C H A N D I G A R H

Top stories | Community | Crime | Business | Education

Courts | Culture | Health | Sports

TOP STORIES

Goods worth Rs 7 lakh gutted
Chandigarh, March 11
A fire broke out at Capital Small Scale Industries, Industrial Area, Phase I, Chandigarh, here today. It took more than three hours for the Fire Department to be quelled and turned an estimated Rs 7 lakh worth of candles, paper rolls and packaging material into ash here today. A huge cloud of smoke was visible from a distance and workers were running for cover, a fire fighter said.

Spirit may soon return to night
Liquor in pubs, beer in discotheques soon
Chandigarh, March 11
In a move aimed at changing the night life in the city, sale of liquor will soon be allowed on peg-measure basis in restaurants and pubs, while beer will be permitted inside discotheques.

Alumnus returns as PEC Principal
Chandigarh, March 11
Dr Baljeet S. Kapoor, new Principal of Punjab Engineering College, received a grand welcome here today. While the band played a melodious tune, the teaching and non-teaching staff waited at the gate for over two hours for the Principal to arrive.

Recovery of house tax stayed
Chandigarh, March 11
A Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court headed by Mr Justice Jawahar Lal Gupta stayed the recovery of house tax here today and issuing a notice of motion for August 8. He acted on a petition that the act of Panchkula’s Municipal Council in issuing notices assessing annual value and house tax payable on properties in Sector 21 was illegal.

COMMUNITY

FAUJI BEAT
Don’t use Army for both roles simultaneously
THE Army’s primary role is to defend the borders of the country against external aggression, while its secondary role is to assist the civil administration in internal security (IS) duties. As per rules, the Army is called out for IS duties only when the situation goes beyond the control of the state police and the paramilitary forces.

People throng temples on Shivaratri eve
Chandigarh, March 11
Residents thronged temples on the eve of Shivaratri here this evening. They offered prayers, milk and fruits to the idol of Lord Shiva. They also attended the evening prayers in temples situated in Sectors 18, 20, 22, 23, 33, 35 and 36.

The Pracheen Shiv Mandir Shivalaya Khempuri, Sector 24, decked up on the eve of Shivaratri in Chandigarh on Monday. — Photo Karam Singh

Eucalyptus falls on moving car; occupants unhurt
Chandigarh, March 11
Two members of a family and their driver had a narrow escape when a full-grown eucalyptus tree fell upon their moving Maruti car here this afternoon. Mr S.K.Mishra, a hydrologist with the Punjab Agriculture Department, was going to Sector 17 when the tree bumped on to the roof of the car, damaging it to considerable proportions. He, along with his friend, Mangat Verma, and driver, Bant Singh, however, escaped unhurt.

A view of the eucalyptus tree which fell upon a moving Maruti car in the Chandigarh’s Sector 17 commercial area. — A Tribune photograph

Water shortage in Sector 57
SAS Nagar, March 11
Residents of LIG houses in Sector 57 here staged a protest in front of the Municipal Council office today against the acute shortage of water. The protesters said there were 434 houses built by PUDA in the area out of which only about 100 had been occupied owing to the lack of various facilities.

Lions Club honours Garcha
Chandigarh, March 11
Lions Club International Distt 32 F Region organised its annual region conference “SAMBANDH-2002” at Kharar. Lions clubs from Chandigarh, SAS Nagar, Ropar, Kurali, Kharar, Chamkaur Sahib and Morinda participated. Multiple Council Chairman, Dr N.K Grover, was the chief guest while S.P. Singh, Region Chairman, presided over the meeting.

Multiple Council Chairman N.K. Grover, District Governor D.K. Sood and Region Chairman S.P. Singh honour Ms Lakhwinder Garcha on her appointment as OSD to CM, Punjab, at Lions Region conference held at Kharar.

Sehajdhari Sikhs flay move

Injured bridegroom discharged from PGI

B.S. Sekhon dead

CRIME

Madan Lal surrenders
Chandigarh, March 11
An inspector with the UT Food and Supplies Department, Madan Lal, surrendered before a local court today. He was wanted by the police for his reported involvement in issuing a ration card to Pakistani spy Mohammad Riaz who was arrested by the Delhi police about one and a half years ago.

Cash, goods stolen from shop
Panchkula, March 11
Miscreants decamped with cash and goods worth Rs 35,000 from a shop in Sector 11 last night. It is learnt that they had broken into Satguru Gulab Dev Studios located on the first floor and stole three cameras, speakers of a deck and some cash.

