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Group Housing
GPA holders can now own flats
Chandigarh, February 7
The Chandigarh administration today made property transactions in group housing societies hassle-free by allowing general power of attorney (GPA) holders to have property in their names.

Crossing Language Barrier
Law dept entrance test may be in Hindi, too
Chandigarh, February 7
If the Panjab University syndicate at its meeting here on February 12 gives its approval, entrance examination to the department of laws could be taken in Hindi too.

Yet another youth sans helmet 
killed
Chandigarh, February 7
Rahul Dyal, 21, who worked in a private telecom company, was killed when his motorcycle skidded off the road dividing Sectors 40 and 41 here this morning. Rahul was not wearing a helmet at the time of the mishap, said the police.
                                                                    Dhillon Case
VC’s Take ‘Syndics did it, not me’
Chandigarh, February 7
Reacting to the resignation of members of the board of control of the law department of Panjab University, VC R.C. Sobti said today that they had no “locus standi to resign” as the term of the board was till 2007.

CPIO Issue: Notice sent to office that doesn’t exist
Chandigarh, February 7
The issue of the absence of a central public information officer (CPIO) in the administrator’s office again came alive today with the administration reiterating that there was no need to appoint a CPIO for the administrator’s office as no records were being maintained at the office.

COMMUNITY

Shifting of DAC to Sanetta
Build consensus, chief secy to DC
Mohali, February 7
The Punjab chief secretary has asked the SAS Nagar deputy commissioner to build common consensus regarding shifting of the district administrative complex to Sanetta village.

PETA bares link between poultry filth, bird flu
Chandigarh, February 7
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) today bared linkages between filthy conditions prevailing in India’s poultry farms and the outbreak of bird flu. N.G. Jayasimha

Naik found dead
Dera Bassi, February 7
Naik Dhanshala (25) was found dead on the Ambala-Kalka railway tracks here today. The victim hailed from Bangalore and was posted at Ambala Cantonment. His body was found at 2.30 a.m. by the police.

GMCH-32 fest posponed
Chandigarh, February 7
"Euphoria", the four-day annual festival of Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, slated to be held from February 14 has been postponed, according to a press note issued here today. — TNS

Letters

EDUCATION

WARMING UP: Students enjoy the sun while attending a class on the Panjab University campus on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

PU Notes
Experts shed light on human settlement dynamics
Chandigarh, February 7
The 14th national seminar of the department of Geography, Panjab University - on the theme ‘Human Settlement Dynamics and Population, Economy, Environment Interface With Special Reference to North-West India’ - was inaugurated today at PU by Prof G S Gosal, professor emeritus, PU department of geography.

Is PU playing with fire?
Chandigarh, February 7
Panjab University authorities seem to be ‘playing with fire’ by not adhering to safety norms on campus. Last year, fire wing of the municipal corporation had issued a notice to the varsity to follow guidelines listed in the Fire Safety Act at the earliest. The varsity was given a month’s notice in this regard.

From Schools & Colleges
70 take part in slogan-writing contest
Chandigarh, February 7
A reference and book-hunting, and slogan-writing competition was organised at the Government College of Education, Sector 20, here today. Seventy students participated in the competitions. In slogan-writing Rajinder Kaur won the first prize, Anjali Gulati the second and Rasneet Kalsi the third prize. In reference and book-hunting competition, Rekha and Mandeep won the first prize and Rimmi and Renuka the second. Rajender and Monika got the third prize.

Nursing students take oath
Dera Bassi, February 7
The lamp-lighting ceremony of the 7th batch of general nursing and midwifery students of Fortis School of Nursing was held today at Fortis Hospital auditorium in which students took an oath to serve the ailing humanity with utmost sincerity and resolve.

Students of Fortis Nursing College during the oath-taking ceremony in Mohali on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Vicky Gharu

COURTS

Woman gets life term for poisoning sons
Chandigarh, February 7
Removal of “obstacle” in the path of illicit love has led an Amritsar district resident to jail. A Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has upheld the Trial Court’s order of sentencing a woman to life imprisonment nearly eight years after she poisoned her sons to death because they were proving to be a hurdle in her affair.

Violation of building bylaws
Admn, home secy get HC notice
Chandigarh, February 7
Taking up a public interest litigation for independent inquiry into building rules violations by commercial complexes, allegedly in connivance with estate office functionaries, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notices to the Chandigarh administration, along with the home and finance secretaries.

ADMINISTRATION

Departments told to apply RTI Act
Chandigarh, February 7
The UT home secretary has directed all heads of departments, boards and corporations to implementation the Right to Information Act.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

PSEB workers shun work
Patiala, February 7
It was a day of dharnas, protest rallies and traffic jams in the city today. Hunderds of employees of PSEB Employees’ Joint Forum sat on a dharna in front of various circle offices, protesting against Punjab government's decision to privatise the board in the garb of unbundling.

Girls await their turn to perform during a cultural function at Polytechnic College for Women in Patiala on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Rajesh Sachar

Govt docs make quick private buck
Patiala, February 7
Call it irony or quirk of fate to befall needy patients. Just a couple of months back, there was a spate of resignations from doctors in government hospitals and now whatever doctors are left, they do not have time to treat patients at these hospitals. The reason is simple: They are more engrossed in making fast money out of private practice.

ASHA workers to help rural folk
Patiala, February 7
Patiala became the first district in the state where appointment letters were handed over to members of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) scheme.

Demolition Drive
Residents, admn reach agreement
Patiala, February 7
A potentially explosive situation was diffused when residents of Mathura Colony reached an agreement with the district administration as the latter reached the colony to demolish their houses. A huge posse of police force was requisitioned by the administration to get the houses vacated.

Singla takes over as new DC
Fatehgarh Sahib, February 7
The historical town of Fatehgarh Sahib got a new deputy commissioner after Alaknanda Dayal, the previous DC, was transferred as additional secretary, finance.

SPORTS

Shamsher leads u-18 hockey team
Chandigarh, February 7
Shamsher Singh will lead Chandigarh under-18 hockey team, which will be participating in the 4th under-18 junior hockey championship being organised by the Hyderabad Hockey Association at Rasoolpura (Begumpet), Secunderabad, from February 8 to February 18, 2008.

Wing Commander  Satish Bhatia

Badminton camp cancellation hits players
Chandigarh, February 7
Cancellation of the National Badminton Camp, which was to take place in Goa, will certainly affect the performance of badminton players said Wing Commander Satish Bhatia, a former badminton player. Wg Cdr Bhatia is a former Olympian and captain of the Indian Badminton team in the Thomas Cup in the year 1963, 1969, and has also played in the commonwealth games and the Asian games.

Weightlifting camp called off 
Patiala, February 7
The national weightlifting coaching camp for seniors and juniors, which was under way here at the NIS, has been called off due to inadequate attendance.

HEALTH

Health authorities gear up for polio drive
Panchkula, February 7
The health authorities have planned to immunise 78,193 children between the age group of 0-5 years during the three-day national polio round to commence on February 10 in the district. To achieve the target, a total of 388 booths will be set up at different places along with 28 transit teams and 10 mobile teams comprising 1,632 vaccinators, 75 supervisors and 10 nodal officers from the state health department.

CULTURE

Mitika, Ashutosh are ‘voices’
of PU
Chandigarh, February 7
Mitika, a student of Government College for Girls, Sector 11, and Ashutosh from the Music Department of Panjab University (PU) were declared the “Voice of Panjab University” during the three-day musical competition organised at the PU campus by the Students’ Council.

Mitika performs at the ‘Voice of Panjab University’ contest on the PU campus on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph