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It was utterly, bitterly disappointing
All pain but no champagne
Chandigarh, March 23
Bubbles bursting at the brim of frosty mugs flowing with invigorating golden elixir failed to raise the spirits of so many cricket buffs reposing in front of giant screens and television sets in clubs and bars all over the city as the World Cup slipped out of their dreams for yet another four years.

Free-for-all at match screening 
Chandigarh, March 23
It was a free-for-all at Law Auditorium of Panjab University when two groups of students exchanged fisticuffs while watching the World Cup final match between India and Australia on a giant screen.

Chandigarh, March 23 The dashed hopes of Indian cricket fans here tonight prompted the Chandigarh police to post security personnel at the residences of two members of the Indian World Cup squad, Dinesh Mongia and Yuvraj Singh. Security personnel of the Chandigarh police posted outside the house of cricketer Dinesh Mongia at Sector 40 in Chandigarh on Sunday. — Photo Pankaj Sharma

Good luck couldn’t bring Cup home
Chandigarh, March 23
A grand bash was organised by students of the National Institute of Fashion Design to wish best of luck to the Indian cricket team for the World Cup final. At the party a dummy was draped in the Tricolour, innovatively designed by NIFD students. A best-of-luck banner was hoisted for the Indian team.

Get war on Iraq declared illegal: Medha

Chandigarh, March 23 Lashing out at the USA and its allies for invading Iraq, social activist and national coordinator of the National Alliance of People’s Movement (NAPM), Ms Medha Patkar, has asked the Indian Government to bring “Unite for Peace” resolution in the UNO and get the war on Iraq declared illegal. Medha Patkar, coordinator of the National Alliance of People’s Movement, during the “Desh bachao, desh banao abhiyaan” at Panjab University in Chandigarh on Sunday. — A Tribune photograph

A meeting with Saddam Hussein
Chandigarh, March 23
While the Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein and his country gets clobbered by the US-led forces, there are many in this country who feel sad over the fate which has befallen the Iraqis.

CHANDIGARH CALLING While the whole of the country has been going gaga over the World Cup, there has been utter neglect of the cricket stadium in Sector 16, once an international cricket venue and also home for several Indian players like the great Kapil Dev, Yograj Singh, Chetan Sharma, Ashok Malhotra and also the latest sensation, Yuvraj Singh. Road link Poor tax collection No enquiry please! Lease of life Dr Balamurali enthrals Vague acts Sandalwood saplings

COMMUNITY

Widened patch of NH 22 develops cracks

Panchkula, March 23 Barely two years after its widening, a strategic patch of National Highway No. 22 passing through Panchkula towards Shimla has developed “mysterious” depressions and cracks. Depressions and cracks that have appeared along a 1-km-long stretch of National Highway No. 22 leading to Shimla. — A Tribune photograph

When getting FIR registered becomes an ordeal
Chandigarh, March 23
Confusion over the jurisdiction of the place where a Panchkula-based trader yesterday lost Rs 1.50 lakh from his car parked in Sector 27 here saw him shuttling between the Sector 19 and Sector 26 police stations for the entire day to get the FIR registered.

Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev remembered
Chandigarh, March 23
The martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev was observed in the city with the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front urging the government to make the country self-reliant and protect it from Western influence.

City may miss date with VAT
Chandigarh, March 23
City traders can heave a sigh of relief as the much criticised value added tax (VAT) regime, is not likely to be implemented in Chandigarh from the scheduled date of April 1. Traders have been protesting against implementation of VAT saying it would ruin small businessmen.

VAT: CTCC chief flays Admn
Chandigarh, March 23
The president of Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee, Mr B.B. Bahl today, criticised the high-handedness of the UT Administration in announcing the implementation of VAT in Chandigarh.

Chemists’ protest against VAT on Mar 25
Kharar, March 23
Chemists of Punjab would join the all-India bandh and close their shops on March 25 to protest against the proposed rules and regulations of VAT 2003, said Mr Harish Chand Sethi, working president of the Punjab Chemists Association, while talking to mediamen here yesterday.

Residents gherao police station
Chandigarh, March 23
Tensions prevailed at Naya Gaon police station when around 50 residents of Janta Colony gheraoed the police station here this morning. They were agitated over the registration of a case against five youths of the colony.

