C H A N D I G A R H

Top stories | Community | Education | Courts

Neighbourhood | Sports | Crime | Business | Culture

TOP STORIES

Unbridled hike in school fees, but admn helpless
Chandigarh, March 17
The administration, which boasts of Chandigarh as an education hub, has failed to monitor the fee structure of private schools. Parents say banks should come out with admission loans under the education loan plan. Vivek High School-38 has raised the amalgamated funds from Rs 3,400 to Rs 7,000 this year, apart from the regular fee hike.

Govt official by default
Chandigarh, March 17
A city resident has got the status of a government official, thanks to the CTU which sold off an Ambassador car without retaining its official registration number, CH-01G1 1203. The government uses “G” series. As per information available with the registering and licensing authority (RLA), the registration number is yet to be surrendered by the buyer.

12-year-old killed in accident
Chandigarh, March 17
Twelve-year-old Akash was killed and his parents were injured when their motorcycle collided with a mini truck near Tribune Chowk this afternoon. Akash was a Class VII student of St John’s High School.

WHO CARES? These pictures taken by Tribune lensman Manoj Mahajan speak for themselves. A cyclist crosses a divider; an uprooted grill; and an open junction box along the road dividing Sectors 34 and 35 in Chandigarh

Roundabouts to go under the hammer
Chandigarh, March 17
The administration is planning to auction roundabouts that will allow companies to maintain these and use some of the space for advertising.

2 robbed at gunpoint in Panchkula
Panchkula, March 17
Four youths in a car robbed two men on a motorcycle at gunpoint after intercepting them on a busy road here this afternoon. The robbers decamped with Rs 45,000.

COMMUNITY

A playful white Tiger cools off in water at the Chhat Bir Zoo near Chandigarh.  — Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

Army high on stress: Expert
Chandigarh, March 17
A workshop on stress management was conducted for Army officers and their families at Chandimandir Military station today. The workshop, which was conducted by Col Gursewak Singh (retd), a known speaker on stress management, witnessed an active discussion on the issue. All the senior officers of Headquarters Western Command attended the workshop.

Seminar on transformation of Dalits
Chandigarh, March 17
“I have spent some of the best years of my life in Panjab University,” said an elated Kumari Selja, Union minister of state (independent charge), ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation, while addressing a gathering at the university during a national seminar organised by the department of geography on ‘Socio-economic and political transformation of Dalits and the state in India: A geographical appraisal.’ 

‘Operation Pehchaan’ to be extended to UP, Bihar
Panchkula, March 17
In order to identify the unclaimed bodies found on railway tracks in the state, the Government Railway Police (GRP), Haryana, has decided to extend its ‘Operation Pehchan’ to other states, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. This was disclosed by Ambala SP (GRP) Bharati Arora here today.

Mohali farmers on way to Chandigarh during a protest rally on Monday. —Tribune photo by Vicky Gharu

Fauji Beat
Make war records public
IT is most unfortunate that a battle has been started between the Army and the Air Force over the famous battle of Laungewala, which reflects adversely on the image of the armed forces. The government should not remain a mute spectator to this dismaying controversy. The answer lies in making the official war record of this battle of the 1971 war public.

Encroachers to be challaned from tomorrow
Chandigarh, March 17
Municipal Corporation’s weeklong anti-encroachment awareness drive, which started on March 11, will end tomorrow on a positive note among the shopkeepers.

Shops raided
Panchkula, March 17
Health department officials took food samples from two shops near Nadha Sahib Gurdwara here today.

Orphanage reunites woman with family
Kharar, March 17
The Universal Disabled Care Taker Social Welfare Society, Padiala, reunited one of its inmates with her family recently. The 45-year-old woman was brought to the orphanage in July 2005. At the time of admission, she was in a very bad condition and had lost her memory. She did not respond to any query and neither talked to anyone. The orphanage inmates had named her Radha.

Shruti Kapoor who has stood first in the BHMS (4th prof.) annual examination conducted by Panjab University in 2007.

Sec 57 residents block traffic
Oppose allotment of site to truck union
Mohali, March 17
Residents of Sector 57 blocked traffic here today in protest against the move of (GMADA) to allot a site to a truck union in the area.

P’kula MC Poll
Panchkula, March 17
Trying to quell the voice of dissent against his leadership, deputy chief minister and local MLA Chander Mohan was able to sideline his opponents in the Panchkula municipal committee as two prominent local Congress leaders could not get party ticket to contest the civic body elections to be held on March 30. The party has preferred to field new candidates on most of the seats.

PGI OPDs to remain closed on Holi
Chandigarh, March 17
All OPDs of the PGI will remain closed on March 22 on account of Holi. Emergency services will function as usual.

3 new Gram Sampark centres
Chandigarh, March 17
The department of Information Technology (IT) today started three new Gram Sampark centers in  Palsora, Hallo Majra and Mauli Jagran villages.

Tibetans take out protest march
Chandigarh, March 17
Activists of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress and the Tibetan Freedom Movement held a protest march from Panjab University to Sector 17 in protest against the Chinese crackdown on Lhasa.

Employees protest against budget
Chandigarh, March 17
Punjab government employees today staged a protest at the Sector 17 Plaza and burnt anti-employee schemes that were presented by the state government in the budget before the assembly.


Members of Punjab Mulazim Action Committee, raise slogans against the state government during a protest at Sector 17 Plaza in Chandigarh on Monday. —A Tribune photograph

Abandoned Baby
Woman released on probation
Chandigarh, March 17
Jasbir Kaur (25), a resident of Sarangpur who had abandoned her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, was released by a court on probation today.

Letters

EDUCATION

Foreign Varsities
Lack of legal framework hits setting up of campuses
Chandigarh, March 17
The absence of a clear legal framework for foreign universities to operate in India, hampers their prospects of setting up campuses here.

From Schools & Colleges
393 students get degrees
Chandigarh, March 17
The annual convocation of Government College for Boys, Sector 11, was organised in the college auditorium, here today. Krishna Mohan, home-cum-education secretary was the chief guest on the occasion. Raji P. Shrivastava, director, Higher Education, Chandigarh, also graced the occasion.

Students in a jubilant mood after they get their degrees during a convocation function held at Government College, Sector 11, in Chandigarh on Monday. —A Tribune photograph

Students protest non-issuance of certificates by nursing institute
Mohali, March 17
A number of students of Fortis School of Nursing and their parents staged a protest here today against the alleged failure of the institute to provide them certificates even when the result of the course they pursued was declared about three months back.

COURTS

SC judge gives tips to magistrates
Chandigarh, March 17
“The mathematics of judiciary is unconventional”. Explaining the dos and don’ts of judiciary to newly appoint judicial officers, Supreme Court Judge Justice S.B. Sinha said unlike mathematics two plus two is not four in judiciary.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Youth stabbed to death
Fatehgarh Sahib, March 17
A 20-year-old youth was allegedly stabbed to death by five youths who had come to kill his paternal uncle following a land dispute in their native village Sangatpur Sodiyan.

Members of the Mata Gujri Sahara Trust block traffic during a protest against the Haryana police in support of their demand that ‘human bomb’ Parveen Kaur be released. Parveen was arrested by the Haryana police in Patiala on Monday. — Photo by Rajesh Sachar

Couple killed in accident
Bassi Pathana, March 17
Devinder Singh (43), a resident of Dashmesh Nagar, Sirhind, and his wife Seema Rani were crushed to death by a speeding truck this morning on the Sirhind-Bassi Pathana road. The truck was coming from the opposite side. The couple died on the spot.

4 booked for attack on police party
Fatehgarh Sahib, March 17
The district police has booked four persons, including two women, on charges of attacking a police party that had gone to arrest an alleged drug peddler in Brahman Majra village.

20-yr-old raped
Bassi Pathana March 17
The Bassi Pathana police has registered a rape case against three youths of Dadiana village for allegedly raping a 20-year-old girl of the same village. One of the accused has been arrested whereas two others are still at large.

Servant decamps with valuables
Ambala, March 17
A domestic servant has decamped with jewellery, cash and other articles allegedly worth several lakhs of rupees from a house in Green Park, Mahesh Nagar in Ambala Cantonment.

5 women held for stealing
Bassi Pathana, March 17
The police today arrested five women for stealing iron and other goods from houses and factories. According to Bassi Pathana SHO Vikas Sabharwal, the police got a complaint that five women were roaming about in the Bassi Pathana ITI area and their movement was suspicious. He said the police cordoned off the area and kept a close watch on their activities.

SPORTS

Cricketers’ day out with Pooja Bedi
Chandigarh, March 17
It was an exciting evening for cricketer, who got a chance to dance with Bollywood actor Pooja Bedi at a local restaurant here today. Azhar Mahmood (along with his family), Imran Farhat, Imran Nazir, Taufeeq Umer, Michael Kasprowictz and Waweel Hinds were seen dancing.

Pooja Bedi with ICL players at a restaurant in Sector 26, Chandigarh, on Monday. — Tribune photo by Vicky Gharu

City weightlifting team corners glory
Chandigarh, March 17
Local weightlifting team cornered glory by winning one gold, three silver and three bronze medals in the 17th Men and 12th Women Northern India weight lifting championships at Rakh Bagh, Ludhiana, on March 15 and 16.

Anurag wins gold
Panchkula, March 17
Local body builder Anurag Pandey and Tejvir brought laurels by winning top honours in the 20th Senior Haryana State Body Building Championship 2007-08 at Kurukshetra on March 16.

Body builder Anurag Pandey flexes his muscles during the 20th Senior Haryana State Body Building Championship. — A Tribune photograph 

Shoaib not fit to lead Pak team: Inzy
Chandigarh, March 17
Former Pakistan skipper and batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq termed Shoaib Malik not a good choice to lead Pakistan team in test cricket.

Ban on players unfair: Tofeeq
Chandigarh, March 17
Tofeeq Umer, former member of the Pakistan Cricket team, feels that to ban a player from playing is against the player’s fundamental rights. Tofeeq, who is a member of Lahore Badshahs, believes that cricket is inherited in a player. “Cricket is in our blood.

CRIME

Woman robbed of jewellery at ISBT
Chandigarh, March 17
Thieves decamped with a purse, containing cash and jewellery worth Rs 1 lakh, of a woman travelling in a bus, last night.

BUSINESS

Volvo comes to city
Chandigarh, March 17
Tapping the Punjabis’ obsession for luxury cars and their deep pockets, most of the luxury car makers are now setting shop in the city. The latest to come to the city is Volvo Cars, which opened its dealership in the city today. Daimler Chrysler, BMW, Audi, have all set up their dealerships in the city.

Luxury cars like Volvo have found many takers in Chandigarh. —A Tribune Photograph 

Make city litter free: Beopar Mandal
Chandigarh, March 17
The administration should go in for proper waste management to make the city litter free, said Charanjeev Singh, president, Chandigarh Beopar Mandal, during a awareness session at hotel G.K. International.

CULTURE

‘Gidh’ staged
Chandigarh, March 17
One of the oldest theatre groups of Chandigarh, Abhinet, yesterday celebrated 34 years of its existence by presenting an Indian classic ‘Gidh’ written by famous playwright Vijay Tendulkar and directed by a known theatre actor and director Vijay Kapoor.