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A day of inconvenience for public
Employees of public sector banks, CTU, post offices & MC strike work
Chandigarh, September 29
Bank services in the city were severely hit as the employees and officers of public sector banks went on a strike on a call given by the Central trade unions and the Joint Platform of Mass Organisations (JPMO) here today. Daily commuters on various CTU routes faced inconvenience as there was no service on all bus routes in the city till 1 pm.

Woman burns self, kids to death

Chandigarh, September 29 A Bapu Dham Colony resident burnt herself to death, along with her two minor children, this morning. Unstable mental condition is being cited as the reason behind the extreme step. Pinky’s husband Hari Ram and other relatives grieve after she ended her life along with that of her two children in Chandigarh on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

Show-cause notice to two councillors
Chandigarh, September 29
For the first time in the history of the Municipal Corporation, the UT Administration today issued a show-cause notice to two nominated councillors of the Municipal Corporation — Mr P.C. Sanghi and Dr K.S. Raju — seeking as to why their nomination should not be cancelled.

Deputy Commandant accused of graft, abuse
Panchkula, September 29
A constable of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Raj Kumar, has accused his Deputy Commandant of illegally confinement, physical abuse, and injecting him with drugs, after he threatened to expose him for taking bribe in a recruitment drive.

4,000 medical reps strike work
Chandigarh, September 29
More than 4,000 medical representatives from Punjab and Haryana observed a one-day general strike here on a call given by the CITU today. Processions, dharnas and demonstrations were held as part of the strike. The representatives demanded the implementation of the Sales Promotion Employees Act and the revival of public sector pharmaceutical companies.

Passing Thru

COMMUNITY

Central panel visits ’84 riot victims
Mohali, September 29
Dr D.K. Shankaran, Chairman of the committee constituted by Centre to provide relief and compensation to 1984 riot victims, visited the victims’ rehabilitation colony in Phase XI here today.

Warm send-off for Gen Pattabhiraman

Chandigarh, September 29 Officers and other ranks stationed at Chandi Mandir Military Station today bade a warm farewell to the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, Lieut-Gen S. Pattabhiraman, during his departure to New Delhi to assume charge as Vice-Chief of the Army Staff. Officers pull the jeep carrying the GOC-in-C, Western Command, Lieut-Gen S. Pattabhiraman, on his departure to New Delhi, in Chandi Mandir on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

NCW moved against ‘molestation’ by Lieut-Col
Chandigarh, September 29
The case regarding the alleged molestation of a girl NCC cadet by a Lieutenant-Colonel has gone to the National Commission for Women (NCW). Seeking action against the guilty under the Protection of Women Act, the Lawyers for Human Rights International (LHRI), through its general secretary Arvind Thakur, has urged the commission to depute an observer in Chandigarh for a fair probe.

Rs 70 lakh for parks, greenbelts
Chandigarh, September 29
The Environment and City Beautification Committee of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) explored the possibility of handing over the maintenance of certain gardens and greenbelts to the private parties here today.

Taking hair care to a new level Chandigarh, September 29 It is a passion to put India on a world platform, to bring in new ideas, trends and to showcase the latest in fashion. For Dr Blossom Khochhar, renowned hairstylist, beautician and cosmetician, in the city to talk about OMC Asia Cup Open, the largest hairdressing event for the Asia-Pacific region to be held in Mumbai from October 16 to 18, it is an opportunity to promote and elevate the professional hair designing industry in India.

Dr Blossom Khochhar, a renowned hairstylist, who is in Chandigarh to encourage hairstylists and designers to participate in a contest to be held in Mumbai. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

JEs protest privatisation move
Chandigarh, September 29
Members of the UT Electricity Junior Engineers Association today protested the alleged move of the government to privatise the power sector and non-acceptance of their demands by the administration.

UK award for Dr Naresh
Chandigarh, September 29
Dr Naresh, Chairman, Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi, and former Professor of Modern Literature at PU, has been chosen by the International Biographical Centre (IBC), Cambridge, UK, for its prestigious “International Educator Award for this year.

5 hurt as 2 trucks collide
Panchkula, September 29
Five persons were injured, one of them seriously, when a truck they were travelling in had a head-on collision with another truck near Ramgarh this evening. The incident took place when the truck carrying six persons from Surajpur to Mattanwala collided with another truck.

HUDA to auction hotel site in Sec 3

CRIME

Suicide: experts question case against boyfriend
Chandigarh, September 29
Even though Ruchi Singh had virtually given a clean chit to her friend Harry in her suicide note, the Chandigarh Police has booked him for abetment to suicide. Ruchi had hanged herself to death in a Sector 21 nursing home on Wednesday, a day after going in for medical termination of pregnancy.

BUSINESS

BSNL introduces postpaid plan
Chandigarh, September 29
The Chief General Manager Telecom, Punjab circle, Mr G.S.Bhatia, today said BSNL had introduced a new postpaid plan ‘ Plan 100’ for providing cellular connections to the Central and state governments and PSU employees. The scheme was open for registration from October 1 to November 11.

EDUCATION

Punjab school board staff stage protest
Mohali, September 29
The on-going agitation of the Punjab School Education Board (Non-Teaching) Employees Association came down to the roads when employees and officials organised a protest march here today.

Science, technology & society discussed
Chandigarh, September 29
The Department of Public Administration, Panjab University, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Public Administration (Regional Branch for Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh) organised a regional conference on “Science, technology and society”, here today.

Fruit day celebrated Chandigarh, September 29 The junior wing of St Joan's Public School, Lohgarh, near Zirakpur, celebrated fruit day on Wednesday with great enthusiasm. Students of playway, nursery, LKG and UKG classes wore dresses matching with the colour of the fruits they had brought. Students of St Joan's Public School celebrate fruit day in Zirakpur.

COURTS

Order on Hawara’s bail plea reserved
Chandigarh, September 29
The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ms Neerja Kulwant Kalson, today reserved order on the bail application of Jagtar Singh Hawara, alleged chief of the Babbar Khalsa International and main accused in the Burail jailbreak case, till tomorrow.

CAT ultimatum to UT on pension benefits
Chandigarh, September 29
The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) today gave one-month time to the Chandigarh Administration to comply with its orders regarding payment of 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, failing which a senior level officer of the administration will have to explain the lapse.

Life term for four in Sachin kidnap case
Panchkula, September 29
The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr J R Chauhan, today awarded life imprisonment to the four youths accused in the sensational Sachin Garg kidnapping case.

CULTURE

Poetry purest form of written word
Chandigarh, September 29
For Kamla K. Kapur, poet and writer living in India and the USA, poetry represents the expression, the language of the soul. “It is the purest form of the written word.” In the city for the release of her anthology of poems, ‘As a Fountain in a Garden,’ this eloquent lady speaks from her heart with an earnestness that is enchanting.

New Releases Gandhi and his legacy Curtain Call Co’s “Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara”, a small-budget flick, will be released today worldwide on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti. Produced by actor-turned-producer Anupam Kher, the film has been directed by nine-time National Award winner Jahnu Barua. Anupam Kher and Urmila Matondkar in ‘Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara’.

LEISURE

Om Puri, four others felicitated Punjab Kala Bhavan bore a festive look on Thursday as the annual awards ceremony of the Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademi was held to felicitate five maestros from different realms of the folk and classical-art. From left: Lachhman Singh Seen, Pammi Bai, Devinder Daman and Baba Kashi Nath, who were awarded Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademi awards on Thursday at Sector 16, Chandigarh. — A Tribune photograph

Juhi, Manmohan give final touches to “Yaaran Naal Baharaan” show
It’s time for Juhi Babbar to spill her magic on screen. A trained theatre actress, who has been well groomed under the care of her mother and mentor Nadira Babbar, she is naturally excited about the unpredictable audience responses to her role in “Yaaran Naal Baharaan” - her first Punjabi feature film.

Enigma - 2005 begins Enigma-2005, a two-day cultural festival organised by associations of paramedical scientists, students and resident doctors, commenced with a classical kathak dance recital by Kamini Puri, a disciple of danseuse Samira Koser. After Vishnu vandana, Kamini attempted to delineate the fundamental ingredients of the dance like aamad, thaat, tode, tukde and parans before moving on to a thumri, “Mohe chhedo naa..” depicting the erotic pranks of Lord Krishna. Vinod Sood and Narinder Kumar accompanied her on vocal and tabla. Kamini, an employee of the PGI, performs kathak at Bhargava Auditorium during a cultural programme.  — A Tribune photograph

HEALTH

New research may lead to typhoid, TB vaccine
Chandigarh, September 29
City scientist Dr Javed N Agrewala, the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award winner for research in the field of medical science, says that treatment of diseases like cancer and fighting infection could undergo a substantial change with new findings about the behaviour of cells in human blood.

Lecture on heart diseases
Chandigarh, September 29
An extension lecture on “Clinical aspects of heart diseases and their management” was organised at the Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Sector 26, today. The lecture was delivered by Dr Arun Kochar, DM Cardiology, at Fortis Hospital.

SPORTS

Chandigarh State Badminton Championship concludes
Oscar named player of the tournament

Chandigarh, September 29 Star favourite Oscar Bansal could not have asked for more when he was adjudged the best player of the tournament in the Chandigarh State Badminton Championship and presented the D.K. Mukerjee Trophy by Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan on the concluding day of the championship at the Sector 42 Badminton Hall, here, today.

Winners of the Chandigarh State Open Badminton Championship after the prize distribution function at the Sector 42 Badminton Hall, Chandigarh, on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

DAVPS-8 win another TT title 
Chandigarh, September 29
DAV Public School, Sector 8, downed Manav Mangal School, Sector 21, by 3-0 in the under-17 girls section to bag another title in the UT Inter-School Table Tennis Tournament, which concluded here today.

3 selected for swimming meet for disabled
Chandigarh, September 29
Three swimmers from Chandigarh will vie for top honours in the 6th National Swimming Championship for Disabled to be held in Kolkata from October 2 to 5. Harmail Singh, Mukesh Kumar and Ram Kiran have been chosen by the Swimming Association of Chandigarh for Disabled for the above meet.

Cricket trials today