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Contractors take over paid parking lots
Confusion still prevails
Chandigarh, May 6
The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh here today transferred the paid parking lots in Sectors 17, 8 and 9 to contractors after running the lots in the intervening period after the earlier contractor left mid way.

National blood policy formulated, finally
Chandigarh, May 6
After nearly three decades of tireless effort by the Indian Society of Blood Transfusion and Immunohaematology, the Government of India has finally come out with a national blood policy which aims at providing safe and adequate blood transfusion services to the people.

Shetty says he’s still learning Chandigarh, May 6 What makes Sunil Shetty an interesting person is not only his rippling biceps, but also his quick wit and confidence with which he handled adoring fans and aggressive reporters equally well in the Chandigarh Club here today. LAST ACTION HERO IN CITY: Sunil Shetty enters the Chandigarh Club on Monday. — Photo Parvesh Chauhan

School in neighbourhood makes neighbours unfriendly

Chandigarh, May 6 The woes of having a school in the vicinity has forced residents of Sector 32-D to seek closure of a primary school which is operating in a residence. Beginning with the traffic which chokes the road right in front of their houses every morning, the problem continues till school gets over in the afternoon. Vehicles parked outside a primary school in a residential area of Sector 32-D in Chandigarh. — A Tribune photograph

RED CROSS DAY TOMORROW
Special camps for the disabled
Chandigarh, May 6
All is set for the celebration of the Red Cross Day in the city on May 8. Special camps for the disabled, a function at Prayaas for handicapped children, talk on safe blood transfusion, blood donation camps and the launch of a campaign to stop misuse of the Red Cross emblem by those who are not part of the Red Cross Society will be a part of the day-long celebrations.

SI failed to register case: report
Chandigarh, May 6
A department inquiry has, reportedly, indicted a Sub Inspector of the Chandigarh police for dereliction of duty in the investigation of a murder case in 1996. Mr Baldev Singh, the Superintendent of Police (City), had submitted the inquiry report to the UT Inspector General of Police this week.

COMMUNITY

Aquatic delights for tiny tots Chandigarh, May 6 Podgy hands splashing wildly in the water, hair dripping with droplets catching the kaleidoscopic rays of the light and dimpled cheeks sparkling amidst broad grins as tiny tots have a field day, thoroughly enjoying their aquatic experience. Reveling in aquamarine blues are children of Strawberry Fields Kindergarten in Sector 24, Chandigarh.

Sidhu seeks transfer to Burail jail
Chandigarh, May 6
Controversial Punjab Public Service Commission Chairman, Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu today pleaded before a local court to detain him in the Model Burail Jail in Chandigarh instead of the Central Jail, Patiala, where he was presently lodged.

STOP COUNTING; ACT: If your child is on this rickshaw, won’t you be afraid? — Photo Manoj Mahajan

FAUJI BEAT
War memorials: edifices of courage
THE only way to keep the memory of war heroes fresh is to raise war memorials in their honour. In India, unlike in the West, a war hero is forgotten the day the war is over. Politicians here are not enamoured of the idea of raising war memorials to honour the brave soldiers who gave their yesterday for nation’s today.

• Army in Red Fort

• Citizens’ army

BJYM ‘exposes’ Congress’ misdeeds
Chandigarh, May 6
The local unit of Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha here today sought to expose the Congress’ claim of carnage of minorities in Gujarat. In a joint note, Mr Satinder Singh and Mr Shakti Prakash Devshali, President and General Secretary, respectively, of the BJYM, said that the Congress does not know that ‘shavyatra’ is taken out of own people and not of others.

Cong councillors should quit: Front
Chandigarh, May 6

The local unit of the People’s Front has sought resignations from the Congress councillors for allegedly inciting people to encroach upon government land. The front also sought a vigilance inquiry into the allegations and counter-allegations between the Congress and MC officials.
(From left) Leaders of the People’s Front, Ajay Jagga (Janata Party), Mohammed Shehnaz (CPM), Shivi Jaiswal (Samajwadi Party) and Rajendra Mohan Kashyap (Janata Dal-S), demand registration of an FIR against MCC Mayor Lalit Joshi at a press conference in Chandigarh on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

Fire in Sector 30 house
Chandigarh, May 6
A major fire was averted in a Sector 30 residence when the UT Fire Department, acting on an SOS call, reached the spot within minutes of receiving the message and doused the flames. But by then the fire had caused damage to property worth Rs 30,000 in the house.

Sites’ auction gets lukewarm response
SAS Nagar, May 6
An auction of sites in the bulk material market in Sector 65-A today attracted a lukewarm response as the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) was able to sell only 14 of the total 71 sites. An amount of Rs 2.5 crore was earned in the auction.

