NEIGHBOURHOOD

SIC issues notice to MC officer
Tribune News Service

Dera Bassi, March 25
The State Information Commission, Punjab, has issued a notice to the executive officer (EO) of the Municipal Council here for not supplying information to Jasbir Singh, a resident of Shiv colony here.

Pulling up the EO Gurbakshish Singh and information officer Sanjay Kumar, the state information commissioner R.K. Gupta has stated that according to the complainant the information was given to him but in a state that rendered it illegible. “This is a sorry state of affairs,” wrote Gupta, directing the EO to be present in his court on the next date of hearing along with the document. The EO has also been asked to explain why action should not be taken against him under the relevant sections of the Right to Information Act. Jasbir Singh had asked for a copy of the orders by which a piece of land being used as a municipal park in Dera Bassi was allotted to a private educational society.

 

 

SPORTS

ERCA lift U-12 trophy
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 25
A fine batting performance by Abhishek Mehta (38 n.o.) enabled Edmund Rice Cricket Academy, St Johns High School, to lift the Under-12 Quadrangular Challenger Trophy organised at St John’s grounds in Sector-26, here. ERCA team beat APJ, Kharar, by 8 wickets in the final today.

Electing to bat first, APJ team put on a total of 108 in the stipulated 25 overs.

In reply, ERCA team started well and was 24 runs on the board when they lost skipper Vaibhav Kaushik. Thereafter, Abhishek and Shubhranshu played well and scored 60 runs. Shubhranshu got out at 60. Abhishek (38 n.o) and Pranjay (28 n.o) carried their bats till the end and saw the team through.

Kavita Das, principal, St Johns High School-26, was the chief guest and gave away the prizes to the players of both the teams.

Others results: Player of the series: Abhishek Mehta (ERCA); best batsman: Shubhranshu Pingre (ERCA); best bowler: Chetan (ERCA); best fielder: Rajat (ERCA); best wicketkeeper: Vaibhav Kaushik (ERCA).

Chandigarh, March 25
A high-level delegation from Singapore led by senior minister Goh Chok Tong is hard selling Singapore as an attractive investment destination for companies in India.

The minister was addressing delegates at the PHD Chamber of Commerce here this afternoon. He said as of now there were 3,000 Indian companies that had set up base in Singapore. “Singapore is the gateway for Indian companies to reach to the Far East. With the entire world now looking at the East as part of re-balancing of economic forces, Indian companies could be our business partners in growth,” he said.

The delegation included Dr Balaji Sadasivam, senior minister of state, K Shanmugam, member of Parliament, Calvin EU- High Commissioner to India, and senior officers from Singapore. Satish Bagrodia, senior vice- president, PHD Chamber, in his welcome remarks said that Singapore was India’s most significant trading partner among the ASEAN countries and also India’s gateway to ASEAN and China. The trade between these two countries was about $ US 8 billion by end of 2005-06 and was expected to cross $ US 50 billion by 2010.

The delegation also met representatives of the CII. Later the minister met the Chief Ministers of both Punjab and Haryana and discussed bilateral trade ties with them.

Chandigarh, March 25
In their endeavour to promote and propagate the visual arts and encourage dedicated artists, the Lalit Kala Akademy, a cultural body constituted by the Government of India in 1954, has been engaged in various art promotional activities, including exhibitions, seminars and workshops of art, in different parts of India.

It is matter of pride and pleasure for the art lovers of the city beautiful that akademy's prestigious annual event, the National Exhibition of Art, 50th in the series, opens at the Government Museum and Art Gallery from March 26 to April 8 here. As many as 124 incredible art works of 119 artists, selected from 7,388 entries, put up by 2879 artists from the country, will be displayed in the exhibition, disclosed the akademy secretary, Dr Sudhakar Sharma while addressing media persons at Haryana Niwas here today.

Eminent scholar and chairman of the Lalit Kala akademy will inaugurate the exhibition at 6.00 pm tomorrow and confer awards on the 12 artists adjudged for the coveted honour by the jury of eminent artists and scholars, including art historian Padmabhushan Dr B.N. Goswami. The award carries prize money of Rs 50,000 a copper plaque and a citation.

"Over the years the city has emerged as the hub of multidimensional cultural activities and remained as the obvious choice for this national event," he added.

While West Bengal tops with highest participation from the city, Haryana and Punjab is very low despite the abundant aesthetic potential here, he expressed.

Asked about the National academy's supportive role to state academies for grooming and projecting the talented artists Dr Sudhakar agreed that a regular programme-based dialogue needs to be initiated like the proposals for monetary grants sometimes put up by them.

We also plan to recommend the private art galleries or artists for participation at the International level, he added.

The inaugural function will be followed by a Hindustani classical vocal recital of Sagun and Nirgun compositions by renowned maestro Kalapini Komkali, the illustrious daughter disciple of legendary guru Kumar Gandharv.