One killed in road mishap
SAS Nagar, March 11
One person was killed when he was hit by a scooter here last night.

BUSINESS

MARKET PULSE
Pepsico rating soars
Chandigarh, March 11
PepsiCo has been rated as the world’s most admired beverage company by Fortune – one of the world’s premier business publications.

ATMs opened

EDUCATION

Xeroxed notes make you bundle up
Chandigarh, March 11
You have missed classes and not studied the entire year. Now, when examinations of colleges and university are approaching, you plan to get the photocopies of the notes of “serious” students, who have wasted their time in attending classes. No problem.

Infighting among teachers makes students suffer
Exam put off on last day
Dera Bassi, March 11
Over 150 students of Class XI of the local Government Degree College were shocked when they reached the college campus to appear in their last paper of the final examination, and were sent back to their houses by some teachers as the papers scheduled for today had been postponed.

PU plans diploma in journalism
Chandigarh, March 11
Panjab University is planning to commence a postgraduate diploma in journalism and mass communication from the forthcoming academic session.

Art college comes to life with ‘Renaissance’
Chandigarh, March 11
Students of the Government College of Art, Sector 10, carried a lot of spirit on their shoulders today. After the gap of last year which saw some interruption in conducting the colourful college fest, Renaissance, the campus was brimming with life again this morning. And as the day approached its end, the activity, set rolling by the first Chief Architect of Chandigarh, Mr M.N. Sharma, got more exciting.
A student of the Government College of Art, Sector 10, puts her artistic skills to test in the floor-painting contest of ‘Renaissance II’ on the college premises in Chandigarh on Monday.
— A Tribune photograph

Schools get a good deal
Chandigarh, March 11
The Chandigarh Administration has linked the price of school land to the floor area or covered area.

Seminar on IT
Chandigarh, March 11
A two-day national seminar on instrumentation and information technology for the disabled is beginning at the Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO) in the city on March 22.

Seminar on Harappa

HIGH COURT
FCI contractors can sue DC on curbs
Chandigarh, March 11
Taking up a petition filed by four Moga district residents challenging the orders passed by the Deputy Commissioner restraining them from constructing plinths for the Food Corporation of India, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today granted them the liberty to sue the DC, besides certain other respondents, by proving that his orders were illegal resulting in financial losses.

• Review rule on remarks in ACRs
• Date set for order on ex-Jathedar

RI for two bank officials
Chandigarh March 11
The Special CBI Judge at Patiala has sentenced two bank officials to rigorous imprisonment for up to three years and fine up to Rs 13,000 on the charge of demanding and accepting a bribe from clients.

DISTRICT COURTS
Sukhbir’s complaint case adjourned
Chandigarh, March 11
The UT Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr C.L. Mohal, today adjourned for April 20 a criminal complaint case filed by former Punjab Chief Minister’s son Sukhbir Singh Badal against the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president, Capt Amarinder Singh.

CULTURE

Salil, Aarthi captivate audience
Chandigarh, March 11
Salil V. Bhatt gave a Mohan Veena recital at Pracheen Kala Kendra, Sector 35, this evening. Making an identity distinct and yet quite like his father Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, the young musician garnered applause after every melody that he struck. Matching his calibre was Mahendra Dangi on the tabla.

HEALTH

New surgical technique tested at PGI
Chandigarh, March 11
Revolutionising the treatment of Hirschsprung’s disease, one of the common congenital problems in new-born children, a new surgical technique has been successfully tested by experts in the Department of Paediatric Surgery, PGI. The first 21-day-old child to be treated using this technique was discharged from the PGI today.

Dr Ram Samujh checks the first child in North India to be treated for Hirschsprung disease using the new single stage technique at the PGI in Chandigarh on Monday. — Photo Parvesh Chauhan

PGI brain drain continues
Chandigarh, March 11
Following the resignation of an Associate Professor of the PGI Department of Endocrinology, two Assistant Professors of the PGI have also offered to resign.

SPORTS

PEC club win opening match
Chandigarh, March 11
Anil Sharma and Umesh Karia scored 51 and 38 runs, respectively, thus enabled the PEC Sports Club beat the Elite Cricket Club by seven runs in the opening match of the IVth Godrej Storwel Cup League Cricket Tournament played at the PEC grounds here today. Elite XI skipper V.K. Bhardwaj won the toss and opted to field. Harminder Bawa with 27 runs and Sidharth Sharma with 18 runs fell easily to the fine bowling of the rivals. PEC players further lost the wicket of Manav easily.