CRIME

Bid to smuggle charas into jail
Chandigarh, May 6
A head constable with the Punjab Police, Bahadur Ram, was arrested today while reportedly trying to smuggle charas into the Burail jail. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against him in the Sector 34 police station.

PNB 7-day working branch opened
Chandigarh, May 6 The seven-day working of the Sector 33 branch of Punjab National Bank was inaugurated by the first lady customer of the branch, Ms Savitri Dixit, here today. The oldest customer of the Punjab National Bank branch office, Sector 33, inaugurates the seven-day branch in the sector in Chandigarh on Monday. With her in the picture is the Senior Regional Manager, Punjab National Bank, Chandigarh region, Mr V. J. Mattoo.

EDUCATION

750 appear for mock test
Chandigarh, May 6
As many as 750 aspirants for a managerial career appeared at the Mock-CAT-2002 conducted by Bulls Eye, a preparatory institute for MBA, GRE and GMAT, in collaboration with The Tribune, at Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 27, here today.

UBS students allege foul play
Chandigarh, May 6
Alleging foul play, the students of first year of University Business School, Panjab University, have asked for a repeat of their internal assessment tests. These students met the Chairman of the department this evening here.

Class VIII results on May 10
SAS Nagar, May 6
The results of the Class VIII examination of the Punjab School Education Board are likely to be declared by May 10, sources in the board said today. A total of 4.26 lakh candidates, both regular and private, appeared in the examination held in February this year.

COURTS

Court order suppressing information flayed
Kharar, May 6
The Bar Association here has declared that the order passed by the Honourable Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, directing the police and the Judicial Magistrate not to give any information to the press was not supportable by any provision of law.

Dist Courts remain without power for 5 hrs
Chandigarh, May 6
The District Courts remained without electricity for about five hours as a fire broke in the main junction box in the ground floor of the lawyers’ chambers due to short circuit here today.

HEALTH

PGI interviews put off again
Chandigarh, May 6
The PGI has, for the second time, indefinitely postponed interviews for more than 60 open posts of Professor and Assistant Professor scheduled to be held from May 8 to 11 at the PGI.

Dr Trehan performs path-breaking surgery
Chandigarh, May 6
Dr Naresh Trehan, Executive Director, Escorts Heart Institute and Research Center and Mr. Robert Kollpanter, PA-C, Wausau Heart and Lung Surgeon, have performed Asia’s first ever endoscopic vessel harvesting procedure in Escorts, New Delhi.

Dr K. S. Chug gets FRCP
Chandigarh, May 6
Dr K. S. Chugh, Emeritus Professor of Nephrology in the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI), has been honoured with the Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians, London.

Immunisation drive for kids
Panchkula, May 6
The Health Department has launched a campaign under the 20-point National Family Planning Programme to immunise children against various diseases. Ms Jyoti Arora, the Deputy Commissioner, said, under this programme, 818 children have been given the BCG vaccine and 843 have been protected against measles.

Federation wants dispensary to continue
Chandigarh, May 6
Members of the Punjab State Services Federation have stated in a press note that the only ayurvedic dispensary being run at the Mini Secretariat should not be closed down.

‘Accept long-pending demands’
Chandigarh, May 6
The Government Medical College and Hospital Employees Union has condemned the callous attitude of the GMCH Administration in not having solved some of their long-standing demands. A meeting of the union’s General Body was held at the hospital today.

Summer timings at GMCH-32 from May 16
Chandigarh, May 6
The Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, will observe summer timings with effect from May 16 to July 15, 2002.

SPORTS

‘RSFI president acting arbitrarily’
Chandigarh, May 6
The General Secretary of the Chandigarh Roller Skating Association, Mr Jagpal Singh has alleged that the President of the Roller Skating Federation of India, Mr Pradeep Ganeriwal, had been acting in an arbitrary manner. The secretary further alleged that the President had on his own taken the decision to host the national meet at the respective state units in an alphabetical order.

ADMINISTRATION

Administrator’s Advisory Council
Chandigarh, May 6
The Chandigarh Administration today announced the constitution of the Administrator’s Advisory Council to advise the Chandigarh Administration on developmental issues and policy matters.

13 bus drivers challaned
Panchkula, May 6
The District Transport Authorities have impounded a private bus and two tractor-trailers which were being plied by their owners in violation of the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s directions in the district.

Accident-prone sites to be earmarked
SAS Nagar, May 6
The SAS Nagar police has undertaken a survey to ascertain and earmarked the accident-prone sites in the township. The Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr H.S. Bhullar, said after the survey, an adequate number of policemen would be posted at these sites to check accidents.