C H A N D I G A R H

Top stories | Community | Crime | Education

Courts | Culture | Health | Sports

TOP STORIES

Survivors from Port Blair recall nightmare
Chandigarh, January 3
After they left Port Blair, for three days and an equal number of nights they remained huddled along with 1200 others aboard a Chennai-bound passenger ship, uncertain about their fate. 

Mr V.K. Bhatia with his wife, Kamlesh, and children after returning to Chandigarh from Port Blair where they survived the December 26 tsunami. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

Providential escape for two city families
Chandigarh, January 3
Pain in the stomach of Mr Sanjeev Garg’s wife saved them and their children from the tsunami. Coupled with this, God played the saviour as their flight to Rameshwaram from Chennai was postponed due to hostile weather conditions.

Scenes of tsunami havoc haunt Panchkula couple
Panchkula, January 3
What could have been a perfect holiday for Gaurav Kumar and his wife, Nitika, turned out to be a bitter experience for the couple. 

Gaurav Kumar and his wife, Nitika, recall their harrowing experience at Langkawi Islands, which was hit by tsunami as they show images on their laptop in Panchkula on Monday. — Tribune photo by Malkiat Singh

Donations pour in for tsunami victims
Lawyers collect over Rs 2 lakh for PM's Relief Fund

Farmers taking to organic farming in a big way
Chandigarh, January 3
Organic farming is fast catching on in India with increasing number of farmers coming into its fold, promoting it particularly in the production of food, including fruits and vegetables. The farmers are now willingly coming forward to adopt it as prospective occupation, mostly because the organically produced products fetch attractive economic returns.

Cong leader, doctor commit suicide
Chandigarh, January 3
A 40-year-old Congress leader of Daddu Majra and a 30-year-old government doctor posted in Ramdarbar today allegedly committed suicide in separate incidents while a gardener lost his life after falling from stairs.

Worker dies in pipe blast
Chandigarh, January 3
A worker of Bhushan Industries died in blast in the factory in the Industrial Area, Phase I, here today. Prem Kumar died on the spot when one of the receivers of the pipe hit him on the head after a blast in a pipe that had got chocked.

STATE OF THINGS TO COME: The Road Safety Week started on a chaotic note as traffic is held up at the Sector 22, 21, 34, 35 roundabout on Monday.  — A Tribune photograph

SI nabbed while accepting bribe
Chandigarh, January 3
The Chandigarh Police’s image got a beating with one of its Sub-Inspectors, Om Prakash today being trapped outside the Industrial Area Police Station while accepting Rs 5000 as bribe. Om Prakash is the third police personnel in the past couple of months to have been nabbed by the CBI for accepting bribe.

UT not to acquire residential structures in Kishangarh
Chandigarh, January 3
The Chandigarh Administration today made a major decision to exempt about 950 residential structures in Kishangarh village from acquisition. About 121 kanals of land in the village will be left out of the ambit of acquisition. The order says the exemption “is on humanitarian grounds”. A notification under Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, was issued today.

CHANDIGARH CALLING While waiting for the signal on the busy traffic light points on city roads one occasionally come across tiny tots donning freak dresses. Some of them holding the tastefully-decorated images of certain deities, may attract your immediate attention.  In bad taste Tribute to tsunami-hit Aid for victims Courting controversy School timings Mockery of fashion Year-end blues Mayor’s “aides”

COMMUNITY

EO violates HC order on red light
Zirakpur, January 3
Throwing all norms to winds, an executive officer (EO) of the Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat has allegedly been violating the Punjab and Haryana High Court's orders by using black films on the windowpanes of his official vehicle and a red light atop it without permission.

Website on traffic rules launched
Chandigarh, January 3
Vehicle users are now just a click away from an online traffic rule learning website, launched today on the inauguration of the 16th National Road Safety Week. The site and a CD were released by the Administrator, Gen (retd) S.F. Rodrigues, at the Children Traffic Park.

Procession to mark Guru’s birth anniversary
Chandigarh, January 3
A procession was taken out today from Gurdwara Guru Teg Bahadur, Sector 34, in view of the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, which falls on January 5. It started at around 3 pm and passed through Sector 35 market, Kukhrain Bhavan, Kisan Bhavan, gurdwara, Sector 23, and Sector 21 and concluded at the Kalgidhar Kheri gurdwara of Sector 20.

‘Sirhind Dian Gallan...’ on Balle Balle channel
Chandigarh, January 3
On the occasion of birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, an album titled “Sirhind Dian Gallan Chamkaur Dian Gallan (Vol II)” by Brig Partap Singh Jaspal will be telecast on Balle Balle channel from 6.45 a.m. to 7.45 a.m. on January 5.

Rodrigues lays stone of Sec 43 ISBT
Chandigarh, January 3
With a view to easing congestion of vehicular traffic in Sector 17 and to cope with the growing needs of residents of southern sectors, the construction of second phase of Inter-State Bus Terminus in Sector 43 was started today. 

The UT Administrator, Gen S.F. Rodrigues, explains to the Chief Architect, Ms Renu Saigal (extreme right) on what more is required at the upcoming ISBT in Chandigarh on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

Let down by police, old man approaches High Court
Mohali, January 3
Waiting for justice from the Punjab Police for the past one month, 86-year-old Pritam Singh, resident of Chilla Manauli village, who was allegedly cheated by another resident of the village, has now approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Tragedy averted as van catches fire
Chandigarh, January 3
A tragedy was averted when a Maruti van(CH-03-J-3358) caught fire in the Sector 7-C car market here this evening. According to information, the van, belonging to Mr Deepak Ahuja of the Sector 26 Grain Market, caught fire when it was being repaired at the car market.

A fireman tries to control the fire in a van at Sector 7 Chandigarh, on Monday. 
— A Tribune photograph

Survey of roads to ease traffic flow
Mohali, January 3
The Mohali police, in collaboration with the Municpal Council here, will undertake an exhaustive survey of various roads and chowks in the township as part of the Road Safety Week. The Superintendent of Police, Mohali, Mr Rakesh Agarwal, today inaugurated the 16th National Road Safety Week here today.

Robbery bid accused costs Mohali police dear
Mohali, January 3
For the cash-starved Mohali police, the robbery bid outside a bank in the township on December 31 is proving to be a costly affair. The accused in the case, Rajwinder Singh, was injured when he was shot at by bank’s guard.

Venu Gopal takes over as AOC, 12 Wing
Chandigarh, January 3
Air Commodore Venu Gopal has taken over as the Air Officer Commanding, 12 Wing, here. He took over from Air Cmde S S Tilloo, who has proceeded to the National Defence College, New Delhi, on a course.

CITU demands withdrawal of pension ordinance
Chandigarh, January 3
The Punjab State Committee of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions today demanded the immediate withdrawal of the “anti-working class” ordinance promulgated by the UPA government for setting up the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority.

463 recruits inducted into ITBP
Chandigarh, January 3
As many as 463 recruits were formally inducted into the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force at an impressive passing out parade organised to mark the completion of their training at the force’s Basic Training Centre, Bhanu, near here today.

ITBP Director-General K.J. Singh reviews the passing out parade at the ITBP Basic Training Centre at Bhanu, near Chandigarh, on Monday.

Fauji Beat
Are ex-servicemen children of a lesser god?
LITTLE did ex-servicemen know before becoming members of the Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme that the propaganda made in praise of this scheme was not all that true. No doubt, it is a good health scheme.

Fog delays arrival of trains
Chandigarh, January 3
Even as there was a slight decline in the maximum and minimum temperatures here today, fog continued to delay major trains coming to the city. According to sources, while all major trains left at the right time the morning Delhi-Kalka Shatabdi Express was delayed for over one-and-a-half hours.

Markfed staff stage dharna
Chandigarh, January 3
Members of the Markfed Employees Joint Action Committee staged a dharna in front of their head office here today as part of the ongoing agitation in support of their long-pending demands, including payment of bonus, for 2003-2004.

CRIME

Two killed in accidents
Chandigarh, January 3
A motorcycle-borne youth and an employee of the Life Insurance Company were killed in two separate accidents in the city during the past 24 hours. The youth was killed when his bike was hit by an unknown vehicle, near the Sukhna petrol pump, on the Purab Marg. The police said the identity of the youth has not yet been established. The helmet of the deceased was smashed. The accident was likely to have been caused by some liquid spilt on the road. It is suspected that he might have fallen off, after the vehicle slipped on the road.

Policemen inspect the site of the accident, in which a youth was killed in Chandigarh on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

Two die in road accidents
Mohali, January 3
Even as the Mohali police today started a traffic awareness week, two young men lost their lives on Mohali roads. Ripan, a 23-year-old resident of Guru Sar Sadhar, Ludhiana died last night when a truck hit his motorcycle.

