have heaved a sigh of relief following an assurance from the Mayor in this regard.

Dept clarifies

CHB Chairman