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TOP STORIES

F&CC for service charge on govt buildings
Recommends tax on annual rent of commercial property
Chandigarh, February 21
The Finance and Contract Committee here today recommended imposition of two per cent tax on annual rent of commercial property and 1.5 per cent service charge on government buildings with the hope that the Administration will withdraw the 1999 notification of 10 per cent tax.

Railways to have Rs 100-cr test track
Chandigarh, February 21
The Indian Railways will have a Rs 100 crore test track for trials to give its safety measures a fillip. This was stated here today by the Director-General of the Research Design and Standards Organisation of the Ministry of Railways, Dr Hari Mohan.

Bomb hoax on PU campus
Chandigarh, February 21
Confusion prevailed on the Panjab University campus for about three hours after a bomb hoax call was received by a university department this afternoon. However, the routine work at the university was not affected, claimed PU sources.

RUN UP TO BUDGET
‘Pump more resources into steel industry’
Units hit due to heavy taxation
Chandigarh, February 21
Reducing demand is the major cause of concern for the steel industry which wants the government to take measures in the forthcoming budget to generate demand by investing more in infrastructure and reviving those industries which use steel as raw material.

Traffic restrictions for Festival of Gardens
Chandigarh, February 21
City residents have been advised by the traffic police to avoid the roads around Rose Garden which will be closed from 6 am to 9 pm for three days starting tomorrow because of the Festival of Gardens - 2002 celebrations. Because of the traffic restrictions, the CTU buses entering Sector 16 will also be diverted towards the General Hospital roundabout from Yatri Niwas, Sector 24.

• Rose festival results

‘Daire’ to be staged in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, February 21
“Punjab’s on-going statewide women empowerment theatre campaign will present its anti-female foeticide Punjabi musical play ‘Daire’ in Chandigarh next month, after covering all 17 districts of the state,” said Pran Sabharwal, director of the play and convener of the campaign, here yesterday.

COMMUNITY

City on the threshold of water scarcity
Chandigarh, February 21
The city is heading towards water scarcity withdrawals from ground water far exceeding recharge resulting in drying up of resources for the future. As of now the of water supply is 274 million litres a day against a demand of 522 MLD, which will be 622 MLD in the year 2011, as per the projections of the Central Ground Water Board.

Lack of green belt irks residents
SAS Nagar, February 21
Occupants of flats in the category of economically weaker section flats in Phase VII are locked in a “battle” with the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority over its failure to earmark a green belt in their area. The case is coming for hearing before the Punjab Human Rights Commission tomorrow.

Mohali residents resent encroachment by school
SAS Nagar, February 21
Residents of Phase IV are protesting against a reported encroachment on the public land by the management of a private convent school. They alleged that the boundary wall on the northern side of Sherwood Convent School was being raised on a footpath constructed by the local civic body.

Communities have different interests: Bipan Chandra
Chandigarh, February 21
‘Communalism is an ideology and largely based on a communal view of history. And if one were to take out the communal view of history there will be nothing left of communalism.’’ said Prof Bipan Chandra, eminent historian, while lecturing in the city at the CRRID, Sector 19 here today.

Getting completion certificate easier now
Chandigarh, February 21
In a move aimed at simplifying the procedures of getting the cumbersome completion certificate, the Chandigarh Administration today allowed that residents can submit any proof of residence and not just the proof of sewerage connection which is accepted till now.

• A clarification

EDUCATION

DAV wins one-act play contest Chandigarh, February 21

The concluding day of the 43rd Inter-Zonal Youth Festival of Panjab University saw a few quality plays staged by the participating teams from different colleges here at the Tagore Theatre today. The festival was hosted by Dev Samaj College of Education, Sector 36. A scene from the award-winning play ‘Aankhen’ staged by DAV College, Abohar, at the Tagore Theatre in Chandigarh on Thursday. — Tribune photo Manoj Mahajan

National award boosts Bal Niketan morale
Panchkula, February 21
The management of Bal Niketan organised a function to celebrate the conferring of National Award for Child Welfare for the Year 2000 to the institute. Excitement was writ large on the faces of the children as well as the 200- odd invitees as well as patrons of Bal Niketan.

