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96 kg of charas seized near Lalru
Dera Bassi, December 18
The suspicion of an international drug syndicate operating in this part of the region further strengthened after the Dera Bassi police found two bags and a box containing 96 kg of charas from a link road leading to certain industrial units from the Kalka-Ambala highway in Sarseeni village near Lalru in wee hours today.

Patiala police personnel show bags and a cardboard box containing 96 kg of charas worth Rs 50 crore found from near a sick unit in Sarseeni village near Lalru on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

• City cops’ raid on unit had yielded nothing

Man’s body found, kin smell foul play
Panchkula, December 18
Mystery shrouds the death of a 32- year-old resident of Abheypur village, Hari Ram, whose body was found in the Industrial Area, Phase I, this morning. Though the family alleges it is a case of murder, the police has initiated inquest proceedings.

Municipal councillor ‘beaten up’
Mohali, December 18
A municipal councillor representing Phase X was allegedly beaten up by a gang of at least 10 miscreants last night. The councillor, Mr Tirlochan Singh, was admitted to Civil Hospital, Phase VI, following injuries.

CHB notifies service rules for staff
Chandigarh, December 18
Almost 25 years after its formation the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has now formally notified recruitment and promotion rules for its employees thereby streamlining the system of promotions and removing the grievances of engineers, architects and ministerial employees. About 500 employees work with the board on full-time basis.

Victims of NRI marriages to attend workshop at PU
Chandigarh, December 18
Her aspirations reached the seventh heaven when she learnt she was marrying an NRI and would be flying off to the USA after her marriage in February, 2002.

Apathy in tackling AIDS pains Australian judge
Chandigarh, December 18
Stressing the need for having a comprehensive law in India, which protects the rights of HIV/AIDS patients, health care givers and those vulnerable to it, Justice Michael Kirby from Australia, today said creating a non-discriminatory environment based on principles of human rights was the best strategy to combat the epidemic.

Justice Michael Kirby from Australia speaks at a seminar on HIV/AIDS: the law and ethics’’ at the PGI in Chandigarh on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

• Nurses relate practical problems
  

COMMUNITY

Admn’s list of holidays for 2004
Chandigarh, December 18
The Chandigarh Administration, announced its list of holidays for 2004. There will be a total of 18 closed days in Chandigarh other than the closed days on Saturday and Sunday. The Administration had avoided getting into the details of the Nanakshahi calendar and followed the Vikrami calendar.

CPI seeks district status for Mohali
Mohali, December 18
The City Committee of the Communist Party of India (CPI) has demanded district status for Mohali. Secretary of the committee B.S. Jhajj said it was a long-pending demand of the residents of the town and should be fulfilled immediately.

Move on power tariff decried
Mohali, December 18
The Consumer Protection Forum has condemned the proposed 33 per cent hike in tarrif by the Punjab State Electricity Board as it said that the prevailing rates of power were already on the higher side.

Panchkula Diary
Central Cooperative Bank to give Rs 117 crore as loans
Panchkula, December 18
The local branch of Central Cooperative Bank will grant loans worth Rs 117 crore in the current financial year. These loans will be granted as crop loans, short-term loans and medium-term loans for non-agricultural purposes.

• Solar water pumping systems

Registration of births and deaths stressed
Panchkula, December 18
A district-level meeting on the national campaign on birth certificates was held here today. The meeting was chaired by Mr Sunil Gulati, Director-cum-Joint Registrar General, Government of India, who explained about the importance of registration of births and deaths.

Minister’s call to eradicate female foeticide
Panchkula, December 18
The Haryana Minister of State for Social Welfare, Mr Risal Singh, today called upon voluntary organisations to come forward in a big way to eradicate the evil of female foeticide from society as it might create a serious sex ratio imbalance.

Judah Assembly holds Yuletide
Panchkula, December 18
Judah Assembly of God, Panchkula, organised Yuletide - a festival of school choirs — on the joyous occasion of Christmas at Satluj Public School here today. Top schools from the township , Chandigarh and Mohali participated in the competition.

Body identified
Chandigarh, December 18
The man whose body was found from Sukhna Lake on December 16 has been identified as 23-year-old Amandeep Singh, son of Indian Express sports reporter Kuldeep Singh Lal.

• Workers to get short leave to cast votes

• Exhibition on adult education

EDUCATION

Stress on need to develop critical thinking in students
Chandigarh, December 18
He begins with the basic knowledge, introduces the background of the subject to the students and then motivates them to confront doubts by framing their own questions in a "manipulative way" so that subsequent discussion may follow.

Dr Ronald Case, Professor of Curriculum and Social Studies at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada (extreme left) interacts with the teachers of Vivek High School, Sector 38, Chandigarh, on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

Fusion dance enthrals audience
Chandigarh, December 18
As the thumping beats of reverberating music echoed against the decked up walls of Tagore Theatre in Sector 18, students dressed up as Japanese twirled around the stage during the annual day celebrations of Tender Heart School’s kindergarten section.

With love from Japan: Students of Tender Heart School participate in a cultural evening at Tagore Theatre, Sector 18, Chandigarh, on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

Fancy dress show at school
Panchkula, December 18
A fancy dress competition was organised at St Soldier Divine Public School here today to mark Christmas. The school wore a festive look as it was decked up for the Christmas celebrations. The tiny tots were dressed up as stars, Santa Claus, Christmas Tree and Shepherds.

