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Contractors to collect octroi in SAS Nagar
SAS Nagar, April 3
Stung by criticism of involvement of the employees in octroi evasion, the local municipal council has once again decided to privatise octroi collection in the town. The Local Government Department has already submitted its option in this regard to the civic body.

Children chirp in schools
Chandigarh, April 3
It was a day of mixed feelings for children as they trooped to schools on the first day of the new academic session here today. While many kids were seen to be reluctant to part with their parents others seemed anxious to make new friends.

Back to school: After about two weeks of playing video games and watching movies, the little ones return to schools in Chandigarh on Tuesday. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

Streetlight maintenance a knotty issue
SAS Nagar, April 3
Privatisation of the maintenance of streetlights here has got inordinately delayed as the municipal council has got bogged down in the completion of various formalities of the Punjab State Electricity Board.

• PM to make brief halt in UT

Rift between hoteliers & pub owners deepens
Chandigarh, April 3
The controversy over opening of pubs in buildings which are not specified for restaurant business ended yesterday but allowing pubs in existing restaurants, hotels and sites meant exclusively for pubs has brought about a divide among the hoteliers and the pub owners in the city .

Smoking is punishment
Chandigarh, April 3
Not many students know that smoking is a punishable offence in hostels of Panjab University. Those found smoking can end up paying a fire of Rs 100. Interestingly, it is not only the students who are ignorant of the fact, even a number of faculty members, when contacted for an opinion on the issue, also expressed ignorance about any such regulation for the hostel residents.

Rules that are flouted
Chandigarh, April 3
The most irrelevant document Panjab University seems to print is the book of instructions for the zonal incharge, chief coordinator, superintendent and supervisory staff of examinations, laid down by the university.

COMMUNITY

Natural is the best: Andrea
Chandigarh, April 3
Andrea Minghetti is very special to the world of glamour, so much so that the organisers of Miss Italia contest, held recently in Milan, would not compromise on anyone expect him to do the hairstyles for the 20 contestants. Andrea’s perfection on the job, thus, had him handling 20 models at the same time.

Recreating from the past
Chandigarh, April 3
Recreating old architectural sites is her passion. One cannot miss the sparkle in her eyes as this young architect-turned restorer talks about putting back the old architectural ruins into shape. “It is like recycling the past for the future”, says Vani Bahl, an almuna of the Chandigarh College of Architecture.

Holiday on April 6
Chandigarh April 3
The city will be a host to an elaborate three-day programme to celebrate the 2600th birth anniversary of Lord Mahavira — an apostle of truth, non-violence and peace.

Councillors sore with civic body
SAS Nagar, April 3
Councillors of the opposition group in the local civic body have protested against the utilising of its funds on development work outside the municipal limits. Pointing towards the channelising of a portion of a nullah passing through Lakhnor village at a cost of Rs 9.68 lakh by the civic body, the councillors said that development of the town was suffering.

Rs 27 lakh offered at Mansa Devi
Panchkula, April 3
Cash to the tune of Rs 27.75 lakh came as offerings at the Mata Mansa Devi Shrine during the Navratras and an additional Rs 5.10 lakh was collected as rent from the shops set up for the mela.

Plan to increase traffic cops’ strength
Panchkula, April 3
The number of traffic policemen employed in the city would be increased from 28 to 40 and modern equipment to increase their efficiency would be procured by the local police.

CRIME

Hit-and-run case: driver identified
Chandigarh, April 3
The police has finally been able to zero in on the driver of the car that had hit a 70-year-old man on the evening of March 30 in Sector 44 and later fled away from the spot with the victim on the pretext of taking him to a hospital.

Two drivers booked
Chandigarh, April 3
An altercation between a CTU bus driver and two autorickshaw drivers, that later turned violent, led to the former being injured and the latter being booked on charges of violence and obstructing a public servant from performing his official duty.

EDUCATION

Offering cheaper international quality education
Chandigarh, April 3
Education is one of the most important investments you will ever make and, as with any investment, you should consider the outcome you wish to achieve very carefully before embarking on a course of action. Your education will have a major impact on your life and professional development and will be your pathway to global career prospects and financial security.