Strawberry Fields gets best campus prize

Chandigarh, February 21 As soon as you walk into the premises of Durga Das Foundation’s Strawberry Fields Kindergarten, Sector 24, here, you find your aesthetics sensibilities tingling with anticipation. The air is fresh, the grass is lush green and the flowerbeds are in almost full bloom. What strikes you instantly is the harmony and bliss. Nothing is jarring. Concrete brick and mortar structures blend with nature.

Strawberry Fields Kindergarten, Sector 24, Chandigarh, which won the first prize for the best maintained campus at the Festival of Gardens on Thursday. — Tribune photo Manoj Mahajan

Hostellers’ cultural programme Chandigarh, February 21 A colourful cultural programme was presented by hostellers of the Government College for Girls, Sector 42, here, on the ninth annual hostel function today. As the evening progressed, students dressed as brides, representing different states of India, danced to the thumping beat of reverberating music. Different dances, skit and parody were presented.

GAY ABANDON: Hostellers of Government College for Girls, Sector 42, Chandigarh, perform a Rajasthani dance at their annual hostel function on Thursday. — Tribune photo Pradeep Tewari

COURTS

HIGH COURT
Bansi Lal’s plea allowed
Chandigarh, February 21
Allowing a petition by Haryana’s former Chief Minister seeking the release of salary and other benefits for the period he stayed Leader of the Opposition in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Mr Justice Swatanter Kumar and Mr Justice Mehtab Singh Gill of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today imposed cost of Rs 1,000.

• Forgery case
• Dismissed

DISTRICT COURTS
Man sentenced to 2-yr RI
Chandigarh, February 21
A local court today sentenced to two years’ rigorous imprisonment Irshad, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, for outraging the modesty of a woman. The case was registered on May 19, 2000.

HC directive to rehriwallahs
Chandigarh, February 21
Taking up 12 writ petitions filed by 380 unlicenced rehri-phari wallas operating in Sector 26 grain market, Mr Justice Swatanter Kumar of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today ordered that all petitioners shall enter the sabji mandi from the gate opposite the police lines or any other gate identified for the purpose by the Chandigarh Administration from 7.30 am to 7 pm.

• HC order in rape case

CULTURE

NEW RELEASES
Back with a bang
Baba Films; the banner and Gordhan Tanwani, the name as a producer has been synonymous with box-office success. After the success of ' Ishq', 'Pyar To Hona Hi Tha' and 'Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge' Baba Films banner is back with a bang with their latest release 'Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge'. The film opens today at Piccadilly, Chandigarh and Suraj, Panchkula. The promos has a interesting baseline: ' expect the unexpected ....'

HEALTH

PGI to organise diabetes mela
Chandigarh, February 21
The Department of Endocrinology of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research here will organise a two-day "Diabetes mela" to educate the public about the available ways and means to control the menace of diabetes which contributes menacingly to a large number of deaths worldwide. The Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Mr Suraj Bhan, will inaugurate an academic and diagnostic programme at the Bhargava Auditorium of the Institute on Saturday morning.

Panchkula chemists’ strike tomorrow
Panchkula, February 21
The District Chemist Association today decided to go on a day-long strike on February 23, in protest against the action of the District Drug Inspector, Mr Deepak Puri, towards the chemist fraternity of Panchkula. All drug stores in the district will remain closed on February 23.

SPORTS

Sports day
Chandigarh
The annual sports day of the Food Craft Institute, Sector 42, was held today at Sector 46 Sports Complex which was inaugurated by Mr Alok Shivpuri, principal of the institute. Paras Kalhan secured first place in 100 metres and 200 metres section. In the girls section, Mandeep Kaur bagged first place.

ADMINISTRATION

Mohali MC selects new site for dump
SAS Nagar, February 21
To overcome the crisis over dumping of garbage generated from the town, a site near Balliali village was today finalised by a committee constituting of officials from PUDA, the SAS Nagar civic body, the Ropar administration and the Punjab Pollution Control Board.

No substantial hike in civic body budget
SAS Nagar, February 21
No substantial hike is proposed in the forthcoming budget of the SAS Nagar Municipal Council for the fiscal year 2002-2003. The budget is likely to be placed before the General House for approval in the first week of March.