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TOP STORIES

Who runs the Administration?
Much said, nothing done
Chandigarh, March 4
It was just a week before Divali and ironically, most streetlights on the main roads in the city were non-functional. Of course, the northern sectors were better off, but almost all roads in the southern sectors were dark. Roads leading to Mohali were the worst affected .

2 students hurt as school wall collapses

Dera Bassi, March 4 Two students of Government Senior Secondary School, Mubarikpur, near Dera Bassi, sustained serious injuries when the school boundary wall collapsed today. Residents of Mubarikpur village, Harish Kumar (12) and Amit Kumar (11) of Class VI were resting with their backs to the five-feet-high boundary wall during the recess when it collapsed.

Harish Kumar, a student of Class VI, Government Senior Secondary School, Mubarikpur, who sustained injuries in a wall collapse, being taken to the PGI in Chandigarh by his family members on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

Grandmas, grandchildren take  exam together

Chandigarh, March 4 Who said age deterred the process of learning? If 26 reasonably old women from a slum colony of Chandigarh can wake up to literacy at a time when they are expected to nurse grandchildren, anyone can be educated at any time in life. Women enrolled with the UT Adult Education Department in a cheerful mood after taking their first exam at Government High School, Sector 25, on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Third batch of slum kids takes exams

Chandigarh, March 4 The third batch of slum children today took the Class V exams at Government High School in Sector 25. Being educated under the aegis of Theatre Age, five children sat for the mathematics examination of Class V.   Zulfiqar Khan of Theatre Age with slum children who took the Class V exam at Government Model High School, Sector 25, Chandigarh, on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

Hooda sees plot behind dowry case
Chandigarh, March 4
Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Leader of the Opposition in the Haryana Assembly, said today that there was a political conspiracy behind the registration of a dowry case against him by his estranged daughter-in-law, Geeta Grewal. He said he would expose the kingpins of the conspiracy after the Lok Sabha elections.

It’s a frame-up, says wife of murder accused

Chandigarh, March 4 Dronacharya Temple priest Mehant Jaidev Giri was today remanded to police custody till March 7 for allegedly murdering a rickshaw puller who had complained against the “rape” of his daughter, who later married the priest. Murder accused Mehant Jaidev Giri being brought from court and (right): his wife and daughter outside the court in Chandigarh on Thursday.

COMMUNITY

Cong lying, says Mahajan
Chandigarh, March 4
The President of the local unit of the BJP, Mr Yash Pal Mahajan, today claimed its “Atal sandesh yatra” had been a grand success. He said the Congress was playing “drawingroom politics ” and was lying to mislead the people.”

Rs 6-cr power system okayed for Mohali
Project to ensure uninterrupted supply
Mohali, March 4
In a significant decision which may lead to Mohali getting the best power supply system in the North, the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) has given the green light to a Rs 6 cr project for uninterrupted supply to the town.

Mohali will not face water crisis this summer
Mohali, March 4
Mohali residents will get at least one million gallons of more drinking water per day this summer. Thanks to the six new tubewells that will be made functional for the summer, the Municipal Council (MC) here and the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) have assured the residents that they will not face water shortage this time over.

Panchkula MC passes 11-cr budget
Panchkula, March 4
The Panchkula Municipal Council here today passed Rs 11-crore budget for 2004-2005 against its expected income of Rs 11.11 crore. The budget was passed in a meeting of the MC House under the presidentship of Ms Seema Chaudhary.

Peace emissaries from Pakistan in city

Chandigarh, March 4 Transcending the border that divides the soul of the subcontinent and the heart of its people, peace emissaries from Pakistan came in the form of Old Ravians from Government College (University), Lahore, to rekindle the flame of friendship and love. The Pakistani delegation is welcomed with garlands at Government College, Sector 11, Chandigarh, on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Pawan Sharma

Old Ravians come calling from Pak
Chandigarh, March 4
Flashback to 1864: Government College was established in undivided India at Lahore. As it grew from strength to strength over the years, so did its illustrious alumni. Divided India brought with it the bifurcation of being Pakistani and Indian. The student community, too, suffered the divide.

Indian diaspora is a growing force abroad, says NRI
Chandigarh, March 4
India's stock is rising throughout the world, slowly but surely, owing in no small measure to the efforts of the Indian Diaspora abroad which is no longer content to sit back and watch the world go by.

Scheme to give fiscal aid to disabled
Panchkula, March 4
Three Haryana districts — Panchkula, Karnal and Rohtak — have been selected by the Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry for Supported Guardianship Scheme to provide financial security to the destitute, the disabled, the mentally challenged and those living below the poverty line in urban and rural areas.

Assault victim succumbs to injuries
Chandigarh, March 4
Uddal, a resident of Colony No. 5, who was injured in an assault by three youths behind the Scooter Market in Sector 52 on Tuesday night, succumbed to his injuries at the PGI today. He was admitted to the PGI in an unconscious state almost 10 hours after he was attacked. His brother-in-law, Ghanshyam, was also injured in the attack.

Residents slap notice on MC
Mohali, March 4
Residents of Sectors 66, 67, 68, here have slapped a legal notice on the Municipal Council, Mohali, demanding a payment of Rs 50 lakh as ‘return’ of octroi charges levied on the residents by the Punjab State Electricity Board.

Residents complain against rehriwallahs
Chandigarh, March 4
Residents of 11 types Government houses in Sector 19-C near Sadar Bazaar are forced to live under unhygienic conditions. The parking area has been taken over by rehriwallahs and people sitting in the open and selling their wares on folding beds.

• Phones out of order

• 3 quintals of meat seized

CRIME

Body of girl child found

BUSINESS

Industrial safety awards presented
Mohali, March 4
“Industrial safety should be made a part of school and college curricula, besides improving the legislation process.” said Ms Harsimrit, Principal Secretary, Labour and Welfare, Punjab, today.

EDUCATION

Probe sought against Kang on heading council
Chandigarh, March 4
“The president of the Panjab University Campus Students Council is no longer a student of the Department of Laws. However, he continues to head the council and use funds,” says the president of the Haryana Students Association (HSA), Vikas Rathee.

College organises seminar on the Gita
Chandigarh, March 4
A one-day regional seminar on ‘Application of the knowledge of Gita in the 21st century’ was held at GGDSD College, Sector 32, here today. The seminar was sponsored by the ICSSR.

MC chief releases school prospectus
Panchkula, March 4
The local Municipal Corporation President, Ms Seema Chaudhary, inaugurated the first session of Cosmopolitan Public School by releasing its prospectus here today. The adviser to the school, Mr Randhir Singh, said the school would provide free education to the needy children from weaker sections of society.

Vivek Shauq enthrals at reunion bash
Chandigarh, March 4
It was fun time for ex-students of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 35, who gathered under the banner of Association of Thirtyfive Model Alumni (ATMA) to party with Bollywood artiste Vivek Shauq at Aerizzona in Sector 9 here today.

Manav Mangal students shine at Science Olympiad
Panchkula, March 4
Kanav Goyal, a student of Class IX of the Manav Mangal School, Sector 11, Panchkula, has bagged first position in Haryana in the Sixth National Science Olympiad (First Level) organised by the Science Olympiad Foundation in December 2003. He has secured a percentile score of 99.87 and got an all-India rank of 20.

97 students get certificates, diplomas
Chandigarh, March 4
At least 97 candidates were awarded certificates and diplomas on the convocation of the National Institute of Technical Education at the auditorium of the Food Craft Institute in Sector 42 here today.

COURTS

High Court
Order reserved in rowing team selection case
Chandigarh, March 4
A Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today reserved its order on a petition seeking directions for quashing the selection of the Chandigarh team for the senior national rowing championship.

CULTURE

New Releases Real-life incident now on reel Showman International’s ‘Insaaf – The Justice’ will be released today at Batra, Chandigarh. The film has been produced by Mohammed Fasih and directed by Shrey Shrivastava. It is a story about revenge and retribution. It has been reportedly inspired by a real incident in Bihar. Dino Morea plays an IPS officer, a man of proven integrity assigned to solve a rape case. Sanjay Suri plays an IAS officer. Dino Morea and Henna in ‘Insaaf—The Justice’.

Young painters show eye for detail
Mohali, March 4
Students of the Institute of Fine Arts (IFA) here put up their maiden exhibition at the Institute in Phase IX today. More than 50 works created by eight students of the institute have been displayed for exhibition and sale.

HEALTH

• New Principal Medical Officer

SPORTS

This skater is on a roll Chandigarh, March 4 Nourin Midha of Panchkula, not yet 11 years old, has established herself as a promising skater in the past six years. Nourin, a student of Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 15, Panchkula, is supported by her parents in her pursuit to go all out in skating. She has won laurels both in speed and roller hockey. Recently, in the Haryana state championship held at Yamunanagar, she won a gold medal both in rink I and rink II and a silver medal in road races in the 8-10 age group.

Nourin Midha with the trophies she has won in roller skating.

ADMINISTRATION

Asst lineman suspended
Mohali, March 4
An assistant lineman working under the local division of Punjab State Electricity Board was suspended on the charge of corruption. Mr K.S. Sidhu, Additional Superintending Engineer, said yesterday that Mr Jagga Singh was suspended on the basis of a report submitted by the Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), Tech II, on January 19. Further inquiry into the case by AEE, Tech I, confirmed the allegations.