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Mr Administrator, this is city’s problem No. 1
Cattle continue to stray, endangering lives
Chandigarh, November 17
They make their presence felt everywhere in the City Beautiful. You can find them on the road divider, cycle tracks, roundabouts, traffic junctions, parks, almost everywhere, causing not mere inconvenience to residents, but serious injuries to many. Chandigarhians have now had to put up with livestock, especially cattle, strolling on the main roads for long.

Stray cattle park themselves on a road divider in Sector 20 and a bull sits comfortably on a median of a road near Sector 20-30 crossing in Chandigarh. — Tribune photos by Parvesh Chauhan

Fire destroys two shops in Sec 22
Chandigarh, November 17
Electronic goods worth Rs 25 lakhs were destroyed in a fire that broke out in two adjoining shops in Sector 22, here today.

Goods worth Rs 25 lakh were destroyed in a major fire that broke out in electronics goods shops in Sector 22, Chandigarh, on Wednesday night. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

Probe into ‘slaughter’ of dogs
Chandigarh, November 17
The Medical Officer Health (MOH) of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh, Dr G.C. Bansal, today ordered an inquiry into the appearance of body parts of dogs in Sector 15 and other places.

Only 150 aspiring constables called
Police Dept to re-conduct physical test
Chandigarh, November 17
The Chandigarh police has decided to re-conduct a physical test for a few “select” rejected candidates amidst allegations of an “extremely” stringent test process for recruitment of constables held earlier.

Court orders attachment of Kang’s property
Shootout case at Kharar SGPC rally
Mohali, November 17
Over five months after a shootout at an SGPC rally in Kharar on July 2, which had left two Youth Akali activists dead and three, including Youth Akali leader Kiranbeer Singh Kang, injured, a Kharar court yesterday ordered to attach his property besides depositing the cash and gold which was recovered from his house with the government treasury.

High Court Registrar (Administration) shifted
Chandigarh, November 17
Mr A.K. Sharma, Registrar (Administration), Punjab and Haryana High Court, whose transfer on this post was one of the main reasons for straining of relations between Chief Justice Mr Justice B.K. Roy and majority of his brother-Judges, has been shifted.

Rodrigues gets cracking on his first day
Chandigarh, November 17
A day after Gen S.F. Rodrigues (retd) took charge as the administrator here, he sought a report on all projects awaiting implementation over the years.

Need to improve Army-media interface, say experts
Chandigarh, November 17
While calling for a change in the archaic rules concerning army-media interaction, experts called for a synergy between the Ministry of External Affairs, the Defence Ministry and Army Headquarters for requisite and adequate projection of the army's operations having international ramifications.

Cashier dupes employer of Rs 8.98 lakh
Chandigarh, November 17
A cashier working in a private company duped his employer to the extent of Rs 8.98 lakh, the police has registered a case of cheating in this regard.

COMMUNITY

Campaign Trail
Vote for someone who cares for you: Verma
Municipal Corporation byelection
Chandigarh, November 17
“We have had enough of ‘outside’ rule and got nothing in return. Vote for an insider who cares enough for the sector to bring about some development and doesn’t merely use us as a step to further his political ambitions.”

Mr O.P. Verma a candidate for Municipal Corporation Ward No 11 by- election meets voters in Sector 20, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. — Photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Admin open to allowing 10-storey residential blocks
Chandigarh, November 17
The Chandigarh Administration has kept its options open to allow 10-storey high residential blocks after practically rejecting the report of the Chandigarh Perspectives that had suggested against having such high-rise blocks.

Villagers protest against demolition of toilets
Mohali, November 17
Residents of Mataur village protested against the PUDA for demolishing public toilets in the village.

City noisy, SPM level above limit, says analysis
Chandigarh, November 17
Although air and noise pollution on Divali day continued to decline as in the past four years, noise levels on the night of the festival exceeded the permissible limits at all locations in the city.

Shiva for crusade against MNCs
Chandigarh, November 17
A winner of Right Livelihood Award, Dr Vandana Shiva, today called upon people to launch a crusade against multinational national corporations (MNCs) saying that they are endangering the economic freedom of the Third World countries.

