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TOP STORIES

Water seepage endangers Mansa Devi frescoes
Panchkula, September 8

Hundreds of years old frescoes in the parikrama and sanctum sanctorum of Sri Mata Mansa Devi shrine here are getting destroyed because of underground water seepage.
Dampness caused by seepage of water in the walls and ceiling of the sanctum sanctorum and parikrama of Mata Mansa Devi shrine has spoiled the frescoes there. — Tribune photo by Pawan Sharma

Youth kidnapped, beaten up
SAS Nagar, September 8
A teenager was kidnapped from Phase VI here and later released after being beaten up today. According to reports, some youths who were in an Indica car kidnapped Rajbir from near a government primary school in the area.

Student bodies announce candidates
Chandigarh, September 8
While canvassing and campaigning for the elections to the Panjab University Students Council went on, most parties spent the day finalising the names of candidates and making formal announcements of their panels.

Members of the ABVP panel pose for a photograph; and (right) students holding placards of SOPU campaign at Panjab University in Chandigarh on Monday. — Tribune photographs CAMPUS NOTES A string of examinations in the offing for college students

MC washes hands of garbage disposal
Chandigarh, September 8
Passing on the buck regarding the disposal of “garbage and horticulture waste” to the residents, the Municipal Corporation here has ruled that the same would not be collected by their staff “from domestic dustbins, haudies and open points, even back lanes”, with immediate effect in at least some of the sectors.

Another hike in petrol price in the offing

Chandigarh, September 8 Petrol prices in the city are going to rise by another Rs 1.50 per litre as the Chandigarh Administration is going to increase the sales tax on petrol to bring it on a par with Punjab. At present, the rate of petrol in Chandigarh is Rs 32.79 per litre. This was revised on September 1, before which the rate was Rs 30.66 per litre. If fresh taxes are imposed then the price will go beyond Rs 34 per litre.

Bhardwaj, Sharma in race for post of Chief Engineer
Chandigarh, September 8
With just three weeks to go for the retirement of the UT Chief Engineer, Mr Puranjit Singh, the race for the top post is hotting up. Two senior engineers, Chief Engineer, Municipal Corporation, Mr V.K. Bhardwaj and Superintending Engineer, Construction Circle-I, Mr K.B. Sharma are vying for the post.

COMMUNITY

Help comes from UK for Shivani
Kharar, September 8
Acting on a news item published in the Chandigarh Tribune on September 3 under the heading “Minor sent to Savera”, Mr Harpreet Singh Jhinjar, a resident of 48 Camden Avenue, Hayes, UK, has offered to take responsibility for the education of 16-year-old Shivani Khurana.

A girl admires a poster displayed at the Dev Samaj College for Education, Sector 36, Chandigarh, on the occasion of International Literacy Day on Monday. — Tribune photo by Pankaj Sharma

Zoo keeps public guessing on names of contraceptives
Chhat Bir (Patiala), September 8
The Chhat Bir Zoo authorities seems to keep secret the names and nature of oral contraceptives being administered to the female species of lionesses, tigresses and panthers in containing the growth of their population.

PANCHKULA ROUNDUP
Farmers’ assurance on fly menace
Panchkula, September 8
Poultry farmers in Barwala poultry belt have assured the district administration of mixing medicine in the feed served to hens and spraying insecticides in order to curb fly menace.

Jain speaks up for UT employees
Chandigarh, September 8
A former member of Parliament and a member of the National Executive of the BJP, Mr Satya Pal Jain, today urged the Centre to restore the service conditions of UT employees as applicable on November 1, 1966 — when the Union Territory of Chandigarh was created.

Emerging out of the shadows to touch the blue heavens. — Tribune photo by Pankaj Sharma

Nodal preraks awarded
Chandigarh, September 8
City-based Non- Governmental Organisations (NGOs) should make efforts to make Sarv Sikhsha Abhiyan and Adult Education programme a success, said the Adviser to the UT Administrator, Mr Virendra Singh, while inaugurating the International Literacy Day, at a state-level function here this evening.

BSF to get 40 acres in city
Chandigarh, September 8
The Border Security Force (BSF) is set to acquire a significant presence in Chandigarh with the UT Administration agreeing to transfer about 40 acres of land in its possession to the BSF for establishing the headquarters of Additional Director-General (West) and two BSF battalions being moved here. 

FAUJI BEAT Western Command has many firsts THE Western Command, which turns 56 on September 15, can boast of leading all the operational commands of the Army in the tally of gallantry awards. Notably, the first highest gallantry award of the country, Param Vir Chakra, was also won by the Western Command. This was awarded to Major Somnath Sharma of 4 Kumaon (Posthumously). The war memorial at Chandi Mandir symbolises the sacrifices of the Western Command jawan.

