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Rodrigues hints at new power tariff policy for UT
Also suggests water regulatory panel
New Delhi, June 28
The power tariff for the bulk and heavy power consumers like industries and commercial consumers may soon go up substantially and marginally for the domestic consumers in Chandigarh as part of the rationalisation of power tariff plans of the UT administration.

Excessive quarrying threatens bridges
Tenders for repairing 3 bridges being floated
Panchkula, June 28
The excessive quarrying of minor minerals from the river beds of Ghaggar and other rivulets is now threatening the safety of bridges in the region.

STILL AS A STATUE: A statue seller steals a few winks on a humid day in Chandigarh. Tribune photo: Karam Singh

PGI gets land for health centre at Mani Majra
Chandigarh, June 28
The Municipal Corporation has decided to allot one acre land for an urban health training centre to the PGI. The centre will be located at New Indira Colony in Mani Majra.

Migrant labourer crushed to death
Dera Bassi, June 28
One person died and five others sustained serious injuries in two separate accidents on the Dera Bassi-Dappar stretch of the ‘killer’ Kalka-Ambala highway here today. Shabir Ahmed, a migrant labourer, was crushed to death while his three relatives Aslam, Munim and one other person were critically injured when a truck hit into them from behind in Devi Nagar village, this evening.

Buy CD of ‘Yakeen’ before its release!

Chandigarh, June 28 Anti-piracy laws not withstanding, Bollywood movies are freely available in the city prior to their cinema releases. Not only one can take home CDs of movies running in the local cinema houses, but also of those movies yet to be released. Stolen from Mumbai, the prints are smuggled to Dubai from where these find their way back to places such as Chandigarh and other boom towns of the region. Incredible, isn’t it? CDs of Hindi movies which are yet to be released can be bought in Chandigarh.

Passing Thru

COMMUNITY

Directive on pension to retired UT staff
Chandigarh, June 28
The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) today directed the Secretary, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, to pay pension benefits on the basis of notional pay fixed on the basis of the Punjab pattern to the UT employees, who retired between January 1986 and March 1991.

Traffic violators make hay during lunch hour

Chandigarh, June 28 Habitual offenders in the city are giving two hoots to the traffic rules during the lunch hour daily without the fear of being fined for violations. For, a majority of traffic police personnel all over Chandigarh are absent from duty every day for an hour from 1 pm. Chaos at Sectors 21-22-17-18 roundabout in the afternoon in Chandigarh on Monday.

MLA pulls up officials for power, water cuts
Zirakpur, June 28
Mr Bir Davinder Singh, Kharar MLA, pulled up employees of the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board and the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) for a major cut in power and water supply in Zirakpur and its surrounding areas on June 24.

MC directive to parking contractors
Chandigarh, June 28
The municipal corporation has asked the contractors to ensure that all the employees on duty at the sites for paid parking in the city are dressed in proper uniform. The contractors have been given the time till July 5 for compliance with the order.

Withdraw hike in petrol prices, demands CPI

Mohali, June 28 The local unit of the Communist Party of India and other organisations have demanded that the Central Government should immediately withdraw the hike in the prices of petrol and diesel. Representatives of the CPI and other organisations protest in support of their demands outside the SDM office, Phase I, Mohali, on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph

Issues of special children in focus
Haryana remembers Helen Keller on her birth anniversary

Chandigarh, June 28 Among the many things one encountered during a function organised to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Helen Keller, the best had something to do with Master Puninder. Seated in the least significant of slots at Haryana Niwas, Sector 3, where people of eminence were in full presence, Puninder commanded everyone’s attention when his turn came. A visually impaired child reflects on his future on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Helen Keller, the first deaf, dumb and blind woman in the world who completed her graduation. — A Tribune photograph

Now cyber kiosks at post offices
Chandigarh, June 28
After the success of the e-post, a facility to send and receive e-mails at post offices in the city, the postal department is all set to introduce the concept of cyber kiosks in the city.

Phase III of Rock Garden to be interactive
Mohali, June 28
The Phase III of the Chandigarh Rock Garden will now be connected directly to an independent exit. Stating that now visitors have to take short distance from the phase II for the exit, the creator of the Rock Garden Mr Nek Chand today pointed out that the Phase III of the garden was designed to be more visitor interactive.

Members of Co-ordination Committee of Government and MC Employees & Workers UT Chandigarh burn an effigy of Union Petrolium Minister in Chandigarh on Tuesday in protest against the hike in prices of petrol and diesel. — A Tribune photograph

Control rooms to deal with flood situation
Panchkula, June 28
Control rooms have been set up at block, tehsil and sub-division level as well as at the district headquarters of Panchkula to deal with any emergent situation in case of floods.

Federation hails PUDA’s move to shift colony
Mohali, June 28
The Citizen’s Welfare Federation has hailed the move of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) of shifting the illegal Guru Nanak Colony from Phase X here.

Residents demand civic amenities
Mohali, June 28
Residents of a pocket of 10-marla houses in Sector 68 here cry for civic amenities in the area. Mr Balwant Singh Adial, speaking on behalf of the residents, complained that heaps of cow dung were lying at various points in the area and congress grass was also growing in abundance. Complaints to the authorities concerned failed to yield any results.

Interviews for translators’ posts on July 12
Chandigarh, June 28
The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) will conduct interviews and personality tests for recruitment of Junior Hindi Translators on July 12. According to Mr Naresh Virdi, Deputy Regional Director of the SSC Regional Office here, call letters have been issued to the candidates who were successful in the test conducted on April 24 this year.

CRIME

3 booked for duping finance company
Chandigarh, June 28
The local police has booked three city residents for duping a finance company of Rs 2.5 lakh by raising a loan on the basis of fake documents. In another incident, a house was reportedly burgled and gold ornaments were stolen in the city. In two theft cases, a car and a scooter was stolen from the city. Two persons were injured in two separate road accidents.

Another flesh trade racket busted
Chandigarh, June 28
In its drive against the flesh trade, the Crime Branch of Chandigarh police today busted another racket of flesh trade operating in the city. The sources said the police received information about a gang that was operating their activities from a Maruti Zen car (CH-03-M-6439) from near Saupins School, Sector-32 in Chandigarh.

Property worth Rs 2 lakh stolen
Mohali, June 28
Property valued at around Rs 2 lakh was stolen from a house in Sector 71 here while the occupants were out of town. The theft came to the notice when the family returned from Amritsar today. They had left Mohali on June 26.

Youth killed in mishap
Panchkula, June 28
A 25-year-old youth, injured after his scooter hit a stray cattle, succumbed to his injuries at PGI, Chandigarh here. The youth, Lalit Bakhshi, was a stenographer with Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation.

11-year-old boy held on charge of stealing
Chandigarh, June 28
An 11-year-old boy was arrested on the charge of stealing from the Mansa Devi complex this morning. Sources in the police said the suspect stole a grinder from a shop in Motor Market in Mani Majra late last night.

BUSINESS

VAT discrepancy hits pharma trade
Chandigarh, June 28
The non-implementation of VAT in Chandigarh is having an adverse affect on pharma trade in general and pharma wholesalers in particular. In a press note issued here today, the Chandigarh Chemists Association stated that VAT has been implemented in the neighbouring state of Punjab and Haryana, where medicines are taxed at 4 per cent VAT, whereas in Chandigarh the tax is 8.8 per cent.

RBI offices closed on July 1

EDUCATION

Orientation course for college, varsity teachers ends
Chandigarh, June 28
Conducted by the Academic Staff College, Panjab University, and attended by 42 lecturers, the 66th orientation course for college and university lecturers of northern region concluded here today.

Nod given to new PEC syllabus
Chandigarh, June 28
The first Senate meet of Punjab Engineering College since it was conferred the status of deemed university, today gave its nod to new syllabi, prepared by the college faculty, its alumni and students to make it more industry-oriented, offering immediate employment opportunities.

MA (Economics), MA-I (Pb. Ad) results declared
Chandigarh, June 28
The result of the MA Economics and MA-1 Public Administration conducted by Panjab University (PU) in April/May, 2005 have been declared. The result gazette will be available in sixth new enquiry of the university tomorrow from 1 pm onwards and also on all the working days afterwards.

CULTURE

Music industry’s anti-piracy campaign goes overboard
Chandigarh, June 28
The anti-piracy campaign of the Phonographic Performance Limited(PPL), the apex-licensing arm of the Indian Music Industry, seems to have gone overboard. After training its guns on the restaurants and DJs, the PPL has targeted the commercial establishments in Sector 17 and asked them to obtain licences even for watching TV in their own shops.

LEISURE

Time to flaunt trendy umbrellas Swanky umbrellas — veiling pretty damsels from the vagaries of weather — are also exposing them to admiring glances, glamorously. So, if you are eager to venture out in the imprisoning rain or hot sunshine, forget all about buying those unimpressive black umbrellas, or the ones with massive floral prints. Go in for the trendy stuff instead. City girls shop for trendy umbrellas from a vendor in Sector 22 on Monday. — Tribune photo by Pankaj Sharma

Secrets of longevity revealed “Listen to your body and live accordingly,” advised 99-year-old Jamna Das, a resident of Sector 15 Chandigarh, when asked about the secret of his perfect health. Due to complete a century on July 1, Mr Das was talking to mediapersons at a function held in hospital in Mohali today where he was honoured with a membership of the Golden Age Club. Senior citizens at a function held in a hospital in Mohali on Tuesday. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Spirited performance by budding dancers
A captivating bharatnatyam performance by noted danseuse Suchitra Mitra and her troupe of eight accomplished dancers and 22 artists who had undergone training at the month-long ‘Padam’ art workshop was presented at the Tagore Theatre today. The senior disciples were inducted to infuse confidence in the budding artists and to add elegance to the production oriented programme originally designed to mark the culmination of the workshop.

HEALTH

Bank comes to aid of charitable institute
Chandigarh, June 28
The Bank of Punjab, as part of its social commitment, is supporting the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Society in its endeavour to extend medical facilities free of cost to economically weaker sections, and also extend mobile medical facility to rural areas in Punjab and Haryana.

Fortis initiative for senior citizens
Mohali, June 28
In a unique initiative on its 4th anniversary, Fortis Hospital today launched the Golden Age Club for senior citizens, with an aim to bring them healthcare facilities at affordable rates.

SPORTS

Colossal bat faces neglect Chandigarh, June 28 After facing the indifference of the Indian cricketers and officials of the Punjab Cricket Association in the first cricket Test of the high-profile series between India and Pakistan, the colossal bat is facing neglect. The 21-foot long bat, which attracted the attention of the media and spectators in the match held at Mohali, is lying in the courtyard of its creator — Bishen Lal Prajapati alias Vishnu. All the money and labour put in by this poor potter living in Sector 25 came to naught as neither any cricketer nor any official of the PCA or the state government came forward to laud this unique effort. Vishnu had spent around Rs 70,000 to make this gigantic bat of fibre glass. A dejected Vishnu Prajapati sits along the giant bat he made during the Indo-Pak Test held at the PCA stadium recently. — Tribune photo by Pankaj Sharma

Tahira outplays Saumya in one-sided contest
Chandigarh, June 28
Tahira outplayed Saumya in a one-sided affair in quarterfinal rounds under 10 girls’ category (5-2) tie in the ongoing Hot Weather Tennis Tournament being held at CLTA Grounds, Sector 10, here today.

SAI coach to visit Austria, Czech
Chandigarh, June 28
Surinder Mahajan, a senior badminton coach of the Sports Authority of India, has been invited by the Austrian and Czech badminton authorities to impart training to their ranking players. The training is scheduled to start from July 1 to 22.

Multan club to play CHA XI today
Chandigarh , June 28
Multan Hockey Club of Pakistan will play an exhibition match against Chandigarh Hockey Association XI at the Sector 42 hockey stadium here tomorrow at 4 p.m. Giving this information here today, CHA secretary Yash P. Vohra said that the visiting team from Pakistan was coming to Chandigarh from Nainital where they played in the final of the All-India Traders Hockey Tournament on Monday.

ADMINISTRATION

Drive to check antecedents of arms licence holders
Chandigarh, June 28
In the light of the forthcoming elections to the Zila Parishad, the Chandigarh Police has launched a drive to check the antecedents of the arms licence holders, especially in the villages.