C H A N D I G A R H

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TOP STORIES

MC Budget
Councillors get more funds
No property tax, wider roads and two night-food streets
Chandigarh, February 27
The general house of Municipal Corporation today passed its “developmental” budget of Rs 540 crore to uplift the city’s spirits. The final budget is Rs 6 crore more than the proposed budget of Rs 534 crore.

Home-makers want PC to trim kitchen bill
Chandigarh, February 27
As union finance minister P. Chidambaram gets ready to present Budget proposals, city residents look forward to pre-poll populist measures with focus on the aam aadmi.

Night patrol-less
Accidents on the rise in city
Chandigarh, February 27
In the absence of police patrol on city streets at night, the outlaws seem to be working without the fear of the law. Though traffic lights are functional till midnight, it has not helped in curbing violations since no traffic police personnel mans the roads at that hour.

A view of a demolition drive at Madrasi Colony in Sector 26, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Stung by bees, JE dies
Chandigarh, February 27
A junior engineer with the municipal committee, Chandigarh, died after he was stung by honey bees at the PGI here today. The deceased, Ashok Bhandari, a close relative of former Mayor Anu Chatrath, was a resident of Sector 26.

COMMUNITY

SGPC funds ‘misused’ for SAD rally
Cong protest against govt policies on March 1
Mohali, February 27
The Kharar MLA and president of the Mohali district unit of the Congress, Balbir Singh Sidhu, has appealed to various welfare organisations to join the protest march being held in the town on March 1 to expose the “anti-public policies” of the Punjab government.

Now, DTO to dispose of challans
Mohali, February 27
Traffic offenders of Mohali district will no longer have to go to courts to pay their fines now as the district transport officer has been empowered to deal with such offences in his office itself here. The decision came into effect from today.

Stress on renewable energy sources Chandigarh, February 27 The growing Indian economy has led to a massive consumption of fossil fuels. As compared to a 75 per cent dependence on import of petroleum products now, the country’s dependence on imports will eventually be 90 per cent.
(From right) Justice Vijender Jain, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and N.R. Raje, director of Centre for Alternative Energy Research, University of Petroleum, Dehra Dun, during a seminar on Renewable Energy and Climate Change, in Chandigarh on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph.

City PFA unit best in country Chandigarh, February 27 Serving injured, handicapped and diseased animals for the past 12 years, the Chandigarh unit of People for Animals, a branch of an NGO that functions under the umbrella of Maneka Gandhi, has added one more feather in its cap. Activists of the Chandigarh unit of People for Animal with the Best PFA Unit trophy in Chandigarh. — A Tribune photograph

Haryana sends panel of 3 for home secy’s post
Chandigarh, February 27
The Haryana government has sent a panel of three IAS officers to the Union Territory of Chandigarh for the post of home secretary. The panel has been sent on the instructions of the Union Government, which recently wrote to the UT administration that the present incumbent Krishan Mohan must be repatriated to his parent state, Haryana, after March 31.

‘Guru Manyo Granth Yatra’ in city on March 1
Chandigarh, February 27
The “Guru Manyo Granth Yatra”, which started from Hazoor Sahib, will reach here on March 1. On March 2, it will resume its onward journey from the Sector 8 gurdwara and will cover various sectors and gurdwaras in the city, H.S. Bajaj, president of the gurdwara, said today.

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EDUCATION

City kids win national talent hunt
New Delhi, February 27
Chandigarh kids came out winners in a national-level talent hunt competition organised by Primary Plus, a magazine targeted to set children thinking. At least three of the young champs, Pulak Kaushal from Bhawan Panchkula School, Pragati Oberoi from Sacred Heart and Ravitej Brar from Ryan International School, were judged as the best in all eight types of human intelligences identified by the magazine in its module for the competition.

From Colleges
432 students awarded on annual day
Chandigarh, February 27
Government College for Girls, Sector-42, organised its 26th annual prize distribution ceremony. Pradip Mehra, advisor to the Chandigarh administration, was the chief guest whereas Raji P. Shrivastava, director of higher education, Chandigarh administration, was the guest of honor.

Students perform a play at the prize distribution function at the State Institute of Education at Sector 32, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan	Pradip Mehra distributes prizes during the prize distribution ceremony at GCG-42 in Chandigarh on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

From Schools & Colleges
School to start IELTS, TOEFL courses
Panchkula, February 27
The British Schools, Panchkula and Mohali, have decided to include IELTS, GRE, SAT, TOEFL and GMAT courses in the school curriculum along with its already running personality development programmes and language courses.

Centre for Science inaugurated
Chandigarh, February 27
Dell today inaugurated its first Centre for Science, equipped with state of the art science lab facilities, at the Sikhya: The School of Learning, Sector 46, today. The new Dell centre has been established with the purpose of awakening the spirit of scientific experimentation among children of Chandigarh.

Ravigeet does best analysis of budget
Chandigarh, February 27
Aryans Business School organised a seminar on ‘Aam Aadmi Ka Budget’ today at the Chandigarh Press Club, Sector 27. The seminar was organised to declare the result of pre-budget survey conducted by ABS’s MBA students in tricity.

COURTS

High Court
PIL challenges setting up of Educity
Chandigarh, February 27
In a petition filed in public interest before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, an advocate today challenged the setting up of Educity. The petitioner, Dharamender Singh Randhawa of Sector 43, argued that the advertisement issued by the Chandigarh administration in the media on January 9, 2007, and September 11, 2007.

