The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Jagriti yatra marks Guru Granth Sahib’s anniversary
Our Correspondent

Ambala, February 25
On the 300th anniversary of Guru Granth Sahib, a ‘jagriti yatra’ started, from Nander Sahib reached here today. MLA Venod Sharma and a large number of Sikhs welcomed the yatra.

The yatra started from Panjokhra Sahib Gurdwara in the morning and passed through Baldev Nagar, Model Town, Prem Nagar, Urban Estate and New Grain Market. Motorbike-borne youth escorted the yatra. Various Sikh associations organised tea and fruit stalls on the way for the ‘yatris’. The yatra will march towards Dera Bassi tomorrow.

Sharma said the history of Sikhs was full of sacrifice and their Gurus sacrificed their lives for the religion.

Several Congress leaders, including president of Haryana Congress media cell Dilip Chawala Bittu, president municipal council Harish Sashan and district congress president Arun Garg were also present on this occasion. Local leaders of Akali Dal and INLD also welcomed the yatra.

‘Include Bassi Pathana in central scheme’
Our Correspondent

Bassi Pathana, February 25
The councillors of Municipal Council unanimously passed a resolution urging the Punjab Government to recommend Bassi Pathana Council to be included in the list of the IDSMT (Integrated Development of Small and Medium Towns) scheme sponsored by the Central Government, meant for the overall development of small and medium towns, at the last meeting of their tenure held here today. A ray of hope has kindled for the residents of this town.

During the recently concluded district planning board meeting, the council president Sunita Malhotra, had put forward to provide basic amenities to residents. The charmain of planning board Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, was forced to announce that he would take up genuine problems of the people personally with the Union Government and get Bassi Pathana Council included in the IDSMT scheme.

He had directed the officials to prepare a propsal and estimates for all development works immediately. Today's resolution was passed in this connection.

While talking to The Tribune, Sunita Malhotra, Council president, said all resolutions had been passed unanimously and she hoped that Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, chairman, would get it done. Charnjit Singh, executive officer, told that they had prepared the proposals and estimates.

INLD protests against LPG shortage
Tribune News Service

Ambala, February 25
Members of the Indian National Lok Dal staged a protest in Shah block today. They protested against the shortage of domestic LPG and its availability in the black market for double the rate. They also highlighted the problem of power supply.

INLD spokesperson Maninder Singh Shahpuria said farmers were losing out on crop, which was drying up due to the power shortage. He also said a cylinder of the domestic LPG which should otherwise cost Rs 300, was being sold illegally in the black market for Rs 600 and above.

The members also submitted a memorandum to the tehsildar Jagdish Sharma and demanded that the authorities concerned should take action against this.

National workshop for librarians
Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 25
The department of library and information science, Punjabi University, will organise a national workshop on ‘Quality indicators and best practices for academic libraries’ on the university campus from March 4 to 6.

Dr Jaspal Singh, vice-chancellor of the Punjabi University, will preside over the inaugural session on March 4. On this occasion ‘Seva Ratna’ Madaswamy Moni, deputy director general, National Information Centre, Government of India,

And Kalpana Dasgupta, will deliver special lectures. Sources said this workshop would be for college and university librarians in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, because the National Accreditation and Assessment Council would base grants to the colleges and universities on the rating of quality of their resources and services.

Moni said he had developed National Information Centre’s district information system of 27 sectors, including agriculture, education, industries and rural development for implementation in 520 districts.

Roshan Raina from Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, New Delhi, and R.G. Prashar, an academic library expert, will be the main speakers at the workshop.

Patiala archers in Indian team
Our Correspondent

Patiala, February 25
Two young archers from the city have been selected in the Indian team which will take part in the inaugural Asian grand prix archery championship slated to be held at Bangkok from February 26 to March 1.

The Patiala based archers- Anurag Kamal and Manveer Kaur- are a part of the 16 member team selected by the Archery Association of India (AAI) for the meet. Both the archers practice regularly at the Patiala archery centre in the Polo ground under the supervision of coach Jeevanjot Singh Teja.

Incidentally, Teja is also among the four coaches selected by the AAI for the meet. At the age of twenty-four years, Teja is one of the youngest coaches to train Indian team.

Both Anurag Kamal and Manveer Kaur will also take part in the South Asian archery championship scheduled to be held at Jamshedpur from March 7 to 10.

