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Fog throws life out of gear
Chandigarh, December 22
The city and the surrounding areas remained enveloped in fog for the sixth consecutive day today, affecting normal life. Flights from the city were cancelled while trains ran behind schedule due to speed restrictions. Road traffic moved at a snail’s pace.

Traffic jam follows heavy fog on the Dakshin Marg in Chandigarh on Monday night. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Mohali not to hike water tariff 
Mohali, December 22
The Mohali Municipal Council here has decided not to implement the Punjab Government’s notification to revise water supply and sewerage tariffs in the state.

MC shoots down proposal on Ranbaxy’s shifting
Mohali, December 22
The Municipal Council here has rejected the recommendation of its five-member committee to shift Ranbaxy from Mohali. This was decided at a meeting held here today.

Cut in college fee hike by week-end
Chandigarh, December 22
A considerable cut in the fee hike proposed by the UT Administration in city colleges is expected by week-end though the committee constituted in this regard dismissed a complete roll back at its meeting held here today.

MC team raids octroi contractor’s office
Catches him imposing illegal fine
Mohali, December 22
In what could lead to the unearthing of major octroi and sales tax evasion in Mohali, a team of Municipal Councillors today raided the octroi contractor’s office and caught him red-handed with an ‘impounded’ truck from whom he had allegedly demanded a fine of Rs 40,000.

Nanotechnology poised to change future
Chandigarh, December 22
“The 20th century saw the introduction of various technologies which had a great impact on society. One of the significant breakthroughs was the semiconductor technology which brought about a revolution in the information and communication technology,” said Prof V.S. Ramamurthy, Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Nation page:

• India’s trained manpower is its strength, says Ramamurthy

• Thoughts on creation of molecular computer 

NRI to meet Verma for justice
Chandigarh, December 22
While the country is wooing investors, especially NRIs, a Canadian of Indian origin is running from pillar to post to seek justice even as the police has failed to nab three of the four persons who duped him of Rs 12 lakh seven months ago.

Teacher suspended for beating up child
Chandigarh, December 22
A teacher of New Public School, Sector 18, accused of beating up a student, was suspended by the school authorities today. While the Principal, Mr R.D. Singh, was out of station, the Vice-Principal confirmed the action against the teacher, Mr Virender Kalia.

COMMUNITY

Adviser wants planned growth of city periphery
Chandigarh, December 22
Planned development of the periphery and villages outside the city limits, transport infrastructure and economic growth are on the agenda of the Adviser to the UT Administrator, Mr Lalit Sharma.

Sector 26 vegetable market cries for attention

Chandigarh, December 22 "If the visitors coming to the Sukhna lake are asked to visit the fruit and vegetable market in Sector 26, at a five minutes' distance from the Administrator's residence, most of them would not believe that this place is also part of Chandigarh. Despite bumpy roads, encroachments and filth in the fruit and vegetable market, Sector 26, thousands of customers and farmers visit it daily. — A Tribune photograph

Alternative power transmission system for Panchkula soon
Panchkula, December 22
A 66 KV ring main circuit for Panchkula will finally become a reality. The system, the first of its kind in the region, will have alternative transmission lines. The project had to be left midway following a devastating fire at the 100 MVA transformer at Ramgarh-Madanpur substation in December last year.

Visually impaired demand govt jobs 
Chandigarh, December 22
The tent put up by the Haryana Netraheen Jagriti Samiti in front of the 30 Bays Building here, for holding a sit-in to support their demand for state government jobs, has become like a second home for agitators. In the morning today, two volunteers were found sleeping under a cheap blanket while the third was taking a bath with icy water from a tank. Members of the organisation are demonstrating at the site for the past 84 days.

Land for dumping garbage sought
Mohali, December 22
The Citizens Welfare Federation has demanded that the Punjab Planning and Urban Development Authority (PUDA) should provide land free of cost to the municipal council for dumping garbage.