Air Marshal D.C. Nigam in city
Chandigarh, September 8
The Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Maintenance Command, Air Marshal D.C. Nigam, arrived at No. 3 Base Repair Depot (BRD), here today on a three-day inspection visit.

Seminar on “Born to win”
SAS Nagar, September 8
The National Institute of Personal Management organised a one-day seminar on ‘Born to Win’ at hotel Mountview.

Punwire staff call on Amarinder
SAS Nagar, September 8
A deputation of Punwire employees, who have been on a relay fast for the past two years, met Cap Amarinder Singh, Punjab Chief Minister, in Chandigarh today and apprised him of their problems.

Man crushed under Jan Shatabdi
Lalru, September 8
Didar Singh (21), a resident of Janetpur village, was crushed to death by Jan Shatabdi Express on the Kalka-Ambala Railway line near the Dappar railway station this morning.

Ryan School structures demolished

CRIME

4 cases of theft reported
Chandigarh, September 8
The UT police today registered four cases of theft in various parts of the city. A case of theft under Section 379 of the IPC was registered on a complaint by Vinod Kumar, a resident of Sector 42, at Sector 36 police station. He alleged that someone stole his Alto car (CH-03-E-3957).

• Illegal abortion suspected

IN  CITY
Prince’s foray into chocolate business
Chandigarh, September 8
From fashion designing to producing premium class dark chocolates is quite a journey. But a prince charming from Jodhpur, Raghavendra Rathore, has performed it with a relative ease. Raghavendra Rathore was born in the erstwhile princely family of Jodhpur. He is a cousin of the Maharaja of Jodhpur. He studied at Parsons School of Design in New York.

EDUCATION

‘India has 45 cr illiterates’
Chandigarh, September 8
A poster-making contest and a talk on literacy were held at the Dev Samaj College of Education, Sector 36, to mark World Literacy Day today. Students, faculty members and social workers attended the lecture, which was organised in association with the Department of Adult and Continuing Education, Panjab University.

COURTS

Mechanism required for protection of witnesses, says High Court
Chandigarh, September 8
Less than two months after all the accused in the Best Bakery case were acquitted allegedly due to the backing out of witnesses because of fear, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled that it would be appropriate for both the Central and state governments to expeditiously adopt a programme for the protection of witnesses.

DISTRICT COURTS
High Court employees remanded
Chandigarh, September 8
Two employees of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, arrested for their alleged involvement in the forgery of documents relating to a civil writ petition, were remanded in police custody for three days by a local court here today.

• Case transferred
  

CULTURE

Classical art lovers in for a bonanza
Chandigarh, September 8
Doyen of classical music and dance are set to enthrall the city audience during the inauguration of a new branch of the Pracheen Kala Kendra at SAS Nagar. Giving this information at a press conference at the head office of the Pracheen Kala Kendra, Sector 35, here today, Mr M.L. Koser, said a five-day-long cultural programme would mark the inauguration ceremony scheduled for September 12.

NIPER to prepare database on medicinal plants
Chandigarh, September 8
The SAS Nagar-based National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) is one of the four national research institutes associated by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) to prepare a database on the quality and analytical standards of the Indian medicinal plants.

Mobile phones long-term health hazard, says study
Chandigarh, September 8
Mobile phone users have been warned against the long-term health hazards posed by the device in a scientific paper prepared by two professors of Punjab Engineering College (PEC) here.

PGI engineers oppose deputation
Chandigarh, September 8
The PGI Engineers’ Association have sought the filling of the post of Superintending Hospital Engineer “from eligible bona fide PGI engineers”. In a letter to Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Sushma Swaraj, the association members have alleged that the administration had illegally and arbitrarily selected a candidate on deputation from the CPWD.

SPORTS

Ganesh Chaudhary is best judoka
Chandigarh, September 8
Ganesh Chaudhary of Sanjay Public School was declared best judoka on the third and final day of the CBSE North Zone Judo Championship being held at IS Dev Samaj Girls, Senior Secondary School, Sector 21, here today.

ADMINISTRATION

MC plans to upgrade traffic lights
SAS Nagar, September 8
For better traffic management, the Municipal Council here is upgrading traffic lights in the town. The conventional system is being replaced with a modern set-up, which apart from saving power will help in the smooth flow of traffic.

MC seeks 10 cr for road repair
Chandigarh, September 8
Within two days of the UT Administration approving a plan to recarpet V-4, V-5 and V-6 roads and augment storm water drainage system in southern sectors of the city, the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) today sought a special package of Rs 10 crore from the administration for the purpose.