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TOP STORIES

MC Poll
Canvassing hots up, local issues skirted
Panchkula, March 27
As the campaigning for the Panchkula Municipal Council elections to be held on March 30 is to end tomorrow, leaving nothing to chance, political heavyweights of all parties, not only from Haryana, but also from neighbouring Punjab, are camping in the city to ensure victory at all costs. After all, the stakes are high for the ruling Congress in Haryana, which wants to gain power in the local body here.

MC goes soft on tainted officials
Chandigarh, March 27
The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MC) is allegedly going soft on tainted officials. At least two recent cases of gross irregularities by the staff have failed to move civic body officials into action bringing the credibility of the MC authorities under a cloud.

Promotion rules vague for MC, Admn
Chandigarh, March 27
It seems the UT Administration and the Municipal Corporation are following different set of rules for promotion. For, the MC had followed the Engineering Service Rules, Punjab, 1965, for promoting sub-divisional officers (SDOs), which the Punjab government had already repealed.

Arrest warrants against UT DSP
Panchkula, March 27
The chief judicial magistrate, Panchkula, has issued arrest warrants against Jagbir Singh, a DSP with Chandigarh Police.

COMMUNITY

Rice variety awaits basmati status
Farmers, millers suffering losses in Punjab, Haryana
Chandigarh, March 27
The failure of the Central government to notify PUSA 1121 as a basmati variety is causing huge losses to paddy growers and rice millers in Punjab and Haryana. Consequently, this rice variety is also losing a large chunk of the foreign market.

WE WANT JUSTICE: Tibetans protest against the Chinese government in Sector 17 Plaza in Chandigarh on Thursday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Graveyard issue may open a Pandora’s box
Chandigarh, March 27
Demands for de-notification of graveyard and a cremation ground in Mani Majra is all set to open a Pandora box in the general house meeting of the municipal corporation tomorrow.

Illegal parking creates chaos in Sec 35
Chandigarh, March 27
With the closure of Sector 35 rotary, an increasing number of people are illegally parking their vehicles on the main road, thereby giving a hard time to traffic police officials.

Foundation stone of high-level bridge laid
Chandigarh, March 27
UT finance secretary Sanjay Kumar today laid the foundation stone of a high-level bridge on National Highway 21, passing between sectors 42 and 53 here. The UT engineering department is scheduled to complete it within a year. The ministry of road transport and highway has accorded administrative approval amounting to Rs 3.46 crore for the construction of this high-level four-lane single span bridge, downstream of the choe.
UT finance secretary lays the foundation stone of the bridge in Sec-53, Chandigarh, on Thursday. A Tribune photograph

P’kula MC Poll
Police stages flag march
Panchkula, March 27
Even as there are three days left for the polling of much-hyped municipal council elections, a Panchkula police taking no chance staged a flag march thorough the city today.

READY TO ROLL: Maruti Suzuki unveiled its new car, Swift Dzire, in Chandigarh today. The petrol version of this A 3 segment car will range from Rs 4.52 lakh to Rs 5.92 lakh, while the diesel version will be available between Rs 5.42 lakh to Rs 6.72 lakh. A Tribune photograph

Keralites unhappy with Railway budget
Mohali, March 27
Members of the Malayalee Samjam, Mohali, have expressed their disappointment that their demand of increasing the frequency of the Kerala Sampark Kranti Express train running from Chandigarh to Kocuveli (Kerala) has not been met with in the Railway budget.

Parents given tips on healthy cooking
Chandigarh, March 27
To teach parents how to cook nutritious food, Chitkara International School held a special cookery show as part of the school's orientation programme on its premises here yesterday.

Letters
Recarpeting roads at night

EDUCATION

PU gives final nod
Diploma in Hindi, Punjabi journalism soon
Chandigarh, March 27
Finally, there is a reason to cheer for those students who wanted to pursue journalism in regional languages. Panjab University is going to start the proposed postgraduate diploma in Hindi journalism and postgraduate diploma in Punjabi journalism from the academic session 2008-09. The diploma would simultaneously start in the university as well as the affiliated colleges of PU. The faculty of arts in its meeting held today gave it a final nod. With this, the students will have new openings in media without having a language barrier.

From Colleges
CIHM releases ‘Cater Craft’
Chandigarh, March 27
“To encourage tourism, new projects like Multimedia Film City, Theme-cum-Amusement Park and Aquatic Park will be there in the city, which will also enhance the job opportunities for the students of hospitality and tourism sector,” said the UT home secretary Krishna Mohan during annual day function of Chandigarh Institute of Hotel Management (CIHM), Sector 42-D, here today.
Jovial students of CIHM display trophy and commendation certificates during the annual day. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Computer science to be an elective subject now
Chandigarh, march 27
Under the policy of expanding the choice of subjects for the students, the education department of Chandigarh administration has decided to introduce computer science as one of the elective subject under the academic stream in class XI from the session 2008-09.