Bank’s money, villagers’ labour at work

Mullanpur-Garibdass (Kharar), December 22 Punjab National Bank (PNB), the village panchayat and the Youth Welfare, Sports and Health Club, Mullanpur, yesterday joined hands to re-carpet the main chowk in this village. The chowk has been in bad shape for the past several years and the villagers have been facing problems in holding public functions. A chowk at Mullanpur-Garibdass village, Kharar, being repaired with financial assistance from Punjab National Bank and kar seva by villagers. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Women’s role in water conservation stressed

Chandigarh, December 22 Emphasising the role of women in water conservation and management, the resource persons at the seminar on “Fresh water and women” highlighted the need for creating awareness to cope with water crisis. Speakers at the seminar on “Fresh water and women” at Indira Gandhi Bhavan in Sector 11, Chandigarh, on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

Eco Notes
Myna’s notes getting louder
The exchanging notes of myna are getting louder and louder in the City Beautiful. A survey, recently carried out by the Environment Society of India, reveals that in and around the city, their population is increasing. It shows that mynas — common, bank and pied — are plentiful and have adapted themselves to the environment.

A.P. Singh elected Golf Club president
Chandigarh, December 22
It was age and experience that won the day at the Golf Club elections. For it was Lieut-Col A.P. Singh (retd), an old warhorse, who wrested the president’s seat of the Chandigarh Golf Club with a clear margin of 188 votes.

Fauji Beat
Silencing enemy guns became his mission
THE battle of Ganga Sagar in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in the 1971 war, brings alive the valour of Lance Naik Albert Ekka of 14 Guards. When Albert’s company was locked in a hand-to-hand fight with the enemy on December 4, he noticed a light machine gun (LMG) inflicting heavy casualties on his company. He rushed into the enemy bunker and bayoneted two enemy soldiers manning the LMG to death. Though seriously wounded in this action, he continued to fight along side his comrades.

Ex-servicemen present memo to Verma

Chandigarh, December 22 The All-India Ex-Servicemen League (AIESL) today observed “black day” in protest against “apathetic attitude” of the government towards their long-pending demands. A delegation of the All-India Ex-Servicemen League presented a memorandum to the Punjab Governor, Justice O.P. Verma, in Chandigarh on Monday.

PSEB told to reconsider clerks’ case
Chandigarh, December 22
Taking up a petition filed by Mr Amarjit Singh and 15 other clerks, whose services were terminated by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) on November 21, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, comprising Mr Justice H.S. Bedi and Mr Justice Ashutosh Mohanta, has directed the board to reconsider the cases of petitioners.

CRIME

Rs 73,000 stolen from scooter
Lalru, December 22
Two motor cycle-borne youths broke open the glove compartment of a scooter and decamped with Rs 73,000 from the densely populated Lalru market here today. According to the police, the owner of the scooter, Mr Udey Singh, a local resident, had withdrawn the money from the local branch of Co-operative Bank and had kept it in his scooter (PB-39A-4507), which he parked outside a shop when one of the youths broke open glove compartment and took away the cash.

EDUCATION

From Schools
Enthralling performance  by schoolchildren 

Chandigarh, December 22 A variety programme marked the annual prize distribution function of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 47, here today. A Saraswati vanadana marked the beginning of the programme, followed by dances, songs and skits. A bhangra and a giddha were the main attractions of the programme. Girls of Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 47, Chandigarh, perform during their annual function on the school premises. — A Tribune photograph

From Colleges
Students shown the way to a dream job at workshop 
Chandigarh, December 22
Tips on preparing a bio-data, sending a resume through the e-mail and creating a positive impression when appearing for an interview were discussed at a day-long workshop, “Way to your dream job”, on facing interviews at Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26, here today.

Tribune in Education
Working moms and child development
Social changes in the recent past, especially the increase in employment among women having young children, have altered many aspects of family life that have a bearing on child development.

