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TOP STORIES

Shopkeepers storm GMADA office
Mohali, January 23
Hundreds of shopkeepers of Phase 3B-1 rehri market today stormed the office of GMADA here. They were protesting against the decision of the authority to cancel allotment of shops to over a 100 shopkeepers whose names figured in the original survey list.

Shopkeepers outside PUDA building in Mohali on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

5 school kids hurt as Zen hits rickshaw
Chandigarh, January 23
Five school children were injured today when their rickshaw collided with a Zen car on the Sector 43/44 road here today. The police decided not to register a case after a ‘compromise’ was reached between the car driver and the rickshaw puller. The incident once again shows how vulnerable our children are on city roads.

Four-day film fest from February 1
Shyam Benegal’s classics to be screened
Chandigarh, January 23
The Chandigarh administration today announced the final schedule for the Chandigarh Film Festival to be organised from February 1 to 4. Films to be screened include “Chak De India”, “Mr&Mrs Iyer”, “The Blue Umbrella” and “Dil Chahta Hai”.

Women hockey hopes tumble
Chandigarh, January 23
Chandigarh women’s hockey team will not participate in the Women Senior Hockey National Championship to be held in Jalandhar from February 1 to 9. Reason: insufficient funds.

COMMUNITY

NHAI breaching security norms, says Army
Mohali, January 23
The four-laning of National Highway 21 has plunged into fresh crises with the standoff between the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the Ammunition Depot of the Indian Army at Dappar reaching a flash point.

NOTICE THAT WHITEWASH? Students of Sant Isher Public School in Mohali rehearse for Republic Day celebrations on Wednesday, but with a flag without ‘Ashok Chakra’.Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

Water blues in Mohali
Mohali, January 23
Most parts of the town have been getting water supply at low pressure during the past two days.

Rs 6 cr for Bhima Devi temple
Panchkula, January 23
Bhima Devi temple at Pinjore would be restored to its ancient glory by spending Rs 6 crore and the work on it would be completed within six months. This was stated by Kiran Chaudhary, Haryana minister of state for tourism, here today.

The elected want more money
Mohali, January 23
Elected representatives of the local municipal council have urged the government to raise their honorarium amount.

3 injured as earth caves in
Chandigarh, January 23
Three labourers were injured, one of them seriously, when the earth at a construction site in the Industrial Area, Phase-1, caved in today.

A view of the site where the earth caved in. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Workshop on gender budgeting for councillors
Chandigarh, January 23
The Women Empowerment Committee of Municipal Corporation constituted by municipal corporation mayor Pardeep Chhabra yesterday decided to organise a workshop on gender budgeting for staff and councillors on February 6.

In sync with the dull weather, the weeping willow tree presents an apt picture at Phase VII in Mohali on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

Hybrid maize developed
Chandigarh, January 23
A hybrid variety of maize, which overcomes the deficiencies and disadvantages of the present varieties of the crop, has been developed under a project sponsored by the department of biotechnology.

PSHRC seeks report on torture
Chandigarh, January 23
Taking cognisance of a news report that appeared in an English daily, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has asked the state government to submit a report about it through the SSP, Jalandhar.

Five police personnel to get medals 
Chandigarh, January 23 The Chandigarh administration has decided to confer administrator’s police medal on five police personnel on the eve of Republic Day. Those selected are K.I.P Singh, DSP, inspector Anokh Singh, Parminder Singh, head constable Paramjit Singh and constable Ved Prakash. — TNS

K.I.P Singh           Anokh Singh         Parminder Singh    Paramjit Singh   Ved Prakash

Letters
Wake up, MC

EDUCATION

CBSE directive to schools
Skip derogatory references to freedom fighters
Chandigarh, January 23
Taking serious view of the derogatory references to freedom fighters, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has instructed all its affiliated schools to ignore the objectionable material from history book of Class VIII.

Class VIII Exams
Observers deputed to check copying
Chandigarh, January 23
The Chandigarh education department is gearing up to conduct the middle standard examination (Class VIII) smoothly at different examination centres. The examination are scheduled to commence from February 4.

Degree course in nursing
INSCOL ties up with Australian varsity
Chandigarh, January 23
Good news for the registered nursing students holding diplomas. For, INSCOL Academy, here, has come up with a 12-month degree course in nursing in Australia in collaboration with the University of New England (UNE), Armidale, Australia.

From Colleges
Ramesh first in debate
Chandigarh, January 23
SGGS College, Sector 26, emerged winner in the debate (team) competition while Ramesh Kumar of GGDSD College, Sector 32, and Yogita of MCM DAV College, Sector 36, won the first and second places, respectively, in the individual category during the three-day fest held at DAV College, Sector 10. The event was organised by PARWAZ - the professionals’ club of the department of professional studies of the college. Professor Vinayak welcomed chief guest Dr Kavita Marriya. Management games, ad-mad show, colourful dance performances and songs were also presented by the participants from different colleges.

PU Notes
Symposium on girl child tomorrow
Chandigarh, January 23
The department of adult and continuing education and extension, along with the University Institute of Fashion Technology and Vocational Development, will organise a symposium on “Girl Child-The Right to Dignity” as part of the ongoing the diamond jubilee celebrations of the university on January 25. Captain Kanwaljit Singh, minister for cooperation, Punjab, will be the chief guest. 
Naval Kishore, dean, students’ welfare, along with activists of the ABVP at a function organised to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda and Subhas Chandra Bose at Panjab University on Wednesday.