Couple hurt in cylinder blast

CRIME

Gang kingpin booked for extortion
Panchkula, March 23
Tightening its noose around a gang operating in Pinjore, the police has now booked the kingpin of the gang, Amarjit Singh Bawa, a Congress leader, on charges of extortion from taxi drivers of Kalka.

Tractor-trailer runs over, kills boy
Chandigarh, March 23
A 15-year-old domestic help, Ramu, who was working at a Sector 16 house in Panchkula, died after being hit by a tractor-trailer at the housing board traffic lights here today. The victim was coming from Mani Majra on his bicycle when the mishap took place.

BUSINESS

ATM inaugurated at Lake
Chandigarh, March 23
Ms Vibha Agarwal wife of Mr Yogesh Agarwal, Chief General Manager, State Bank of India, inaugurated the 15th ATM of the bank at Sukhna Lake today. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Agarwal said that to facilitate the tourists and residents of the city, all these ATMs would be networked with more than other 750 ATMs of the bank. It would provide ‘‘anywhere banking’’ across the country.

Vinod Mittal CCI chief

EDUCATION

Late admissions may invite hefty fines
Chandigarh, March 23
Panjab University is deliberating on the directions of the Medical Council of India to charge heavy fines for late admissions (beyond a fixed date) from the forthcoming academic session.

Lecturers fail to reap special pay scales
Chandigarh, March 23
Several thousand college lecturers in the region have been left in the lurch as the Union Human Resources Development (HRD) Ministry has failed to implement special pay scales even four years after an agreement in this regard was signed with representatives of colleges teachers.

HAMARA SCHOOL SOPHIA CONVENT SCHOOL PANCHKULA Imparting tension free learning Tension free learning is the emphasis at Sophia International Convent School. Being projected as a "European style" school, this day boarding institute believes in students coming to school without being weighed down by school bags. Students dance in the music Hall.

• ‘Schools should provide career guidance’

• Brain Teasers

• Poems by students

SCHOOL WORLD
The Tao of education
‘The Tao’ in Chinese philosophy is Nature God. The opening line of THE TAO TE CHING by Lao Tzu, states: “The Tao that can be expressed is not eternal Tao.” The natural world is one of infinite varieties and complexities, a multidimensional world which contains no straight lines or completely regular shapes, where things do not happen in sequence, but all together; a world where even empty space is curved.

• Daily News Quiz

• TRICKY CROSSWORD

CULTURE

BHASKAR RAO SAMMELAN
Begum Akhtar’s protege enthrals

Chandigarh, March 23 Very few vocalists can carry both the classical and the light classical musical streams in their stride. Sipra Bose from Kolkata surely belongs to the rare genre of musicians who can rule the concert with outstanding knowledge of both classical and light classical music.

Anuradha Arora, Sipra Bose and Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan perform at the 33rd Bhaskar Rao Nritya and Sangeet Sammelan in Tagore Theatre, Chandigarh,  on Sunday. — Photos Parvesh Chauhan

HEALTH

WORLD TB DAY
Cured patients to carry hope
Chandigarh, March 23
“ dotS cured me, it will cure you too “ with this slogan, the UT health authorities under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) will be involving the 400 cured patients during the last one year in eradicating the disease .

Poor patients’ fund poor in money
Chandigarh, March 23
The poor patients’ fund is breathing its last at the PGI. To make matters worse, the National Illness Assistance Fund for poor patients suffering from tuberculosis, cancer and other major diseases, released by the Government of India in December, 2001, has been exhausted. The next instalment is still awaited.

• Award for doc
• Eye camp organised

ADMINISTRATION

Rs 10 cr surface in IT survey
Chandigarh, March 23
Income Tax Department’s survey over the past few days has resulted in the disclosure of disproportionate income worth over Rs 10 crore. As the last date of the financial year is approaching, the department has step up campaign against small-scale industrialists and traders so that they filed their returns and deposit full income tax.

Thief ‘let off’ case: probe ordered
Panchkula, March 23
The Superintendent of Police, Mr Ranbir Singh Sharma, has instituted an inquiry into the case of two policemen letting off a car thief while in an inebriated condition, even as he has sent them to the Police Lines.