DAV team attends convention
Chandigarh, December 22
A nine-member team of DAV Model School, Sector 15, attended the sixth international convention on students’ quality control circle in Lucknow from December 16. The convention concluded on December 19.

COURTS

‘Outsider’ lawyers won’t be able to cast ballot
Chandigarh, December 22
For the first time in more than 20 years, “outsider” advocates have been debarred from casting their ballot in the elections to the UT District Courts Bar Association to be held on January 16. Besides, advocates who have not cleared their dues for the past one year, have also been debarred from casting their ballot. The decision was taken by the executive body of the association as per its newly implemented constitution.

Man gets 1-year RI in cheque-bounce case
Chandigarh, December 22
A city resident, Mr A.K Jain, was today sentenced to one-year rigorous imprisonment and was also fined Rs 1.05 lakh by the UT Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr C.L Mohal, in a cheque-bounce case. The cheque was for Rs 1 lakh. In case of default in the payment of fine, the accused will have to undergo three months’ extra rigorous imprisonment.

Naresh Batra gets anticipatory bail
Chandigarh, December 22
A local court has granted anticipatory bail to city businessman Naresh Batra in the Batra family dispute case. He, along with other accused, were summoned by a Judicial Magistrate (First Class) on the basis of a complaint filed by city student Vikram Batra.

LIFESTYLE

Golden look in vogue for parties

Planning to end your blues at a Christmas party or New Year’s eve bash but your looks are making you think twice? Don’t worry. Get that sun-kissed complexion, or look like a silvery on-the-move mannequin carved out of marble. You can also cut footloose after looking like a golden diva. You can have tresses in matching hue with “hair mascara”. City girls decked up in gold, silver and copper for a New Year’s eve bash at a cosmetics centre in Chandigarh. — A Tribune photograph

Tough being single on Xmas eve

Can the stags — the message is not painted in bold letters over “gateway to happy hunting grounds”, but is vivid in the resolute eyes of burly guards standing outside discotheques organising Christmas parties. Flashing their tobacco-stained teeth, the men-in-uniform always manage to stand in way of forlorn guys every time they attempt to barge in. Waving their muscular arms, they try to verify the antecedents.  Stags strictly prohibited. — Photo by Pawan Sharma

Christmas spirit reigns supreme

The rehearsal hall of Tagore Theatre could not have looked better. It was the Christmas magic that seemed to have worked well, not only for the hundreds of celebrating students from the National Institute of Fashion Design (NIFD), but also for the dead concrete of the space, which came alive with festivity this afternoon. Youngsters revel at the early Christmas celebrations organised by NIFD at Tagore Theatre, Chandigarh, on Monday. — Tribune photo by Pawan Sharma

Santa paints the town red
Mohali, December 22
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way.... As the countdown for Christmas begins the city is acquiring a colourful look. While shops, institutions and hotels are trying to outdo one another in Christmas decorations, city schools too have joined in.

It’s my life
Flying is my dream
I am Abhinav Sharma and student of Class IX in St. Stephen’s School, Chandigarh. I believe that to be ambitious is necessary to be successful and my aim is to become a fighter pilot.

SPORTS

Title win for St Stephen’s School

Chandigarh, December 22 St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, emerged champions on the concluding day of the First Kanwar Harbans Lal Memorial Football Tournament played at the Football Stadium, Sector 17, here today. In a pulsating final, St Stephen’s boys humbled the spirited Mehar Football Academy, Kurali, by four goals to two. St Stephen’s Football Academy team in a jubilant mood after winning the First Kanwar Harbans Lal Memorial Football Tournament in Chandigarh on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

Sports meet begins at GMN College
Ambala, December 22
A two-day annual sports meet began in GMN College, Ambala Cantonment today. Divisional Railway Manager Keshav Chandra was the chief guest. Mr Chandra said students must concentrate in studies as well as sports for overall development. Among others, Mr Laxmi Sagar, Dr R.R. Malik and Dr Suraj Bhan were present.