Chandigarh, May 21
The existing 10-bed hospice in Sector 43 will be expanded and its capacity doubled. Also a community care centre will be set up for HIV-AIDS patients. This will be operational with the help of the PGI and UT State AIDS Control Society.

This was disclosed at the 18th annual general meeting of the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCH), Chandigarh branch. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Kumar, while highlighting the various activities of the IRCH, said charity in cash or kind was given to the poor, destitute and widows. It provided assistance to chronic patients, scholarships to blind students, assistance to victims of natural calamities, free medicines to the poor, sick and needy and transport service by way of vans, ambulances and funeral vans at very reasonable rates. An ambulance, housed in a Toyota Qualis, was added.

At the meeting, the annual reports for the years 2002-03 and 2003-04 were presented and the audited accounts for the years 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04 were also tabled. The budgeted account for the years 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05 were also put up.

Chandigarh, May 21
To make the weekends lively, the UT Administration has decided to organise open-air concerts of various bands available in and around the city.

Bands of the police forces of Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana as well as those of paramilitary and defence forces will perform during weekends at different locations in the city.

Three bands will perform simultaneously every Saturday at the Sector 17 Piazza; Lakeview, Sukhna Lake; and Drop-In, Sector 34, from 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm. On Sundays, the performance will be held only at Lakeview.

A series of performances will encourage music students and performers also to put up their shows and help in bringing out visual arts from galleries into public spaces. The performances will not promote communal harmony and national integrity but also encourage youngsters to join the forces.