YPS alumni to celebrate Xmas
Mohali, December 18
Members of the Old Yadavindrians Association, the Alumni Association of the Yadvindra Public School, here will celebrate Christmas in the school on December 24. The celebrations will include a scintillating dance and musical evening with DJ Saibal. Other than this, there will be over a dozen prizes for the best dancing couple, the best dressed couple, best solo dancer etc.

Songs, skits mark conclusion of NSS camp
Chandigarh, December 18
The first year NSS volunteers presented songs, jokes, poems and skits at Punjab Engineering College (PEC) on the concluding day of an NSS camp. Yoga exercises were also performed earlier in the day.

UGC-NET admit cards despatched
Chandigarh, December 18 
The office of the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET), Panjab Uni-versity, has despatched the admit cards of candidates who are appearing in the examination on December 21, an official press note said here today.

COURTS

High court
Chief Engineer told to visit Sukhna
Chandigarh, December 18
Taking up the “save the lake” case, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, headed by Chief Justice Mr Justice B.K. Roy, today asked the UT Chief Engineer and city resident Dr G.S. Dhillon to visit Sukhna Lake.

Frame uniform policy for garbage removal, Admn told
Chandigarh, December 18
A local court today issued a notice to the UT Administration and Medical Health Officer, Municipal Corporation acting on the Public Interest Litigation(PIL) filed by a city-based advocate, Mr H.S Awasthi, directing the authorities concerned to frame uniform policy to remove the garbage and waste in the city. Mr Awasthi has also pleaded for retraining the employees of the Municipal Corporation from harassing the public without any directions.

Police remand for five in murder case
Kharar, December 18
A local court has remanded five persons, who were arrested here yesterday in connection with a blind murder case, in the police custody till December 22. The suspects were produced in the court of Mr R.K. Khullar.

CULTURE

NEW RELEASES
Heavy dose of comedy in offing
From the makers of “Sazaye Maut”, “Satyakatha”, Khamosh, “Parinda”, 1942 A Love Story, “Kareeb” and Mission Kashmir, here comes a hillarious and heart warming saga ‘Munnabhai M.B.B.S’ in association with Entertainment One. Vir Chopra presents this Vidhu Vinod Chopra production which has a baseline. ‘‘No tension...... Apnu hai na....’’ This film will released today at Jagat, Chandigarh and Fun Republic, Manimajra.

Sanjay Dutt in ‘Munnabhai M.B.B.S.’

Cassette released
Kharar, December 18
The debut cassette of Karma Kabulpuri ‘Chalo Sangto Hansali’ was released by Sant Baba Ajit Singh Hansali Wale today. The cassette contains seven devotional songs, including a duet and has been marketed under the banner of Hofsy.

LIFESTYLE

Fashion Fundas
Colour your hair, look debonair and go for the kill
RED, copper, gold, burgundy, mahogany — well, we are not talking about the shades of a designer collection, these are the colours that have literally gone to the heads of Indians. Be it celebrities, the Gen X or the not-so-young, colour is ruling the crowning glory. The city, too, is not lagging behind as far as the number of coloured manes is concerned.

It’s my life
Be true to yourself
I lay the foundation of my life on ‘being true to myself and optimism in all endeavours’. I consciously attempt to make a chart of my strengths and weaknesses in all activities I undertake.

Pears from USA, a healthy option 
The young and the old trying to keep their figures in shape can now have an American pear (nashpati) a day, as it contains low cholesterol, sodium and is free from saturated fat.

Don shimmering stoles
If there is any one example of winterwear that has taken this winter by storm is the glitter stole-cum-shawl. Adorned by almost every woman who is attending weddings or even going out for a simple morning walk, these shawls are the latest winter fashion statement.

Realising dreams with dint of hard work
He stands alert outside the swanky Pizza Hut outlet in Sector 26 for almost four hours each night. Come rain, winter, spring or summer — 19–year-old Gauri Shankar Gupta is always there, greeting the pizza lovers as they come out and offers them what they would most need after a hearty meal-chooran and supari.

HEALTH

105 donate blood
Dera Bassi, December 18
As many as 105 persons donated blood at a camp organised by the Dera Bassi Industrial Association in collaboration with the local unit of Bharat Vikas Parishad, in the memory of Ramesh Kumar Garg, a leading industrialist, here today.

SPORTS

DAV ‘B’ team in Shivalik Trophy final
Chandigarh, December 18
DAV School ‘B’ team outplayed Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 35, by 28 runs to enter the final of the Shivalik Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament here today at the Sector 16 cricket stadium.

Arun Singla shines
Chandigarh, December 18
Arun Singla, a former Haryana Ranji Player representing Central Excise and Customs, Chandigarh, who scored unbeaten 31 runs including five sixes, was the star of the winning team in the cricket tie played between Chandigarh-Patiala Zone and Madhya Pradesh Zone.

ADMINISTRATION

5 ASIs to be recruited from SC, OBC quota by Jan 1
Chandigarh, December 18
The Chandigarh police is preparing to accommodate by January 1, 2004, five SC and Other Backward Class (OBC) candidates of the 1999 recruitment test held for posts of Assistant Sub Inspector from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal.

Swatanter Kumar is Legal Services Authority head
Chandigarh, December 18
The UT Administration, in consultation with the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, here today appointed Mr Justice Swatanter Kumar, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court, as the Executive Chairman, State Legal Services Authority, Union Territory.

District treasury to go hi-tech
Chandigarh, December 18
From January 1, onwards, the District Treasury Office, will go hi-tech and be in line with the latest technology of issuing cheques.