Rediff.com told to pay damages
Chandigarh, February 27
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-I directed Rediff.com India and Shop Mart in Maharastra to pay compensation of Rs 5,000 for not delivering order in stipulated time.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

MC turns blind eye to encroachments
Patiala, February 27
In violation of the municipal corporation rules, at least four shops are illegally being constructed in the Model Town area of the city. The MC officials are looking the other way for reasons best known to them. Earlier, the MC was in soup over unauthorised construction of seven shops and showrooms in the same area.

Patiala SSP S.K. Asthana congratulates the winners on the concluding day of the 132nd sports meet of Government Mohindra College in Patiala on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

New strategy to curb crime on anvil
Bassi Pathana, February 27
“Police force is dependent on people and nothing concrete can be achieved if people do not cooperate. People should come forward and give information to the police so that crime could be curbed and anti-social elements were controlled,” said Dr Kaustubh Sharma, newly appointed SSP, while interacting with the mediapersons here today.

International seminar on religion
Patiala, February 27
Dr Raghbir Singh Bains of Canada spoke about the role of religion in dealing with problems of foeticide, untouchability, domestic violence, drug addiction, rapes, adultery, prostitution and resultant diseases. He was addressing a gathering on the second day of the International seminar on religion and human social responsibility at Punjabi university.

Newly wed stabbed to death
Panchkula, February 27
A newly married woman was stabbed to death by her husband, Kishanpal, at Indira Colony here today. The deceased has been identified as Puja. According to the police the accused fled the spot after committing the crime. The woman was brought from West Bengal.

Flesh trade racket busted
Patiala, February 27
The police busted a flesh trade racket, involving a group of four women, at the busy Sanauri Adda area, here today. The Chief Judicial Magistrate S.S. Panesar later remanded all the four to a 14-day judicial custody, after they were charged under various sections of the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act.

SPORTS

Hole-in-one feat by 80-year old
Chandigarh, February 27
Eighty-year-old Ved Prakash Venayak created history on the greens of the Chandigarh Golf Club this morning when he achieved a hole-in-one feat on the par-3 11th hole while playing with the Lambas this morning.

Incomplete sports projects sportsmen’s bane
Chandigarh, February 27
It’s been a long wait for tennis enthusiasts of southern sectors. Thanks to the slack attitude of the Chandigarh administration, the project of setting up a tennis court at the Sports Complex, Sector 42, is still waiting completion.

A view of the incomplete tennis (left) and volleyball courts at the Sports Complex, Sector 42, in Chandigarh. — Tribune photos by Vinay Malik

City to get world-class stadium
Chandigarh, February 27
The municipal corporation, at its house meeting today, decided to build an athletics-cum-football stadium of international standard in the city. At present, there is no stadium in the city to organise any national and international meet.

Athletics Meet
Mohammed Wasim jumps to victory
Mohali, February 27
Mohammed Wasim of Tagore house bagged gold medal in broad jump in the boys’ above-16 category while Gurjinder Singh Brar and Akash Sidhwani secured silver and bronze, respectively, on the third day of the 29th annual athletics meet underway at Yadavindra Public School.

Lahore XI to add zing to ICL
Panchkula, February 27
The third edition of the Indian Cricket League Triangular Twenty20 Championship will have an added flavour as all Pakistani players will play as a team. The team, Lahore XI, will be led by former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq.

Admn turns down Kapil’s request to set up academy
Chandigarh, February 27
Former captain of the Indian cricket team Kapil Dev has been cold shouldered by the administration. His request to open a cricket academy at the Sector-16 stadium, where he honed his skills, has been turned down.

Khalsa college shuttlers lift trophy
Chandigarh, February 27
GHG Khalsa College of Education, Gurusar Sadhar, emerged champion in the Panjab University Inter-College Badminton (evening and educational colleges) Men Championship held at PU gymnasium hall here today.

Gagandeep wins in badminton
Chandigarh, February 27
Gagandeep Kaur won the badminton (singles) title defeating Priyanka Rana on the first day of the two-day annual sports day meet at Government Polytechnic for Women, Sector 10, here today.

CRIME

Car thief nabbed within minutes
Chandigarh, February 27
The Chandigarh police today claimed to have nabbed a car thief in less than 10 minutes after getting the information that the car was stolen from Sector 21 a little after midnight. Commending the efforts of 10 Police Control Room personnel, the UT inspector-general of police SK Jain conferred upon them class I certificates with cash reward.

Thief who stole car of judge nabbed
Chandigarh, February 27
Narinder Pal Singh, who stole the white Maruti 800 of a judicial officer, was today arrested by head constable Jarnail Singh and head constable Sadhu Singh. He was sent to judicial custody for 14 days by judicial magistrate first- class Balwinder Kumar.

Sangrur man held with poppy husk
Chandigarh, February 27
The police arrested a Sangrur resident on the charges of carrying poppy husk. The police said Naresh Kumar of Sangrur was arrested from Sector 17 ISBT this afternoon while carrying 13 kg of poppy husk.

Scooterist dies in accident
Chandigarh, February 27
A 35-year-old resident Dheeraj Khanna of Phase III, Mohali, was killed after being hit by a recklessly driven car collided head-on with his scooter near the Sector 43 and 44 rotary late last night.

Immolation bid against demolition
Chandigarh, February 27
A Bapu Dham Colony resident today allegedly poured kerosene to set himself on fire this morning while protesting against the demolition drive of the Municipal Corporation.

CULTURE

Rock is mixture of various cultures: Parikrama
Chandigarh, February 27
For raising funds in aid of the economically weaker children suffering from heart ailments, the Spice Telecom has again teamed up with the rotary and the city Rotaract Club for the third consecutive year to bring to the city ‘Rotary Heartline concert’.