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NRI, daughter killed in accident
Mohali, April 23
An NRI and his daughter were killed and five others injured in a collision between a car and a milk tanker at the PCL chowk here late last night. The deceased have been identified as Harinder Singh (32) and his five-year-old daughter Sampreet.

The mangled car that met with an accident at PCL Chowk, Mohali, on Saturday. — A Tribune photograph

Man duped of Rs 1.5 lakh
Chandigarh, April 23
Anil Malhotra of Sector 18 was duped of his bag containing Rs 1.5 lakh, today, when a person diverted his attention by pointing to Rs 10 notes lying on the ground. The moment Mr Malhotra bent to pick up the notes, the man decamped with his bag lying on his scooter.

Degrees conferred on 336 PEC graduates Chandigarh, April 23 As many as 336 graduates, of the year 2004 received B E degrees in nine different disciplines of Engineering at the 34th annual convocation of the Punjab Engineering College, Sector 12 today. Students at the 34th convocation of Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, on Saturday. — Photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Battle lines drawn for CTCC poll
Chandigarh, April 23
In-house bickering is the underlining feature for the forthcoming elections to the president of the Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee. Despite a clear provision for an election, it is the party high command which, in routine, forwards the name of the selected candidate.

Time to change outdated laws: Sorabjee
Chandigarh, April 23
Former Attorney-General of India and a senior Supreme Court lawyer Soli J. Sorabjee today observed that the recent controversy over the “wrong affidavit” submitted by the Defence Ministry in the case pertaining to alleged irregularities in Kargil purchases was still far from over.

Package systems to be extended to other PGI departments
Chandigarh, April 23
One-time package systems are here to stay at the PGI, says its Director Prof K K Talwar, and adds that the introduction of such packages in all PGI departments is his main focus in the second year of his term at the institute.

Audit ultrasound scan centres to check foeticide, says expert
Chandigarh, April 23
Thanks to the technological advancements in sex selection techniques, the girl child is disappearing at an alarming rate. The only way to avoid this ‘genocide’ is to audit scanning centres and follow the cases that come in for the ultrasound till the birth of the child, thus assessing how many female children were actually born.

Dire need to improve education standards: Expert
Chandigarh, April 23
Though the number of technical graduates in India are much higher as compared to China and the USA, however, whether all of them get quality education is debatable. Therefore, the need of the hour is to lay stress on quality education in the institutes imparting technical knowledge in the country, said Prof S.G. Dhande, Director of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, in an interview with The Tribune here today.

COMMUNITY

Tribune Follow-up On their own, but not alone Panchkula, April 23 Their gaze transfixed on the paper they colour, the two siblings — Sanjana (7) and Hrithik 6 — are a sharp contrast from other children in the room. The cheerful atmosphere around fails to lift their sprits, as the two continue to scribble on the paper, while the other children come up with beautiful drawings of flowers and life.
ADDING COLOUR TO LIFE: Hrithik and Sanjana are finally at home at Bal Sadan, Panchkula. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

IAF to deploy Mi-17s in Sudan under UN mandate
Chandigarh, April 22
The Indian Air Force will deploy six Mi-17 helicopters in Sudan as part of the United Nations mission in the African country. The helicopters are currently being modified for the mission at No.3 Base Repair Depot, here.

City to have world-class convention centre
Chandigarh, April 23
The city will have world-class convention centre adjoining the Beant Singh Memorial Complex in Sector 42. Spread across nine acres the centre is expected to cost Rs 35 crore to Rs 40 crore. It will be a joint venture of the government and the private sector.

Cong faction’s convention today
Chandigarh, April 23
A group of the Congress is organising a convention at Congress Bhavan, Sector 35, tomorrow, sources said here today. The city Congress is divided into two groups, one backed by Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal, the local Member of Parliament, and another by Mr B.B. Bahl, president of the local unit.

Cong’s charges against Admn ‘baseless’
Chandigarh, April 23
Criticising the Congress for levelling baseless allegations against the functionaries of the Chandigarh Administration, the BJP today said the party was doing so to ‘hide its own failures’.

CM’s OSD gives away grants to villages
Mohali, April 23
Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh has created history by getting the work of the construction of a direct road from Nankana Sahib to Amritsar started by using his influence.

World Book Day celebrated
Chandigarh, April 23
To encourage everyone, especially, youngsters to discover the pleasure of reading, British Library, Sector 9 celebrated World Book Day today. “The idea for this celebration originated in Catalonia where on 23 April, Saint George’s Day, a rose is traditionally given as a gift for each book sold.

Fire near temple
Panchkula, April 23
A fire broke out in the wild growth near the Patiala mandir in the Mansa Devi shrine complex area this afternoon. The fire department was informed and a fire tender reached the spot and the fire was extinguished.

• House building society office-bearers

CRIME

Thieves having a field day in unoccupied houses Sanitary, electrical fittings worth lakhs go missing

Chandigarh, April 23 As the Chandigarh Housing Board authorities wait for the allottees to occupy the 240 fully-constructed houses in Labour Colony No. IV, sanitary and electrical fittings worth lakhs have been stolen by unscrupulous elements over the past few weeks. A missing manhole cover in Labour Colony No. 4, Chandigarh, where electrical and sanitary fittings worth lakhs have been stolen from unoccupied houses. — A Tribune photograph

Scuffle over broken cigarette: one in PGI, two in police custody
Chandigarh, April 23
A scuffle over the trivial issue of a broken cigarette landed a 24-year-old man in the PGI with serious injuries and a father son duo in police custody. The police has registered an attempt to murder case against the Navnish Kumar and his father Vijay Kumar, of Vijay Pan House, SCO-3, Sector 15.

One held, stolen property worth Rs 1 lakh recovered
Chandigarh, April 23
A 23-year-old, drug addict, committed thefts at the house of his cousin sister and twice in the Police Colony in Sector 42 earlier this week. The police arrested another person and recovered two stolen vehicles from him.

2 criminals arrested
Chandigarh, April 23
The local police arrested two persons under the Arms Act for carrying an illegal .315-bore country-made pistol and three live cartridges late last night. The police said the cheat-turned-thieves were involved in seven incidents of cheating and auto thefts earlier and were in the city to commit a crime.

• Beggar’s body found from Sector 31
• Student missing

BUSINESS

Beopar Mandal members meet Selja
Panchkula, April 23
Union Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Employment, Ms Selja Kumari said that a special package for Ambala constituency would be announced soon for all round development of Amabla and Panchkula.

• Minister’s view on MC chief poll

Uniform VAT rates demanded
Mohali, April 23
The Industrial Welfare Association, Phase IX, has demanded that VAT rates should be uniform all over the country. The department concerned should speedily remove the shortcomings and also rationalise the classification of various rates of VAT in such a way so that no section of the society had to face additional burden of taxation.

Aqua dance floor installed
Mohali, April 23
An aqua dance floor, a state of the art dancing floor, to beat the heat of summers has been installed at the Thunder Zone Amusement Park, near here, today.

EDUCATION

Star nites may disappear from PU
Chandigarh, April 23
Partying at night on the Panjab University campus may become a thing of past, if the forthcoming PU Syndicate takes note of the sharp observations made by its committee headed by the Dean University Instructions, Prof J.K. Gupta, on nuisance caused by shows, especially organised by outsiders.

• PU Syndicate meeting on April 30

140 engineering students get degrees Dera Bassi, April 23 As many as 140 students who passed out in 2004 were given degrees at the third annual convocation of Sri Sukhmani Institute of Engineering and Technology, here today. Students show degrees at the third annual convocation of Sri Sukhmani Institute of Engineering and Technology, Dera Bassi, on Saturday.

40 students honoured
Chandigarh, April 23
Guru Harkrishan Educational Society, Chandigarh organised a function today to honour 40 students who topped in the fields of engineering, medicine and other professional courses from various Universities and Institutions. This is the 13th year that the function to honour such students. The students were selected from all over Punjab.

Share learning with poor, says Sister
Chandigarh, April 23
“It is not about scoring marks but about making somebody smile, bringing joy to saddened lives. Real service in education is not just being able to come out with flying colours in examinations year after year but by being able to share that learning with the underprivileged children who can’t avail themselves of the benefits of quality education,” says Sister Cyril, Principal of Loretto Sealdah in Kolkatta.

From Schools
Tiny tots celebrate red day
Chandigarh, April 23
Red day was celebrated with much gaiety and enthusiasm by tiny tots of Shishu Niketan Public School, Sectors 22 and 43, here today. It was organised by the school as a step towards activity-based conceptual learning for the school’s pre-nursery, nursery and kindergarten students.