400 teachers hold protest
Chandigarh, March 27
The Vocational Teachers’ Association, Haryana, held a protest in front of the office of the Industrial Training and Vocational Education, Sector 17, here today.

COURTS

Firm asked to pay Rs 2,027 as compensation
Chandigarh, March 27
The district consumer disputes redressal forum has directed Whirlpool India Ltd, Mani Majra, to refund Rs 2,027 to a resident of Sector 30. The company has also been asked to pay Rs 500 as costs of litigation.

Notice of motion served on UT admn
Chandigarh, March 27
Taking up a petition pertaining to free plying of private buses from Punjab and Haryana to Chandigarh, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued a notice of motion to UT administration. A bench headed by Chief Justice Vijender Jain issued the notice for May 16. CTU Workers Union’s general secretary Narayan Singh and president Ranjit Singh filed the petition. They have sought directions to quash clause IV(3) of the transport policy of UT dated October 24, 2007, and another notification of November 19, 2001 and May 28, 2003, in this regard. The notifications pertain to grant of permission to private bus operators from Punjab and Haryana to enter Chandigarh. — TNS

ADMINISTRATION

Committee of direction formed
Chandigarh, March 27
The administration here has constituted a committee of direction to take decisions with regard to implementation of the Mass Rapid Transit System. The committee comprising of UT administrator, Chief Ministers pf Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh had been constituted on the directions of the Secretary Urban Development, Government of India. — TNS

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Youth electrocuted Dera Bassi, March 27 Gursewak Singh (17) of Amlala village here was allegedly electrocuted to death when cables running through an electricity tower got entangled resulting in a blast. A Class IX student, the victim had gone towards the village outskirts to give food to his uncle when the incident took place.

Gursewak Singh

Assault on family: Protesters gherao police station
Dera Bassi, March 27
At least 100 members of the Mehra community, led by the Ambedkar wing of the Lok Bhalai party, gheraoed the local police station here today. The protestors were demanding action against Hari Singh and his family who had allegedly attacked the family of Charan Singh in Mehmadpur village on March 23.

Tribune Impact
Finally, broadband services take off
Bassi Pathana, March 27
The Patiala division of BSNL telecom circle has started providing broadband internet service to residents of Bassi Pathana, who were deprived of the same till now despite installation of the required D-Slam system in the local telephone exchange since long.

Desraj’s Death
High drama as BJP, BSP hold protests
Kharar, March 27
High drama prevailed today at Kharar rest house today over the issue of the death of septuagenarian farmer Desraj from Nawanshahr Badala village.

SDM Gupta appointed Kurali administrator
Kharar, March 27
SDM Kharar R.K. Gupta has been appointed as the administrator of Kurali Municipal Council recently. Since the term of Kurali MC expired on March 21, its charge has been handed over to the SDM.

SPORTS

Nischay, Pragun move to semis
Chandigarh, March 27
Putting up a good show, top seeds Nishchay Rawal of Total Tennis Academy and the second seed Pragun Vinayak of the CLTA moved into the semifinal of the boys under-16 age category during the ongoing 4th Late Sh. L.D. Kapoor Memorial Total Tennis Championship at YMCA, Sector 11, here today. Nishchay crushed Bhavya Jain while Vinayak showed the doors to Kunal Kapoor with an identical 8-1.



Hasan Dhanoa plays a shot during the 4th Sh L.D. Kapoor Memorial Total Tennis Championship at YMCA in Sector 11,Chandigarh, on Thursday. Tribune photo: Parvesh Chauhan

City pugilists bag 32 medals
Chandigarh, March 27
Chandigarh Amateur Boxing Association (CABA) has all reasons to cheer as the local pugilists bagged 32 medals in various national, zonal national and All-India boxing championships during 2007-08.

CRIME

Two members of ‘scorpion’ gang held
Mohali, March 27
The local police today arrested two persons involved in looting and snatchings in the city, allegedly belonging to ‘scorpion’ gang. Accused Anuj Kumar alias Anu and Mukesh Kumar are residents of Sector 56, Chandigarh.

Violent incidents keep cops on toes
Chandigarh, March 27
Two incidents kept the local police on their toes today. A PCR van received a message this afternoon regarding kidnapping of a boy from SD School, Sector 32. Tarun, a student of KV, Sector 31, who had come to give an exam at SD school was thrashed by a group of students outside the gate. They forcibly dragged him into a Maruti car (CH-01 -Z- 9127). Tarun was later thrown out of the car at the light point of Sector 27.

CULTURE

Sarod maestro enchants city audience 
Chandigarh, March 27
World renowned Sarod Maestro Pandit Bishwajit Rai Choudhary, enthralled the audience, comprising mostly school students at the Navodhya Vidyalaya, here today. The recipient of prestigious national and international awards, including the Legion De Honor of France, the highest decoration in art, Bishwajit Rai Choudhary, learnt music from his father Guru Pandit Ranjit Choudhary before falling in the tutelage of Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan and Malika Arjun Mansoor.
Sarod Maestro Pandit Bishwajit Rai Choudhary