Fall in number of ‘winged visitors’
Chandigarh, April 5
The sudden rise in the mercury and fall in the water level of various lakes and ponds in the region have forced migratory birds to depart early to alternate habitats this year. 

Punjabi food fest in Mountview Chandigarh, April 5 The settings are of a village compound. Mud houses, a “theka” in a corner, people relaxing on cots enjoying “dal makhni” or “dal fry” with a glass of “lassi” will all be available when te four-day Punjabi Village Food festival — Pind Da Bulava (Invitation from the village) — gets underway at the Sector 10 Hotel Mountview here tomorrow evening. This is being done to coincide with the Mahavir Jayanti celebrations tomorrow.

A view of the desi kitchen for the Village Food Festival in Hotel Mountview, Chandigarh.

SPG discusses PM’s security with cops
Chandigarh, April 5
A four-member team of the Special Protection Group arrived in the city today and held discussions with the police on the security arrangements to be made here for the Prime Minister’s forthcoming visit on April 7.

PWD plans bundhs
Panchkula, April 5
With an eye on the fury unleashed by last year’s monsoon, which washed away a part of the newly constructed Sector 21 bridge, the PWD (Band R) designed an elaborate scheme of construction of bundhs to contain the damage.

CSIO Director is chief of foundation
Chandigarh, April 5
The Chandigarh Chapter of the Fellows of Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) Foundation, Germany, has been founded with Dr R.P. Bajpai, Director, CSIO, as president.

Mahavir Jayanti greetings
Chandigarh, April 5
The Punjab Governor, Lieut-Gen. J.F.R. Jacob (retd), today called upon the people to imbibe and preach the message of peace and non-violence of ‘Bhagvan Mahavira’.

• Panel to celebrate Mahavir Jayanti

H.G.S. Dhaliwal is SP (Operations)
Chandigarh, April 5
Mr H.G.S. Dhaliwal today took over as the new Superintendent of Police, Operations, after the former SSP Operations, Mr Asad Farooqui was given a farewell yesterday. Mr Dhaliwal was earlier posted as an Assistant Superintendent of Police in the Central Sub division in the city and was recently promoted to the rank of an SP.

• Press Club function held

• Mayor seeks probe

• Delegation meets DSP

• Writer bereaved

• Youth Cong to protest

Two arrested for injuring head constable
Chandigarh, April 5
The police arrested two youths after they hit a head constable of the Traffic Police and assaulted other police personnel on naka duty near Congress Bhavan, in Sector 35 last evening.

One injured in scuffle, four held
Chandigarh, April 5
A scuffle reportedly took place between two groups in the Industrial Area Phase II here this evening. Sat Pal Gupta reportedly suffered injuries and was admitted to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32.

Abduction turns out to be elopement
Chandigarh, April 5
The high drama in which a schoolgirl went missing yesterday afternoon from the city has turned out to be a case of elopement, say police sources. The boy, Arvind, was traced this afternoon and a van (HR-03-C-0848) belonging to his friend, Mohan, was impounded by the police.

BUSINESS

Apprehensions on juice adulteration allayed
Chandigarh, April 5
Mr Puneet Gupta, director of L-Comps and Impex Private Limited, engaged import and marketing of Berri brand of fruit juices from Australia, today sought to allay apprehensions that its products could be adulterated.

Punjabi culture declining: Bhagwant
SAS Nagar, April 5
Punjabi culture is dying in villages with the onslaught of urbanisation and even the old and familiar things like the charkha, lassi and the swing on the pipal tree are vanishing.

Punjab to promote patriotic plays
Chandigarh, April 5
The Punjab Department of Cultural Affairs today assured the National Theatre Arts Society of all help with regard to the promotion of plays which are based on secular themes. 

Different strokes on view
Chandigarh, April 5
“Different Strokes”, as the name suggests, was an exhibition of paintings and photographs highlighting different techniques of young artists who exhibited their work at a makeshift gallery at the office of GA Advertisers in Sector 38 here today.

HEALTH

Scheme to revamp primary health services in slums
Chandigarh , April 5
The UT Health Department is working on a scheme to revamp primary health services in slums which dot the city. Each unit — comprising a doctor, a nurse and an auxiliary nurse midwife — will work towards family welfare and vaccination and vitamin ‘A ’ deficiency in children in the slum areas of the city where no medical facilities exist.

De-addiction camp on April 7
Chandigarh, April 5
To mark the World Health Day, Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, in collaboration with various NGOs will organise a de-addiction camp on April 7, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., at the Day Care Centre in the Daddu Majra Colony.

Demand for cadre review
Chandigarh, April 5
The PGI Employees Union has expressed concern over delay in cadre review of the Engineering Department of the institute. According to Mr Subhash Chander, President of the union, the cadre review report has already been implemented in the AIIMS in New Delhi.

Sport meet concludes
Chandigarh, April 5
The 3rd National Sports Dance and Fitness Championship concluded today at the National Institute of Sports of the Patiala. According to Mr S. Rifaquat Ali, Deputy Director of the SAI, this four-day event was held under the aegis of the National Sports Dance and Fitness Federation.

ADMINISTRATION

Mayor calls on Jacob
Chandigarh, April 5
Mr Raj Kumar Goyal today called on the Punjab Governor and UT Administrator, Lt-Gen (retd) JFR Jacob today, along with his party councillors, for the first time after his election to the post. 

Drive to monitor sale of cut fruit
Chandigarh, April 5
The Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh has launched a drive against the sale of cut fruits kept in the open, following a ban imposed since April 1. The teams have targetted the fruit and drink sellers in all major colonies adjoining the city, particularly Colony No: 4 and 5, Palsora, Industrial Area, besides Sector 17 and 34 and destroyed the articles exposed to dust and flies under the Epidemic Diseases Act.

MC panel meeting next week
Chandigarh, April 5
The five-member sub-committee, constituted to form the nine sub-committees of the MC, is likely to meet next week. The said committee was constituted after the sub-committees constituted by the Mayor were dissolved in the House and the powers of the Mayor to constitute the same were withdrawn.

Lot of gas in CNG plan
Chandigarh, April 5
The plan of the Chandigarh Administration to have compressed natural gas facility here may hit rough weather. The only way to move the CNG from one place to another is through pipelines and the nearest CNG pipeline node is in Delhi.