Ms Vandana Shiva gives a lecture on economic freedom for common man, at Lajpat Rai Bhavan, in Chandigarh on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

Dharna against hike in petro products’ prices
Mohali, November 17
The local unit of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) sat in a dharna in front of the municipal office, Phase VII here as part of an all-India protest to mark the historic November Revolution Day. Members of the SUCI were protesting against the latest steep hike in the prices of petroleum, diesel and the LPG.

Temperature drop heralds winter nearer
Chandigarh, November 17
Winter drew nearer as day temperature fell by four degrees compared to yesterday. As against 28.4° Celsius recorded yesterday, the day temperature today remained 24.4 degree, the lowest recorded during this month.

Students on the Panjab University campus warm up with woollens to welcome the onset of winter. — A Tribune photograph

Students of Government Senior Secondary School, Mani Majra town, during their visit to The Tribune office in Chandigarh on Wednesday. — A Tribune photo Students participate in the Greenpeace-sponsored banner painting competition organised at Chandigarh Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sector 10. Organised on the theme of Bhopal gas tragedy, the contest drew lukewarm response, even as Raghu Rai’s exhibition on the chemical disaster prepares to wind up on Thursday. — Photo by Pradeep Tiwari

Army using retired officers for training courses
Chandigarh, November 17
To offset the shortage of officers, the Army is now using the services of retired officers for conducting certain training courses for officers as well as jawans.

Seminar to mark 50th anniversary of Panchsheel
Chandigarh, November 17
To mark the 50th anniversary of Panchsheel, the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) will organise a seminar, ‘‘50 Years of Panchsheel: Towards a New International Order Based on Genuine Multilateralism,’’ says Mr Butshikan Singh, Deputy Director-General of the ICWA.

Boy leaves home in search of ‘freedom’
Mohali, November 17
For Bhupinder Kaur, a resident of phase XI here, the whole day today has been a nightmare. Her 14-year-old son Gurpreet, decided to leave home this morning, in search of freedom and a life of his own.

Is this love or infatuation?
Chandigarh, November 17
I wrote on my heart, ‘It is not thoroughfare’, Love cried and said “I enter everywhere.”
Sohail Sharma, a businessman while trying to give words to his emotions said,” she was a dearest friend of my sister.

‘Plant more trees for eco balance’
Chandigarh, November 17
Forest cover in India has increased marginally over the past years to 20.56 per cent and it is for the first time since Independence that this has happened although the figure is still well below the 33 per cent mark, which is essential for ecological balance and stability.

Demonstration by SBP staff
Chandigarh, November 17
Employees of local branches and offices of State Bank of Patiala today staged a demonstration in front of their main branch in Sector 17 in support of their demands, on a call given by the All India SBOP Employees Federation.

Traffic disrupted
Chandigarh, November 17
The traffic remained disrupted throughout the day today because of recarpeting of the road on the Dakshin Marg between the GMCH and The Tribune Chowk.

Role of press
Panchkula, November 17
Discussions on today’s role of mass media in building of society were held during the Press Day celebrations on Tuesday. The SDM Panchkula, Mr Virinder Dahiya, was the chief guest on the occasion. He said that the press should remain an independent entity.

CRIME

Torture in custody: police yet to register case
Chandigarh, November 17
Jagmohan Singh Sarao who accused the police of ‘torture’ in custody early this month today alleged that he was kidnapped and beaten up by a group of unidentified persons, last night.

Family beaten up by former cop, fights for case registration
Chandigarh, November 17
A couple was allegedly beaten up by their neighbour, who was a former policeman on November 15, but the police does not believe them. The police instead of registering a case has reportedly been pressurising, Mr Arjun Sharma, and his wife to reach a compromise.

Sawitri and her husband Arjun Sharma narrate how they were attacked by a former cop in Chandigarh on Wednesday. — Tribune photo Pardeep Tiwari

One killed, 2 injured in accident
Zirakpur, November 17
One person died and two sustained serious injuries when a tractor-trailer on which they were travelling overturned after colliding with a Maruti car on the Zirakpur-Patiala highway. The accident took place near Chhat village, this afternoon.

