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TOP STORIES

Traffic signals at rotaries a nuisance
Chandigarh, April 7
Traffic signals being installed at several rotaries in the city fails to serve purpose as traffic chaos becomes a routine owing to seemingly unplanned duration of time set for these signals. Residents continue to stick in jams at these roundabouts to give way to the traffic coming from the other direction.

Central Status for PU
Students, teachers sit on fast
Chandigarh, April 7
The Joint Action Committee, constituted jointly by PUTA and the Panjab University Students’ Council, started chain fast from today in front of the gate of the University Guest House and pitched tent by the roadside to register protest.

Encroachers get houses, oustees ignored
Chandigarh, April 7
It pays to be a landgrabber in Chandigarh. In fact, encroachers on the prime government land worth hundreds of crores of rupees are economically weaker section (EWS) in Chandigarh, specially marked for rehabilitation under its flagship "slum-free"policy of the Chandigarh Administration.

PCS officer gets overriding power
Chandigarh, April 7
It’s perhaps for the first time in the history of the Chandigarh Administration, a 1986-batch PCS officer has been delegated quasi-judicial powers of the Chief Administrator under the Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation Act) Act, 1952. Now, the PCS officer Pirthi Chand, who is also joint secretary, Finance, will hear the appeals against the orders passed by his “superiors” in the Administration.

COMMUNITY

Chandigarh to become first solar city soon
Chandigarh, April 7
Chandigarh now plans to counter the affects of global warming in its own way. The first planned city of the country will soon be the first solar city that will use renewable energy to large extent to meet its needs by the year 2012.

HEALTH CONCERNS GO UP IN SMOKE: Even as seminars and talks were organised in Chadigarh on the World Health Day, a smoker oblivious to the harmful effects of smoking and the ban on it, puffs all health concerns away near a heap of garbage, in Chandigarh on Monday. — Photo by Karam Singh

Manimajra Development Plan 
Congmen submit memo to mayor
Chandigarh, April 7
Congress leaders yesterday submitted a memorandum to the mayor Pardeep Chabra for ensuring developmental works in and around the Manimajra town. They urged the mayor to allocate sites for constructing a library, gurdwara, proper stands for taxis, auto-rickshaws, rickshaws and hand carts, community centre, development of green belts, multi-specialty hospitals, playground and a marriage-cum-convention centre.

Widening of roads
VIP areas get precedence
Chandigarh, April 7
It seems that the directive of the UT Administrator SF Rodrigues to speed up the widening of roads in the city is restricted to the VIP areas only.


A stretch of road dividing Sectors 36 and 37 in Chandigarh, left incomplete by the UT engineering department, much to the inconvenience of motorists. 
— Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Seminar on importance of blood donation
Chandigarh, April 7
A seminar on “Safe Blood- Be the Link” for school teachers was organised on World Health Day by the Blood Bank Society, Sector 37, here today. S.K. Setia, DPI (schools) was the chief guest. He emphasised the need of knowing facts of blood donation.

Participants attend seminar on ‘Safe Blood- Be the Link’, organised by the Blood Bank Society in Chandigarh on Monday. — Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

CRPF to observe ‘Shauraya Diwas’ tomorrow
Chandigarh, April 7
To commemorate the gallant actions of its men in warding off a Pakistani attack in the Rann of Kutch in 1965, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the parent paramilitary force of the country, is celebrating “Shauraya Diwas” on April 9.

Flagrant violation of building bylaws
Panchkula, April 7
Failure of the enforcement staff of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) in checking violation of building bylaws in a society of Sector 5, Mansa Devi Complex, has not only resulted in inconvenience to many but also made the society a virtual ‘death trap’. In fact, encroachment on the public land is hampering the movement of vehicles as well. 

Lawns developed on the pathway in Sector 5, Mansa Devi Complex, Panchkula. — A Tribune photograph

Villagers protest against MC’s apathy
Mohali, April 7
Residents of Matour village held a protest outside the office of the Municipal Council against the failure of the civic body to take over the village for development works, here today. 

People of Matour village protest in front of the MC Bhawan in Mohali on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

AFWWA celebrates World Health Day
Chandigarh, April 7
World Health Day was celebrated at 3 Base Repair Depot (BRD) here today under the aegis of Air Force Wives Welfare Association (Local). An educative lecture was organised by Flt Lt (Dr) S K Umar for the children of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sector 31, Kendriya Vidyalaya 3 BRD and Air Force School to mark the occasion.

Letters
Concessions should be income-based

EDUCATION

Archana Shastri is arts college principal
Chandigarh, April 7
“Possessing the institution with progressive and collaborative approach would be my prime objective as a head”, expressed Archana Shastri, who has officially taken over the charge as the principal of Government College of Art, Sector 10, Chandigarh.

Archana Shastri (left), along with other faculty members, takes a round of Government College of Art after joining as the principal in Chandigarh on Monday. — Tribune photo: Vinay Malik

From Schools
Orientation programme at Millennium School
Mohali, April 7
The newly set up The Millennium School started with an impressive orientation programme on the school premises at Sector 67 here today. The programme, which commenced with the lighting of the traditional lamp by students and parents, saw students being apprised of the new concepts of the school.

A student lights a lamp while principal Komal Singh looks on during the orientation programme in The Millennium School, Sector 67, Mohali, on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

UILS to begin crash course
Chandigarh, April 7
Law students hoping to crack the judicial services exam need not to wait till the completion of the course. They now have the option to study and prepare for the services during their course.

Ruchika best all rounder
Chandigarh, April 7
Ruchika Garg and Rhytheema bagged the first and second prize, respectively, for the overall performance during the prize distribution function of Centre for Management Training and Research. The function was held at Makhan Shah Lubhana Hall, Sector 30, here yesterday.

COURTS

Sunil Gaur appointed Delhi HC judge
Chandigarh, April 7
The President has cleared the name of city-based Sunil Gaur for elevation as a Judge of the Delhi High Court. The warrant appointing him as a High Court Judge has already been issued and he is likely to take oath later this week. This is, perhaps, the first time that a judicial officer from the city is being elevated to the prestigious Delhi High Court.

ADMINISTRATION

Hearing of public grievances by UT officials
Rodrigues asks HoDs to spare time regularly
Chandigarh, April 7
All heads of the departments were today asked by the UT Administrator, Gen SF Rodrigues (retd), to listen to public grievances between 12 noon and 1 pm on all working days, except Friday. The instructions are in continuation of the earlier directive on hearing of public grievances by UT officials.

Education department
Officials not informed about new postings 
Chandigarh, April 7
Three days after the administration announced to depute the officials of education department at two newly created posts of district education officers (DEOs), the incumbents are in dark about their status.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Dead tubewells fail to interest MC contractors
Patiala, April 7
Work to install at least a dozen tubewells to meet the drinking water needs of residents here has hit a road block, with the local municipal corporation (MC) contractors not showing any interest in filling up tenders for them.

A defunct tubewell in Patiala. — A Tribune photograph

Tribune Impact
Streetlights functional, collection centre restored
Bassi Pathana, April 7
After publication of the news item in The Tribune regarding shifting of PSEB bill collection centre and lack of streetlights in the town, deputy commissioner Ashok Singla has directed SDM Fatehgarh Sahib, who is also holding charge of MC Bassi Pathana, to take up the matter with PSEB officials.

5 booked for killing youth
Ropar, April 7
Five people, including the sarpanch of village Bawani Kalan, have been booked for murdering 25-year-old Gurcharan Singh alias Kala. His body was found on the road leading from Panjaula village to Bawani on Sunday night. A motorcycle (PB 65 D 9694) was also found at the place. Kala was attacked on the head with sharp-edged weapons.

Health dept harassing me, alleges doc
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 7
Dr Neelu Arora, a woman doctor posted at the Bassi Pathana civil hospital, has accused her superiors of subjecting her to harassment and mental agony.

2 inmates hurt in clash
Patiala, April 7
Two undertrials were injured, one of them seriously, when they clashed with each other at the Central Jail, here today. The injured have been admitted to Government Rajindra Hospital and have been identified as Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Khanna and Harjinder Singh, a Jalandhar resident.

SPORTS

Bains is president of Golf Club
Promises to revamp fairways, greens
Chandigarh, April 7
Dhanbir Singh Bains, who was elected president of the Chandigarh Golf Club today, promised to make the par-72 Chandigarh greens the best in the country.

Dhanbir Singh Bains, surrounded by supporters, celebrates his victory as the new president of the Chandigarh Golf Club in Chandigarh on Monday. — Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

Horse riding prodigy at 10
Chandigarh, April 7
Horse riding is in his blood. Taking initial lessons of the sport from his mother, maternal uncle and cousins, who all are very good equestrians, 10-year-old Govind Singh Sandhu has started making waves at the top level.
City lad Govind Singh Sandhu (10), who has won three medals — a gold, a silver and a bronze — at Delhi Horse Show at Army Polo and Riding Club, New Delhi. — A Tribune photograph

19 girls join football academy
Chandigarh, April 7
A total of 19 girls joined the newly set up football academy for girls by the Chandigarh Football Association at Dev Samaj College, Sector 45, today.

AITA Super Series
Tejaswani moves to next round
Chandigarh, April 7
Top seed Surya Tejaswani got the better of Harikirat Bains 6-1, 6-2 in the girls’ under-14 singles first round of AITA Super Series being played at the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association courts here today.

HEALTH

MC winds up medical camp
Chandigarh, April 7
High drama was witnessed, when an Ayurvedic physician, who was running a medical camp in Sector 28, slapped a youth here this afternoon.

CRIME

Man attempts to kill wife, himself
Panchkula, April 7
A minor altercation between an old couple took an ugly turn when the 60-year-old husband allegedly shot at his wife, injuring her critically, at Tand Jhaoluwal village of Pinjore block near here yesterday night. Later, he shot himself also.

CULTURE

French theatre group enthralls
Chandigarh, April 7
A French theatre group Fourth Way staged poetry with an art of Indian dance postures to give a glimpse of French literature on Indian stage for the first time. A theatre group presented works of a French poet Arthur Rimbaud’s poetry ‘Hell and Illuminating’ here on Monday.

Daphne Piquet (L) an actor and director and artist Elias Tabet at Alliance, Chandigarh. A Tribune photograph