COURTS

PILs ‘cannot cure society’s all ills’
Chandigarh, April 23
Former Attorney-General of India Soli J. Sorabjee said today that public interest litigation could not cure all ills of the society. “PIL is used so much. It became possible because of liberalisation of rule of law.

Lok adalat settles 144 cases
Chandigarh, April 23
The Chandigarh State Legal Services Authority organised a special lok adalat at the District Courts here today. According to official sources, 14 Benches were set up and 521 cases and 1,500 summary (traffic challan) cases were taken up.

CULTURE

Film Review It has family, drama CHANDIGARH: “Waqt — Race Against Time” values the timeless affection of family ties. Bolstering the bonding is Big B who lends strength and intensity to it in his own inimitable style. Directed by Vipul Amrutal Shah, the ties here are treated in a style hard to resist. A scene from “Waqt — Race Against Time”

LEISURE

Paper cutter turns poet For a change, paper-cutting artist Prabal Pramanik is not displaying his rare art. Invariably steeped in his paper and scissors, the world renowned “Devasthanakala” expert has chosen to pause and reflect on life and its many intrigues this time around. And he has chosen poetry to bare the heartfelt. Paper-cutting artist Prabal Pramanik shows his two books at Alliance Francaise, Sector 36, Chandigarh. — A Tribune photograph

“Sirhind di Deewar” staged Tagore Theatre hosted “Sirhind di Deewar”, epic production of Harpal Tiwana, on Saturday. Conceptualised and directed by the famous artiste’s son Manpal Tiwana, the production brings alive the tragedy that changed the course of Sikh history — the execution of Sahibzaadas by Mugal nawaab of Sirhind. A scene from “Sirhind di Deewar” staged at Tagore Theatre on Saturday. — Photo by Pradeep Tewari

Anjum’s “Lakeerain” goes public
Even as Sardar Anjum celebrated his birthday along with the compilation of the 27th poetic work on Friday, there was nothing mundane about the celebrations. Everything was well laid out and planned to make the evening a memorable one.

Haricharan presents recital
Groomed by his father Pt Devi Lal and later by great maestros like Pt Mohan Lal and Pt Mani Prasad, Haricharan Verma, an eminent vocalist, on Saturday presented his recital at Pracheen Kala Kendra.

HEALTH

Malnutrition ‘alarming’ in developing countries
Chandigarh, April 23
Balanced diet is the key to combat malnutrition in developing countries, experts attending the 21th All-India Ayurvedic Specialists Conference and seminar on malnutrition held at Shri Dhanwantry Ayurvedic College and Dabur Dhanwantry Hospital, Sector 46, said here today.

Experiential yoga Chandigarh, April 23 As many as 100 doctors attended the demonstration session on “Experiential yoga: Asanas, mudras pranayams and bandhas in daily life’’, which was organised at the PGI’s lecture theatre I here today. Swami Dhirendracharya performs yoga at the PGI, Chandigarh on Saturday.

SPORTS

P. Ramesh lifts TT trophy
Chandigarh, April 23
Punjab State Electricity Board duo Vikas Mahajan and Pankaj Sharma gave a brilliant performance to emerge victorious against the pair of Nalin Somani and Sunil Ahuja of Haryana Power Sports Group 11-7,11-9,11-9 in the men’s doubles final on the concluding day of the 31st All-India Electricity Sports Control Board Table Tennis Tournament at Table Tennis Hall, Sector 23, here today.

Pranjay Jain wins Total Tennis trophy
Chandigarh, April 23
Pranjay Jain of Chandigarh emerged as winner defeating another local lad Ishaan Dadial 6-0 on the first day of L.D. Kapoor memorial Total Tennis Championship being held at Total Tennis Academy’s Sector 11, here, today.

City teams win carrom test series
Chandigarh, April 23
Chandigarh Men and Women’s team continued to hold the winners’ title in the 1st round matches in the ongoing 1st Tri-angular Carrom Test Series being played at St. Stephen’s School, Sector 45, here today.

Haryana beat Delhi powermen
Panchkula, April 23
Hosts Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam outplayed the Delhi team in straight games 25-15, 29-13 in the opening group C match in the 31st All-India Electricity Board Volleyball Championship at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Sector 3 here today.

• Taekwondo championship ‘invalid’