• Suicide by ITBP jawan

• Mystery shrouds labourer’s death

• 2 cars, 2 scooters stolen

EDUCATION

PU Finance Board meeting defers pension scheme
Chandigarh, November 17
The implementation of the long-awaited pension scheme for university employees failed to take off yet again after being deferred in the Panjab University’s Board of Finance (BoF) earlier this year.

Members of the Panjab University teaching and non-teaching staff sit in dharna outside the Vice-Chancellor’s office on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

PU employees go on half-day mass casual leave
Chandigarh, November 17
Work at Panjab University came to a standstill with teaching and non-teaching employees proceeding on half-day mass casual leave, here today. They were demanding that members of the Board of Finance should pass a pension scheme for the university employees.

Payment to faculty above 60: PU, admin disagree
Chandigarh, November 17
The Panjab University and UT Administration are at loggerheads over the creation of a separate budgetary provision for disbursing salaries to PU faculty members teaching beyond the age of 60 years at a meeting held on the university campus, here today.

‘Annual Exuberance’ organised at Tagore Theatre
Mohali, November 17
Sanjay Public School organised- “Annual Exuberance” at Tagore Theatre, Sector 18, Chandigarh today. The chief guest was Mr Girish Sharma, Commissioner, Income Tax and the guest of honour was Mr K. K. Khandelwal, Labour Commissioner Haryana.

Students of Sanjay Public School, Mohali, await their turn to perform at the annual function of the institution at Tagore Theatre, Sector 18, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

Good response to board’s open school scheme
Mohali, November 17
The Punjab School Education Board here has received an overwhelming response to its open school scheme for Class XII candidates. This is in addition to the matric open school scheme currently being run by the board.

Tibetan students’ protest enters fourth day
Chandigarh, November 17
Fast by Tibetan students entered fourth day today. They are protesting against the Chinese government’s decision to execute Tibetan religious leader Lama Tulku Tenzin Delek.

Mehak wins National Child Award
Chandigarh, November 17
Twelve-year-old Mehak Paul, a student of local KB DAV Centenary School, Sector 7, received the prestigious National Child Award for Exceptional Achievements-2002 in the field of roller skating. The principal of the school, Ms Madhu Bahl, bestowed the honour on her.

Students seek provisional promotion
Chandigarh, November 17
Students of B Sc (Hons. school) held a dharna outside the office of the Vice-Chancellor here today. Led by Panjab University Students’ Union activist Parminder Brar, they were demanding provisional promotion to the next class and a change in the credit system.

Students of BSc (Hons) School on dharna outside PU VC’s office in Chandigarh on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

HEALTH

82 donate blood
Mohali, November 17
As many as 82 persons donated blood at a camp held at the Phase IV Tarana Bhavan here today. The camp, organised by the House Owners Welfare Society, Phase-5 in association with Lions Club was held to mark the inauguration of the new wing of the building.

1441 checked at medical camp
Mohali, November 17
As many as 1441 persons including students of seven schools were checked for various diseases at medical camp organised at Bakarpur village here today. MLA Kharar, Bir Devinder Singh, inaugurated the camp. Doctors from all specialities were available at the camp to check patients.

Health camp organised
Chandigarh, November 17
The Rotary Chandigarh Shivalik organised a multi-purpose medical and health camp at Kajheri village today.

Students donate blood
Chandigarh, November 17
As many as 140 units of blood were donated by students of the Blood Donors Club of the Government College, Sector 46, Chandigarh, at a camp organised in collaboration with State Bank of India in the college campus, here today.

Students donate blood at a camp in Government College, Sector 46, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

SPORTS

Rajasthan varsity win tennis tourney for women
Chandigarh, November 17
Rajasthan University, Jaipur, today beat Pune University, Pune, 2-1 in the All-India Inter University Tennis Tournament for Women, organised by Panjab University, Chandigarh.

Chetna of NTR University of Health Science, Vijayawada, returns a shot during all-India university women tennis tournament in Chandigarh on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

Hari Singh to take part in ASEAN car rally
Chandigarh, November 17
City-based car rallyist Hari Singh will participate in the ASEAN car rally which will be flagged off from Guwahati on November 23 by the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh.

ADMINISTRATION

Estate Office releases list of sites to be auctioned
Chandigarh, November 17
The Estate Office today released the list of commercial and residential plots to be auctioned on December 10 and 11.