One crushed to death
Lalru, January 3
A resident of Ambala was crushed to death and two women were seriously injured when a Maruti Zen car rammed into his cycle at the Nagla chowk in Handesra village, about 15 km from here, this afternoon.

3 held for drinking at public place
Panchkula, January 3
The Kalka police today arrested three persons from near Gandhi chowk, Munish, Ravinder and Vinod Kumar, on charges of drinking at a public place. They have been booked under the Excise Act.

2 truckers hurt in clash
Dera Bassi, January 3
Two truckers — Charan Singh and Mr Joginder Singh — of the Bassi Mubarikpur Truck Operators Union, Dera Bassi, sustained serious injuries in a clash between two groups of truckers here late last night.

EDUCATION

SOPU demands re-exam for Ph.D aspirants
Chandigarh, January 3
Up in arms against the Panjab University authorities for failing to conduct the entrance test for Ph.D aspirants for Hindi, candidates and activists of the Students Organisation of Panjab University began a chain-fast.

Thin attendance in city schools
Chandigarh, January 3
Majority of the schools in the city opened, following the end of the ten-day winter vacations, today. While all government schools opened today, thin attendance was registered in these schools. 

Glad to be back to school, students of Manav Mangal School in a cheerful mood after the winter break in Chandigarh on Monday. 
— Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

COURTS

High Court
Reservation sought
Chandigarh, January 3
A PIL has been filed in the High Court seeking reservation in appointment of lawyers as law officers by the Governments of Punjab and Haryana as also UT Administration.

Lobbying picks up for Bar Association poll
Chandigarh, January 3
Though the elections to the executive body of the District Bar Association (DBA) has been put off from January 21 to 28, the poll scene has hotted up with lobbying for various posts picking up momentum.

CULTURE

Impressive performance but meagre collection
Indians have a glorious tradition of fighting any forced or natural calamity by rising to the occasion irrespective of political or religious affiliations. “Be it the Latur earthquake, Kargil war or the tsunami disaster, the spirited participation of our people in sharing the woes and agony of the victims besides providing financial help has always lessened their grief to an appreciable extent,” said Ms Anu Chatrath, newly elected Mayor of the city beautiful.

A scene from play ‘Mitti ka Aadmi’ that was staged in Sector 17 on Monday. A Tribune photograph

HEALTH

GMCH to have computerised patient records in 6 months
Chandigarh, January 3
Computerisation at GMCH, Sector 32, is the latest mantra for the Director Principal, Prof H.M. Swami, who said the work related to evolving a computer-based file transferring system for the easy retrieval of patient records would be completed within the next six months.

Hospice for AIDS patients by Feb
Chandigarh, January 3
The UT Red Cross Society proposes to start a hospice for AIDS patients by February 2005. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Kumar, informed that in view of the non-availability of premises in the sectors, a building has been located by the society in Khuda Alisher village at a distance of less than 1 km from the Punjab Engineering College.

Pandalai award for Prof Wig
Chandigarh, January 3
Prof J.D. Wig, head of Department of General Surgery at the PGI, has received the Col Pandalai Oration award by the Association of Surgeons of India for his academic achievement and contributions in the field of surgery, especially for the treatment of pancreas related diseases.

Blood donation camp, painting contest held
Chandigarh, January 3
As many as 72 persons donated blood at a blood donation camp and 400 schoolchildren participated in the painting competition organised by the Chandigarh Police at the Children Traffic Park in Sector 23 here today.

SPORTS

Public Sports Club clinch powerlifting title
Chandigarh, January 3
Rohit Dangwal and Sukhchain Singh, both from the Public Sports Club, Sector 56 bagged gold medals in the below 52 kg and below 56 kg sections, respectively, in the 13th Junior Boys Chandigarh Powerlifting Championship which concluded last evening at Weightlifting Coaching Centre, Sector 42. 

Mr V.K. Bhalla, president, Chandigarh Powerlifting Association, with winners of the 13th Chandigarh Junior Boys Powerlifting Championship.

Body-building competition on January 9
Mohali, January 3
The amateur Body-Building Association, Ropar, is holding a body-building competition in a gym in Phase II here on January 9.

Minerva Academy win cricket meet
Chandigarh, January 3
Minerva Academy downed Youth Sports Club, Hallo Majra, by seven wickets in the final of the Ist Rajinder Singh Memorial Cricket Tournament held here today at Military Grounds.