55 art students get degrees
Chandigarh, April 3
For the 55 students of the Government College of Art, Sector 10, this day was all about homecoming. The annual convocation function of the college held here today was not just a formal routine for the students who passed out in 1999, it was also a time to relive golden moments of the days gone by.

Students congratulate Rahul, a mentally-challenged student, at the annual convocation of Government College of Art, Sector 10, in Chandigarh on Tuesday. — Tribune photo by Pankaj Sharma

Mentally-challenged overcome
Chandigarh, April 3
The mentally challenged students at the special cell of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan are not “very different” from the other students of the school. It is just that they are ‘‘slow learners’’ and require extra effort by parents and teachers. And after they succeed in tracing designs on clothes and paper bags with their help, an exhibition of their creations is indeed encouraging.



Mentally-challenged students of Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan, Sector-27, with their creations at the workshop in Chandigarh on Tuesday. — A Tribune photograph

PU exams start today
Chandigarh, April 3
Approximately 1,32, 600 students of undergraduate classes are appearing for Panjab University’s forthcoming annual examinations. Adding up candidates for the post-graduate and other courses the number totals up to approximately 1,65,100. English Compulsory ( compartment) examination was scheduled for today.

• Heavy rush for entrance tests forms
  
  

HIGH COURT
Bail for SP, DSPs in kidnapping case
Chandigarh, April 3
Granting bail to Punjab’s Superintendent of Police Mohinder Singh Chahal, along with Deputy Superintendents of Police Jagtar Singh and Ramesh Chander, in a kidnapping case, Mr Justice K.S. Garewal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the Director-General of Police to “consider the advisability of placing the petitioners under suspension”.

Witness examined in Madhan case
Chandigarh, April 3
The general court martial trying Major V. K. Madhan of 2 Rajputana Rifles for alleged dereliction of duty during Operation Vijay began with the examination of the first prosecution witness, Lt-Col Sandeep Kala, who was the battalion’s second-in-command at the time.

• Lawyers’ strike today
  
  

HEALTH

Imported juices found unsafe
Chandigarh, April 3
A team of the UT Health Department has seized samples of foreign manufactured packed juices and has found them to be adulterated and misbranded.

SPORTS

Golf Range goes hi-tech
Chandigarh, April 3
The Chandigarh Golf Range is all set to go hi-tech. It has acquired two swing trainer exercisers and plans to go in for close circuit TV cameras to monitor the performance of the trainees on a regular basis.

Girish Nayyar cricket tourney from April 7
Chandigarh, April 3
The Panchkula District Cricket Association will organise a cash prize open cricket tournament for the Girish Nayyar Trophy from April 7. The tournament is being organised in the memory of a keen sports lover Girish, who died in a road accident.

ADMINISTRATION

HC direction to Asst Estate Officer
Chandigarh, April 3
On a petition filed by the Subzi Mandi Rehri Farhi Association and a city resident seeking rehabilitation of vendors, Mr Justice Swatanter Kumar of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the Market Committee Secretary, along with the Assistant Estate Officer, to jointly carry out an inspection in accordance with court orders.

PUDA may write to MC on railing issue
SAS Nagar, April 3
Concerned over the mindless erection of mild steel railing in the town by the SAS Nagar Municipal Council, the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) is writing to the civic body to erect the railing in a planned manner. Sources in the PUDA said the issue was raised a recent meeting between the two departments.

Efforts on to improve Senior Citizens’ Home
Chandigarh, April 3
A Chandigarh Administration spokesman said today that the administration was doing everything possible to improve the quality of life at the Senior Citizens’ Home, Sector 43-A.

Replace missing junction boxes, officials told
Chandigarh, April 3
The Chief Engineer, Municipal Corporation, Mr Manmohanjit Singh, has directed the officials to replace the missing covers of the junction boxes of streetlights in the city. While the old ones, which just need to be set right, will be repaired in the next 10 days, and the new PVC covers will be put up shortly.