SPORTS

Irina all set for Indian Women’s Open
Donald Banerjee

Chandigarh, February 25
City golf icon Irina Brar, who reigned as the amateur golf queen of the country from 1999 to 2006 barring a lay off in 2003 because of a lower back recurring pain, is all set to capture the greens in the $ 1,50,000 DLF Indian Women’s Open to be played on the DLF Golf and Country Club in New Delhi next month.

Irina was tied fourth in the event last year and finished the 2007 Ladies Asian Golf Tour with a purse packet of $ 8,238.

Twentyfour-year-old Irina, who got third position in Panjab University in MA (final) psychology, left for Delhi today to try her luck in the pro-am event of the Johnnie Walker Classic to be held on the same course on February 27.

Talking about her form, Irina said she was putting and driving well. “All is well and I am all set to take on the Asian Tour challenge. I am confident of doing better”, said the golf icon who turned professional in 1966 after she failed to get a berth in the Asian Games squad despite being the top-ranked amateur in the country.

Irina who missed out on the Thailand Ladies Open about five days back will be rubbing shoulders with top Asian lady golfers besides the top ranked Indian lady pro golfer Smriti Mehra.

Tanya Wadhwa, the teenaged Indian amateur settled in the USA, will also take part in the Asian Tour event.

In the Indian Women’s Open last year, Irina had started with a two-under par 70 on the opening day. She faltered on the second day playing a bad seven-over par 79. But, another good one under par 71 saw her finish with a four over par 220 for the tied fourth spot and prize money of $ 5,100.

Two other girls from Chandigarh, Saaniya Sharma and Preetinder Kaur will also be playing in this event.

‘CLTA needs better coaches’
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 25
Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA) needs coaches with better qualification, felt Doug MacCurdy, a professional sports consultant on the CLTA premises, here yesterday.

“The CLTA has impressive infrastructure and facilities. The ratio of trainees and coaches is also satisfactory. The coaches should study and improve their qualifications by appearing for ITF level II and above certification,” said MacCurdy, a former director of USA Tennis Development from 1998 to 2001.

MacCurdy was in the city to conduct one-week development workshop for players and the local coaches.

"It takes at least seven to 10 years to produce a top-class player. Still there is no absolute guarantee of getting good returns,” said MacCurdy while praising the innovative CHART programme of the CLTA.

“I also recommended forming a group of top players and chalking out a special programme to train them. You can’t have same programme for all the players. Tennis is more of an individual game,” said MacCurdy.

MacCurdy has also recommended that CLTA should chalk out a plan to provide more regular in-house competitions.

CLTA chairman Rajan Kashyap said they were planning to start a specialised year-round overall Junior Level Development programme.

“The programme will be launched on April 1 and boys and girls have been selected under 10 to 12 and 14 to 18 age groups. In the scheme, top six players will attend the programme free of cost,” said Kashyap maintaining that all recommendations made by MacCurdy would be implemented.

Players clash during baseball match
Mandeep Puri

Chandigarh, February 25
Heated argument was witnessed during the ongoing national baseball tournament being played at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 23, yesterday.

The match was played between Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh. The shuffle started during the time when the batter of Himachal Pradesh incidentally pushed a fielder of the Famous Club.

The atmosphere turned violent within no times, which resulted in exchange of blows between the members of both teams.

The sluggers were soon seen in action. The officials intervened and controlled the atmosphere.

Reacting to the incident of violent behaviour from the players, the officials at first disqualified the teams from the tournament. The match was bought on a stand still for about half an hour before a written apology was taken from both the captains.

Though the match started, regular interruption was seen during the game. The players reacted and exchange heated arguments throughout the match.

It is shameful on the part of both the players and the officials that such an aggressive behaviour was seen during the course of the match. The organisers who asserts that this being a national level tournament are also not having any medical facilities, no first aid box is there at the venue.

The tournament is in progress from a couple of days without any provision of medical aid. When our correspondent visited the venue, and questioned the organisers for a medical first aid box they failed to show any.

“ The teams usually themselves carry the medical aid, and the first aid box along with them”, said one of the organisers.

CRIME

45-year-old woman killed in accident
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 25
A 45-year-old woman was killed while her son escaped unhurt when a Jeep hit their scooter at Darrua village here today.

According to the police, the deceased Krishan Devi, a resident of Mauli Jagran colony, was returning from Darrua when a Mohindra Jeep hit the scooter that was being driven by her son. She was seriously injured in the accident while her son escaped unhurt. Krishan Devi was rushed to PGI where she succumbed to her injuries, the police said.

