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TOP STORIES

Councillors up in arms over nod to shopping festival
Chandigarh, July 23
Councillors of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation have protested against the manner in which the Chandigarh Administration has bypassed the general house of the corporation while giving a go-ahead to the ongoing summer shopping festival in Sector 17.

Gang making pirated CDs busted, 4 arrested
Chandigarh, July 23
In less than a month after the marketing of pirated VCDs was reported in these columns, the Chandigarh police today claimed to have busted a gang, allegedly involved in its manufacture and sale, after raiding three different places in Sector 22.

180 kg of poppy husk seized, 5 held
Mohali, July 23
Five persons, including two women, were arrested by the Sohana police today from Tangori village while they were allegedly trying to smuggle a large quantity of poppy husk in an Esteem car bearing a Delhi registration number.

Hawara misquoted by cops: counsel
Chandigarh, July 23
The counsel for militant Jagtar Singh Hawara have accused the Chandigarh police of giving false information to the media.

• Passing Thru

COMMUNITY

City goes greener; neighbours lose forest cover
Chandigarh, July 23
If the State of Forest report released by the Forest Survey of India on July 19 is anything to go by, Chandigarh has many reasons to cheer.

Dullo’s appointment a poll stunt: Libra
Mohali, July 23
The appointment of Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo as the president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee is nothing less than an election stunt, said Mr Sukhdev Singh Libra, MP from the Ropar constituency, while talking to mediapersons at Government College here today.

Widow seeks help to save son’s life
Chandigarh, July 23
Ms Manju Anand is a desperate mother trying to arrange for the medicines for her ailing son who has just undergone a kidney transplant at the age of 22.

OBC team wins corporate quiz

Chandigarh, July 23 Mr Vivek Mittal and Mr Manish Sinha of Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) won the Chandigarh Corporate Challenge Quiz trophy at ‘XquizIT- 2005’ held at CII this evening. The quiz contest was organised by the Society for Promotion of Information Technology and the CII jointly. More than 35 teams from all over north participated in the contest which included DELL , Quark Media, OBC, SBI , HDFC Bank etc.

Mr Vivek Atray, Director, Information Technology, Chandigarh Administration, with the winning team of Mr Vivek Mittal and Mr Manish Sinha of the Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), which won the Chandigarh Corporate Challenge Quiz trophy at ‘XquizIT- 2005’ held at the CII on Saturday in Chandigarh. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mhajan

SP promises image makeover for cops Panchkula, July 23 Community policing and traffic awareness will be given top priority to improve policing in Panchkula, said the Superintendent of Police, Mr Balbir Singh, after he assumed office here this morning. Mr Balbir Singh, a 1991 batch IPS officer, was posted in the State Vigilance Bureau, before he took over as the Panchkula district police chief today. Mr Balbir Singh, SP, Panchkula.

Sikh body formed
Mohali, July 23
A socio-cultural body of Sikhs, Global Sikh Brotherhood, was formed here yesterday. Announcing the launch, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Mohali member, Mr Hardeep Singh, said at a press conference that the Sikh way of life as visualised by Sikh Gurus seemed to be suffering from retarded growth, and the householder felt handicapped by restrictive social practices.

RPO staff protest against privatisation

Chandigarh, July 23 On a call given by the All-India Passport Employees Association, the employees in the office of the Regional Passport Office (RPO) organised a dharna to protest against the privatisation of the working of the passport office. On July 27, the employees would tonsure their hairs to register their protest.
Employees of the Regional Passport Office protest in support of their demands in Sector 34, Chandigarh, on Saturday. —A Tribune photograph

Brigadier alleges interference
Chandigarh, July 23
Brigadier Iqbal Singh, who is being tried by a general court martial for professional impropriety in the Tehelka case has accused the Central Government of interfering with the judicial system in the armed forces and pressuring members of the court.

Demand for more kerosene
Chandigarh, July 23
Poor supply of kerosene in Mauli Jagran and Mani Majra has been highlighted by the colony cell of the Chandigarh Territorial Youth Congress.

SCs to stage dharna in Delhi
Chandigarh, July 23
A meeting of the Chandigarh Scheduled Castes Welfare Association today discussed the proposed dharna outside the residence of the Union Home Minister, Mr Shivraj Patil, in Delhi on July 25.

Body to move SC against quota policy
Chandigarh, July 23
The General Categories Welfare Federation, Punjab, has decided to fight the court case in the Supreme Court against the caste-based reservation policy in the wake of the 85th Constitution amendment.

Sec 68 residents resent PUDA’s apathy
Mohali, July 23
Residents of 10 marla houses adjoining Kumbra village in Sector 68 have complained that they are living in filthy conditions. According to Mr Balwant Singh Adial, a spokesman of the residents, there were heaps of dung all over the place and congress grass was abundant in the area.

• Former Tribune employee dead

CRIME

Police arrests liquor smuggler after chase
Panchkula, July 23
The Panchkula police today arrested a Kurukshetra resident and recovered 24 cases of country-made liquor from him. It also impounded a Santro car being used in smuggling the liquor.

BUSINESS

PUDA to allot land for shopping mall, multiplex
Mohali, July 23
PUDA would allot land for the construction of a state-of- the-art shopping mall and a multiplex in Phase X here on the site vacated following the demolition of the Guru Nanak Colony.

EDUCATION

From Schools St Soldier wins debate contest
Chandigarh, July 23 Saint Soldier International School, Sector 28, organised an inter-school debate competition here today. The theme was “women and society”. The principal of the school, Ms Sudesh Chaudhary, said the competition was organised to project the situation of women in society. Winners of the debate competition organised by St Soldier International School, Sector 28, Chandigarh.

PU to toughen norms on research
Chandigarh, July 23
Panjab University is gearing up to check fraud in research, especially in Ph.D.

30 students get nursing degrees
Chandigarh, July 23
As many as 30 students of nursing degree programme of Canadian Institute of International Studies (CIIS) were conferred degrees today. It was the first batch of the institute. The venue was the English auditorium in Panjab University.

NRI seats vacant in M.Tech course
Chandigarh, July 23
Some NRI seats for admission to M.Tech (Microetelctronics), M Tech (instrumentation) and M Tech ( Nanoscience and nanotechnology) courses are still vacant.

COURTS

104 cases disposed of in Lok Adalat Panchkula, July 23 As many as 104 cases were disposed of and a sum of Rs 3, 78,500 was collected from litigants in various cases that came up in the Lok Adalat organised at the District Court premises today. The cases put up in the Lok Adalat were 278. A Lok Adalat in progress at the Panchkula District Courts on Saturday. — A Tribune photograph

CULTURE

Passion for acting-at 60
Chandigarh, July 23
Age has not mellowed down his usual ebullience. Nearing 60, he is eager to learn a trick or two in the field of acting. Ved Rattan Sethi, a retired professor of English literature, Government Postgraduate College, Faridabad, is eager to join the Department of Indian Theatre of Panjab University as a student.

LEISURE

Workshop on self-awareness The British Library organised a one-day workshop on ‘Total Quality Man’ (TQM) for its corporate members. The programme aimed at attempting to achieve a balance and bring into perspective the participants’ family life and work arena with self-development as the cornerstone for both.
Participants at a one-day workshop organised by the British Library for its corporate members in Chandigarh on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Theatre yet to get its due in India
Those who are rooted in theatre know all about the maladies of theatre world. It’s a world larger than life; a world with a power to cause change; a world that strives so societies can tell day from night and can sift right from wrong.

Impressive performances at Malharutsav
A scintillating recital by vocalist Vinita Gupta and sitarist Harvinder Sharma was on display at the Malharutsav, organised by the Indian National Theatre at the Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan. Since the sublime Indian music is a manifestation of human emotions and its ragas are structured to represent a particular disposition and ardour, it was challenging for Vinita to bring alive the romanticism of raga “Miyan Malhar”.

HEALTH

Hospital completes 1000 cardiac surgeries
Chandigarh, July 23
Mukat Hospital and Heart Institute, Sector 34, has completed 1000 cardiac surgeries in a wide range of patients from age two and a half years to 86 years.

Hospital offers to operate child free of cost
Mohali, July 23
The Fortis Hospital here today offered to operate upon Ankit, the three- month-old child fighting for his life with a hole in his heart in the PGI, Chandigarh.

Condition of abandoned baby improves
Mohali, July 23
Six-day-old Sahil, who had reportedly been abandoned by his mother in Rajpura, has been admitted to the Cheema Hospital, Phase IV, here for intensive care.

SPORTS

Manpreet wins karate title
Chandigarh, July 23
Manpreet of the AKSIPS, Sector 41, stood first in the sub-junior boys (below 20 kg) category in the Open Chandigarh State Karate Championship 2005, organised by the sports wing of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front, Chandigarh, at the Skating Rink, Sector 10, here today. This championship was organised on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Shaheed Chander Shekhar Azad.

Community centres sans sports facilities
Chandigarh, July 23
Sports is for community but suprisingly the community centres located in our city beautiful are not equipped with proper sports infrastructure. In city many community centres in various Sectors cater to leisure of residents. But the community centres have failed to provide proper sports playing facility both outdoor as well as indoors. Instead the community centres are just used for holding merely marriage functions.

Tennis players get tips from international coach Chandigarh, July 23 A 10-day coaching camp for junior players commenced at CLTA, Sector 10, here today. International tennis coach Akhtar Ali is conducting the camp. He had played Davis Cup for India in the sixties. Akhtar Ali gives tips to upcoming tennis players at CLTA, Sector 10, on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Vinay Malik

Satluj Public School wins cricket tourney Panchkula, July 23 Satluj Public School, Sector 4, Panchkula, bagged the Panchkula District Under-19 Cricket Tournament by defeating Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 7, Panchkula, by 44 runs. Jubilant boys of Satluj Public School, Sector 4, Panchkula, after winning the under-19 Panchkula District Schools Cricket Tournament, which concluded on Saturday.

ADMINISTRATION

Two fire engines, one driver
Panchkula fire brigade losing staff
Panchkula, July 23
Even as the township waits for the upgradation of fire services, the Urban Development Department has transferred most of the fire staff to other urban estates.

Coop bank chief sacked
Panchkula, July 23
The Chairman of Panchkula Urban Cooperative Bank, Mr Shiv Kumar Bagra, has been removed from his post and his membership from the board of directors has been suspended.