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2 Net firm directors held for fraud
Chandigarh, December 15
The police today arrested two directors of the Sector 34-based West Internet Solutions Private Limited linked with the Net Khazana multi-level marketing scheme for allegedly defrauding 17,500 persons across the country of Rs 26.5 crore.

Manoj Jain and Ambrish Sharma, directors of Chandigarh-based West Internet Solutions Private Limited, were arrested on Monday by the police for defrauding people of Rs 26.5 crore. —  A Tribune photograph

Rain brings down temperature
Chandigarh, December 15
After a steady increase in the day temperature in the city over the past fortnight, snowfall in the upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh, resulted in the day temperature plummeting as cold winds swept the city.
Umbrellas are out: School girls take cover as widespread rain lashes Chandigarh on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

Petrol, diesel prices hiked
Chandigarh, December 15
With the state-owned oil companies announcing at least one-rupee hike in rates of petrol and diesel from midnight tonight across the country, the middle class money saving city residents thronged petrol stations after hearing the news on TV.

Votaries of rotation win Syndicate poll
Chandigarh, December 15
The group championing the rotation in Syndicate representation formed a near majority in the elections to the Panjab University Syndicate here today.

Shrines outnumber schools, colleges and hospitals in the country Chandigarh, December 15 It is official. Religion dominates in the country. To prove it, a look at the latest report on the census operations will be enough. The Directorate of Census Operations of India and Punjab have released primary data in this connection. It has been proved beyond doubt that people prefer to build more religious places than schools, colleges and even hospitals.

Punjab to restore full share of grants to PU colleges
Chandigarh, December 15
Mr Harnam Dass Johar, Minister for Higher Education, Punjab, yesterday assured the Panjab University authorities that the state government would make efforts to restore its full share of grant to the university colleges. This means there will be respite from the 10 per cent cut being exercised in grants to colleges being exercised at the moment.

Successful bidder of SCO site wants to withdraw
Chandigarh, December 15
In a major setback to the UT Administration, a week after the auction of commercial property in the city, Mr Satwinder Singh, who had successfully made a bid for commercial site in Sector 44 for Rs 1.48 crore, today approached the Estate Officer for the withdrawal of his offer, alleging lack of basic amenities.

Phase 3-A house burgled
Mohali, December 15
In yet another daring daylight burglary, thieves today decamped with items reportedly worth Rs 50,000 from the Phase 3A residence of a Punjab School Education Board employee.

• Mohali cops wake up after another burglary
  

Lake Club ex-GM Beri booked for fraud
Chandigarh, December 15
Former Lake Club General Manager Lt-Col Madhukar Beri (retd) has been booked by the police for allegedly issuing fake cash receipts for making members of the swimming pool of the club.

COMMUNITY

City becoming a drug transit point?
Chandigarh, December 15
The seizure of contraband worth Rs 50 crore here yesterday and culprits’ suspected links with the underworld and international drug syndicate have raised alarm as to if the city and its surrounding areas were becoming a drug-transit point.

• 1.2 kg more charas seized

• Dawood link

Roads become death traps
Mohali, December 15
The two main roads to Mohali from the Kharar-Chandigarh road are fast turning into death traps. In a period of less than six months, four persons have died and seven seriously injured in two major accidents that have taken place on these roads.

Mohali MC to enhance ground rent
Mohali, December 15
The Mohali Municipal Council (MC) will be enhancing ground rent from Rs 2.50 per sq foot to Rs 8 per sq foot. According to sources, this move will be a part of the agenda, to be placed before the House on December 22.

Report on Ranbaxy to come up at MC meeting
Mohali, December 15
A panel report, which demanded the shifting of Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd from the residential area of the town, is once again being put up in the House at the Municipal Council meeting to be held next week.

YOUNG ACHIEVER
Academics to sports — she excels with ease
Chandigarh, December 15
Guneev Kaur Dhillon, a Class XII student of Carmel Convent, Sector 9, has earned her place as the all-rounder of the school. From participation in quizzes to skating to topping in academics, she has done it all with ease.

Smoking will kill 1 cr in next 20 years, says expert
Chandigarh, December 15
Informing youngsters of the inverse relationship between cigarette smoking and education, Dr Rajesh Kashyap, Registrar (Medicine), Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, said, “A less educated person is more likely to take to smoking.”

Verma for protecting ex-servicemen’s interests
Chandigarh, December 15
Society should safeguard the interests of ex-servicemen who have given prime of their youth for defending the frontiers of our country, said the Punjab Governor and UT Administrator, Justice O.P. Verma, while presiding over the 27th annual Rajya Sainik Board meeting held at Punjab Raj Bhavan today.

Fauji Beat
Raw deal to ex-servicemen must stop
The only organisation in the country that has been downgraded in all respects after Independence is the Army. There has been a manifold drop in pay, pension and other benefits over the years. In 1949, the Armed Forces Pension Revision Commission stopped the compensatory pensions for early retirement.

• Chandigarh DSOI shaping up well

• Check illegal sale of CSD items

Promote minorities’ economic development, says Catholic Union
Chandigarh, December 15
The All-India Catholic Union has urged the Centre and the state governments to promote economic development of the minority communities and check the anti-minority rhetoric by parties, witnessed during the recently held assembly elections in four states.

Farmers given krishi cards
Mullanpur-Garibdass (Kharar), December 15
As many as 32 krishi cards worth Rs 40 lakh were distributed among farmers of the area by the Mullanpur-Garibdass village branch of Punjab National Bank yesterday.

Readers Write
Roundabouts - a traffic hazard
Roundabouts in Chandigarh, particularly those near Tribune Chowk, Labour Chowk and Sector 16 Cricket Stadium, are proving to be a traffic hazard. During peak hours in the morning and the evening, traffic becomes haphazard on these roundabouts, causing inconvenience to commuters.

Safai workers end strike
Panchkula, December 15
The four-day strike of safai karamcharis today came to an end, after municipal council officials assured them that they would be paid their salaries soon.

Police forms teams to nab Subhash, Kumkum
Panchkula, December 15
The police has formed five teams to nab Subhash Arora and his sister Kumkum, two prime suspects in the triple murder case of Dr K.L. Arora, his daughter-in-law and grandson and verify and get details of his property.

Kidney patient fights for life
Chandigarh, December 15
Mr Vijay Kapoor (27) is fighting for his life with both his kidneys becoming dysfunctional and he having no means to get them transplanted despite availability of them (from within the family).

EDUCATION

Punjab to restore full share of grants to PU colleges
Chandigarh, December 15
Mr Harnam Dass Johar, Minister for Higher Education, Punjab, yesterday assured the Panjab University authorities that the state government would make efforts to restore its full share of grant to the university colleges. This means there will be respite from the 10 per cent cut being exercised in grants to colleges being exercised at the moment.

LIFESTYLE

Chinese Santas flood city markets
SANTA is back in Chandigarh with his snow-white beard flowing with the breeze and a golden vest covering his traditional red attire. Even though Christmas is about 10 days away, he is already crooning “jingle bells” and other carols. He has brought along with him Christmas trees and other decorations all the way from China and Germany.

It’s my life
My mother encouraged me to sing
HI, I am Vinil Malik, a 15-year-old student of class IX at Bhavan Vidyalaya. I live in Sector 38 and love singing. I started singing when I was 11. I sang my first song on stage two years ago when I participated in the Yadgare-e Rafi competition. I got inspired to sing from my one and only guru Mohammad Rafi.

Vinil Malik
Class IX, Bhavan Vidyalaya

Over-dyed denims, woven trousers, knitted shorts in vogue
OVER-dyed denims and corduroys, besides designer jackets, woven trousers, mufflers and knitted shorts are hot in cool winters of 2003 — at least this is what General Manager of Maral Fashions Atul Aggarwal has to say.

20 girls to compete for “Face of Year” contest
Zirakpur, December 15
At least 20 girls from Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, New Delhi and other neighbouring states are participating in “Face of the Year 2003”, a four-day beauty pageant to be organised by Ayur Herbals in association with RDM Traders in and around Chandigarh from tomorrow.

Participants of “Face of the Year 2003”, a four-day beauty pageant to be organised by Ayur Herbals, at a hotel in Zirakpur on Monday.
— Tribune photo by Pawan Sharma

Yograj gets back in action
YOGRAJ Singh is back in action. Not in the cricket stadium, but in movies. He will be starring as a villian in his second Hindi movie. His first Hindi film was “Insaaf Ki Devi”, starring Jetendra and Rekha.

HEALTH

Advances in brain tumour surgery discussed
Chandigarh, December 15
The 52nd annual four-day conference of the neurological Society of India organised by the PGI’s Department of Neurology from December 12 concluded here today. Over a 1000 delegates participated in the conference. Which was held in the PGI after 15 years.

ICMR awards for 2 PGI docs
Chandigarh, December 15
Two PGI doctors, Prof S. Majumdar and Dr Sanjay Jain, have received the prestigious Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Basanti Devi Amir Chand prize and the Shakuntla Amir Chand prize, respectively. The awards are the two oldest awards of the ICMR instituted in 1953 by late Major-Gen Amir Chand for significant research contributions by scientists in biomedical sciences.

SPORTS

DAV, MCM shuttlers reach finals
Chandigarh, December 15
Shuttlers of DAV College, Sector 10, and the MCM DAV College for Women, Sector 36, sailed in the finals of the Panjab University inter-college badminton tournament played here at the PU gymnasium hall.

Gurjeet of DAV College, Sector 10, returns a drop shot while his partner Akash Sethi looks on in the Pu Inter College Badminton Meet at the Gymnasium Hall on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

Chetanpreet, Sabeeha bring glory to Punjab
Chandigarh, December 15
Two city-based shooters, Chetanpreet and Sabeeha Dhillon, helped Punjab in winning the coveted gold medal in the National Shooting Championship in progress at Hyderabad. Both Chetan and Sabeeha gave splendid performance in their event 10-metre Air Rifle by scoring 392/400 and 387/400, respectively in the final held yesterday. Punjab won the gold medal in the team championship followed by Maharashtra and Chandigarh team got the third place.

Cultural programme marks annual function
Zirakpur, December 15
A cultural programme marked the annual day function of the local AC National Public Senior Secondary School, organised on Saturday.