The police has arrested the driver of the Jeep and registered a case against him.

Man escapes from custody, held
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 25
A day after an accused escaped from the Sector 22 police post, the police today managed to nab him from Maloya this afternoon.

Sources in the police said Chandan Singh of Zirakpur was nabbed from Maloya following information that he was staying with his acquaintance at a dairy farm. The staff of the Sector 39 police station conducted a raid in the area and arrested the accused. He was later handed over to the Sector 17 police station. This is the second such incident in a month. Earlier the Sector 39 police station arrested a murder accused in a case regiseterd at the Sector 11 police sttaion. The police had earlier raided his home at Zirakpur after tracing his address from HDFC Bank, from where he obtained a loan for his motorcycle.

The police arrested the accused after he was caught red-handed while stealing a car stereo from a car in Sector 22 in the wee hours of Sunday. He, however, managed to slip away from police custody in the morning. The police has placed under suspension Sukhchain Singh, an assistant sub-inspector (ASI), and Balwinder Singh, a constable, after arresting them in a case registered under Sections 223 (escape from confinement) and 224 (obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension) of the Indian Penal Code.

Two cars, bike stolen
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 25
Four vehicles, including two cars, were stolen from the city.

A.D. Arora of Sector 15-D reported to the police alleging that his car (PB-31-1200) was stolen from the PGI on February 22. In another incident, George Masih of Sector 47-D lodged a complaint with the police alleging that his Maruti Zen car (CH03-U-8882) was stolen from his residence on Saturday night. Similarly, Tarun Kumar of Manimajra filed a complaint with the police alleging that his Yamaha motorcycle (CH-23-T-8363) was stolen from Regulator End, Sukhana Lake, on February 21. Inderjit Singh of Daria village lodged a complaint with the police alleging that his Bajaj Pulsar motorcycle (CH-04-B-2680) was stolen from Sector 16 on Saturday.

Four separate cases of thefts have been registered in various police stations in this connection.

Injured

Two car occupants were hurt, including one seriously, after a motorcycle collided head-on with their vehicle in Sector 28, late last night. The motorcyclist, who was coming on wrong side and on a high speed, could not control his vehicle and rammed it into the Maruti car (CH-04-B-5201). He fell on the bonnet of the car and was taken to some distance before the car came to a halt. The car and the motorcycle were badly damaged in the mishap.

The police said while the motorcyclist Rajesh of Mauli Jagran was discharged from the hospital the car driver, Rajesh Kumar of Pinjore was still under treatment. The police has arrested the motorcyclist on the charges of causing injuries due to rash and negligent driving.

Theft

Ravi Kakkar of Phase II, Mohali, lodged a complaint with the police alleging that Rs 7 lakh was stolen from his shop in Sector 42 after breaking open the locks. The cash was kept in an almirah which was found broken. The matter was reported to the police and a case of theft has been registered.

Held for molestation

The police arrested Pankaj of Raipur Khurd village on the charges of assaulting and outraging the modesty of a girl of Sector 41 in Rose Garden, Sector 16 on Sunday. A case under Sections 323, 354 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered in Sector 17 police station.

Eve-teasing

The police arrested Gopi and Laddy of Daria village on the charges of indulging in eve-teasing in Daria village on Sunday. a case under Section 509 of the IPC ahs been registered.

CULTURE

Play on kidney racket sale staged
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, February 25
The Theatre Arts group presented a short play “Gurda Bikta hai” in nukkad natak form at the plaza here today. Written by Ashwini- Mukesh, the play juxtaposed the heinous kidney racket sale run by some notorious doctors who were engaged in spoiling the reputation of this noble profession.

For a change, director Rajiv Mehta, instead of employing celestial deities as characters, had ventured to rely upon the powerful and notorious dacoit, Gabbar Singh, now living in solitude in Chambal.

Unfortunately, a medical practitioner operates upon Gabbar Singh and Basanti as well as Sambha who happen to be in Mumbai for resurrection of their earlier life on being told that the present day dacoits have opted for being leaders, gangsters or high profile smugglers in big cities.

Soon, they learn that the doctor had cheated them by removing their kidneys and report to the police. Realising a nexus in the trade, Gabbar Singh attains the persona of the deadly dacoit and teaches them a lesson in his asking in style “Ye haath muhje de doh doctor” before the amputation.

Suvinder pal, Rajiov Mehta, Yogseh Tungal, Mukesh, Gaurav Sharma and others formed the cast.