From Schools & Colleges
Kashish, Aman are school captains
Panchkula, January 23
Aman Aggarwal was elected as head boy while Kashish was elected head girl in the elections of school representatives for the session 2008-2009 held at Blue Bird School here today.

COURTS

2 acquitted in NDPS case
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 23
The district and sessions judge, R.S. Attri, today acquitted two persons under the NDPS Act due to lack of evidence. Baljit Singh and Kuldeep were arrested from near a bus stand in 2003. They were allegedly carrying 11 kg of poppy husk.

ADMINISTRATION

Information officers appointed
Chandigarh, January 23
The Chandigarh administration has designated three officers as the appellate authority, central public information officer and assistant public information officer to disseminate information regarding the office of the house allotment 
committee.

Registration of births, deaths
Primary health centres to take over work
Chandigarh, January 23
The Chandigarh administration has decided that the registration of births and deaths in rural areas will be done through primary health centres instead of police stations.

Limit for BPL families hiked to Rs 432
Chandigarh, January 23
The Chandigarh administration has enhanced the income criteria for identifying families below the poverty line (BPL). The limit has been increased from Rs 300.91 per capita (per month) of each member of the family to Rs 432.09.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Many a skid on sorghum juice
Villagers stage dharna in front of distillery
Banur, January 23
Several persons sustained injuries as a large quantity of sorghum juice meant for producing alcohol at Banur distillery spilled over a large area on the road this morning. Some school children had a miraculous escape as the bus in which they were travelling skid when the wheels rolled on to the sorghum juice spilled on the road.

Minister: Indirect election of sarpanches will reduce costs 
Banur, January 23
Defending the government’s decision to elect village sarpanches indirectly through the panches, Punjab minister for co-operation Capt Kanwaljit Singh said on Monday that the move aimed at bringing down the costs incurred on direct election of sarpanches.

Cops relent after 3-hour dharna
Register murder case against dera head
Samrala, January 23
After a three-hour dharna and road blockade by local residents on the Chandigarh-Ludhiana highway today, the police was forced to register a case of murder against inmates of a dera. Earlier, the suspects were booked for causing death of a Dalit youth due to negligence.

SPORTS

Chandigarh Golf meet opens
96 golfers in fray for seven titles
Chandigarh, January 23
The stage is set for another battle on the greens when 96 golfers converge on the greens of the Chandigarh Golf Club for seven titles at stake in the Tata Safari Chandigarh Golf Championship to be held on the par-72 course of the Chandigarh Golf Club here on January 24 and 25.

 

‘Body building fights drug addiction’ Chandigarh, January 23 Impressed by Bollywood machos Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan, he took to gymming as a teenager. But immediately after that, the hobby converted into a passion and now he has started making waves in body building.

Rakesh Kumar

Pankaj enters main draw
AITA series from Jan 28
Chandigarh, January 23
Along with five city-based tennis players, Pankaj Kumar got direct entry into the main draw 32 boys’ singles (under-14) in the AITA championship series, starting from January 28 at the Lake Sports Complex, here.

Kila Raipur games from February 7
Chandigarh, January 23
The Grewal Sports Association will hold the 73rd Kila Raipur Sports Games and Bhagwant Memorial Gold Cup Hockey Tournament for seniors and juniors (men and women) from February 7 to 10 at Grewal Sports Stadium here.

HEALTH

Preconditions for Medicity
UT dreams what firms say is impractical
Chandigarh, January 23
In a classic example of daydreaming, the UT administration expects big corporates to run a charity hospital and train 300 nurses free of cost at its flagship medicity project at Raipur Kalan village here.

3,000 delegates to attend dermatology meet 
Chandigarh, January 23
More than 3,000 delegates, including renowned dermatologists from abroad, are expected to attend a three-day DERMACON-2008, the 36th national conference of the Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venerologists and Leprologists (IADVL) here tomorrow. The conference is being organised by the department of dermatology, venerology and leprosy of the PGI.

PGI OPDs closed on Jan 26
Chandigarh, January 23
The OPDs at the PGI will remain closed on January 26 on account of the Republic Day. Emergency services will continue to function — TNS .

CRIME

50-yr-old man found dead
Mohali, January 23
Tara Singh, a 50-year-old resident of Fatehgarh Sahib, was found dead in a house in phase V here this morning. According to the police the victim had come to visit someone in Phase VII yesterday and stayed back. The victim was a property dealer.

Chase leaves constable injured
Chandigarh, January 23
A police constable had a close brush with death when a chase to nab a car without a number plate yesterday left him injured.

Safai karamchari commits suicide
Chandigarh, January 23
A safai karamchari with the MC and a resident of Sector 29 committed suicide by hanging himself from a fan this evening today.

BUSINESS

HDFC operations curbed for 3 days
Chandigarh, January 23
Banking operations in HDFC Bank branches will be restricted from tomorrow for three days as the system is being upgraded.

Bank employees to strike work tomorrow
Chandigarh, January 23
Banking operations in the tricity will be hit over the next week, thanks to a “strategically planned” strike by the United Forum of Bank Unions on January 25. Transactions worth Rs 500 crore are estimated to be affected during the strike.

CULTURE

Expert: Technical aids harming guru-shishya parampara
Chandigarh, January 23
“India’s classical arts, especially dances, have developed many internal tensions and external stresses due to conflicts between the old and the new purity or fusion,” opined the legendary Bharatnatyam guru N.S. Jayalaksmi, a pupil, teacher and a guru from Kalakshetra, a pioneering multi-dimensional institute of Bharatnatyam and classical arts. 


Bharatnatyam guru N.S. Jayalakshmi (left) and danseuse Caroline Gebert Khan (right) from Germany. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari