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PGI Impasse
No let-up yet
Strike extended by 2 days; 6 technicians get notice
Chandigarh, April 17
Three days into the strike by medical technologist, the PGI management got cracking today and served notice to six technicians who were under probation period. The Medical Technologists’ Association (MTA), on the other hand, decided to extend its strike till Saturday.

HC notice to PGI director
Chandigarh, April 17
Taking up a public interest litigation against striking PGI technologists, Justice A.K. Mittal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion to the institute’s director for April 21.

Speaking Out: ‘Strike of inconvenience’

2 labourers crushed to death
Panchkula, April 17
Two labourers were killed and as many were injured when marble slabs fell on them at Barwala, near here, today.

Fake Doc Case
Two bank officials, lawyer booked
Panchkula, April 17
The Central Bureau of Investigation has booked two officials of a nationalized bank and lawyer of the bank for conniving with “fake” doctor Sandip Sharma, the owner of Shubham Hospital, who defrauded the bank to the tune of Rs 1 crore.

Hoarding
CBI raids 60 shops at grain market
Chandigarh, April 17
To check the price rise of essential commodities, the district administration today conducted raids on 60 shops of wholesale merchants in the fruit and grain market.

Leaves being burnt in spite of ban on “World Earth Day” in Chandigarh on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Karam Singh

Kendriya Vidyalayas to come up in all varsities
Chandigarh, April 17
To fill the communication gap between the schools and higher education institutes and to maintain a bridge between the two under the 11th plan, the ministry of human resources and development will be establishing Kendriya Vidyalayas on the university campuses across the country. The ministry has written a letter to the University Grants Commission (UGC) to approach the universities for the purpose.

COMMUNITY

Chaos at PGI
Patients told to give fresh samples
Chandigarh, April 17
Medical services continued to be disrupted on the third day of the strike by medical technologists here today. Patients had a harrowing time for some of them had to give fresh blood samples as their original samples had been lost.

                                                                         Jagjeet Singh

FOSWAC members submit memo to finance secy
Chandigarh, April 17
A delegation of the Federation of Sector Welfare Associations of Chandigarh (FOSWAC) met the state finance secretary today and discussed various demands of the residents.

MC seeks additional police support
Chandigarh, April 17
Lack of adequate security personnel in the Chandigarh municipal corporation is seriously affecting the functioning of the anti-encroachment wing. With the ‘reluctance’ of Chandigarh police to provide additional manpower than the sanctioned strength of 11 policemen, MC authorities are finding it hard to carry out anti-encroachment drives.

No strings attached: Australian cricketer Brett Lee plays guitar at a radio station in Chandigarh on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

Haryana Board
Kriti tops Class-X exam
Panchkula, April 17
The district education authorities have a reason to cheer. The results of Class-VIII and X examinations conducted by the Haryana Schools Education Bhiwani Board, which were declared today, have shown that the pass percentage in the district has improved from 63 per cent last year to 78 per cent this year.

Crime graph on the rise
Chandigarh, April 17
The city has seen a steep rise in incidents of crime during the first quarter of 2008 as compared to the corresponding period last year, forcing the UT IGP S.K. Jain to pull up his force during a meeting held at the police headquarters in Sector 9, here today.

Sec-45 residents rue lack of facilities
Chandigarh, April 17
Residents of Sector 45-D have been crying hoarse over lack of basic amenities in the locality and allege that despite numerous complaints authorities concerned have failed to address their demands.

Students protest removal of nursery
Chandigarh, April 17
Students of St Kabir Public School, Sector 26, today gathered at the heritage village site in Sector 26 nursery to protest against the move by the Chandigarh administration to shift the nursery and close the heritage village. The students carrying placards voiced concern against the green cover being removed to make way for raising a civil services institute.
Students of St Kabir Public School march through the Heritage Village site in Sector 26, Chandigarh, on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

Roving snatchers baffle cops
Chandigarh, April 17
Defying the much-touted campaign against snatchers by the local police, four incidents were reported from various parts of the tricity today. This comes close on the heels of three snatching incidents yesterday.

CPI members protest price rise
Chandigarh, April 17
The Chandigarh unit of the Communist Party of India (CPI) today took out a procession against the rising prices of essential commodities. The procession, led by Bant Singh Brar, member of the national council of CPI, went through sectors 17 and 22 before reaching the office of the deputy commissioner in sector 17 here.

Members of Communist Party of India protest at Sector 17, Chandigarh, on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

Youth Akali president tenders apology to DC
Mohali, April 17
Internal squabbling among Akali leaders came to the fore today when the newly appointed Youth Akali Dal president Kiranbir Singh Kang ‘apologised’ for the alleged abusive language used by Bubby Badal in a telephone conversation with the SAS Nagar deputy commissioner H.I.S. Grewal.

Sukhna entrance to get a facelift
Chandigarh, April 17
The Chandigarh College of Architecture will re-do the entrance to the Sukhna Lake. From adding new features to providing an obstacle-free view of the water body, the college in its proposal to the administration has suggested various changes along the walking track.

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EDUCATION

200 students take part in Indo-Swiss friendship quiz
Chandigarh, April 17
To commemorate the 60th jubilee year of the Indo-Swiss Friendship Treaty, the Society for Tourism and Entertainment Promotion, Chandigarh, in association with the Embassy of Switzerland, New Delhi, held quiz and painting competitions at four different schools here today.



Students participate in a painting competition at GMSSS, Sector 16, in Chandigarh on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

Central Status to PU
Chain fast to continue till next week
Chandigarh, April 17
The chain fast by students, teachers and technical staff of Panjab University to press for the demand of the central status for the university entered the 10th day yesterday when more than 550 persons visited the site and signed the visitors’ register.

Eligibility criteria bewilders NRI students
Chandigarh, April 17
NRIs wishing to seek admission in various professional courses under the NRI category in Panjab University are groping in the dark, thanks to the confusion regarding eligibility of students applying in this category.

Canadian road show for students today
Chandigarh, April 17
Canam Consultants Limited, an overseas education consultant company, will organise the ‘Canadian Universities and Colleges Road Show 2008’ for students of north India at Hotel Taj tomorrow. The road show is being organised by government-funded colleges and universities in Canada.

Immigration to Canada set to become faster: WWICS
Chandigarh, April 17
With the incorporation of changes in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act by the Canadian Government, immigration process of international students and temporary foreign workers on the basis of categories would become quick and easy.

Association alleges harassment by DPI(S)
Chandigarh, April 17
The Independent Schools Association has drawn the attention of the UT advisor Pradip Mehra towards the uncertainty and harassment being faced by private schools allegedly at the hands of the DPI (schools), SK Setia.

COURTS

An overcoat cost him 22 years
Chandigarh, April 17
An overcoat has cost him 22 years of his life; and his job. Working as a sorting assistant in a post office, Mohan Lal allegedly concealed an overcoat in the bushes outside the office after pulling it out of a parcel. Though his sentence has been reduced by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to the period of imprisonment already undergone, Mohan Lal’s conviction orders stand.

SI gets 1-yr jail for graft
Chandigarh, April 17
CBI special judge Jagdeep Jain today sentenced a sub-inspector (SI) of estate office Kapil Dev to one-year in jail for demanding bribe. The accused was convicted under Section 7 and 3 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

25,000 ltr spurious milk destroyed
Health minister supervises operation
Rajpura, April 17
The Punjab health minister today personally supervised the process of destroying 25,000 litres of spurious milk that was recovered by the local police a few days back. The city police had unearthed a spurious milk producing unit on March 20 and had recovered a huge quantity of chemicals and other ingredients that were used to produce the milk along with three tankers.
Spurious milk being disposed of in the presence of health minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla at Rajpura on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

Police cracks blind murder case
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 17
The district police today claimed to have cracked the blind murder case of a migrant from Bihar, whose half naked body was found near a tube-well in Amloh segment of the district a few days back.

Students of Jain Public School flaunt heena during their annual prize distribution function in Ambala on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Kamal Sachar

Dead man booked
Ambala, April 17
The Parao police station of Ambala has lodged an FIR under Section 302 against a dead man here yesterday.

3 booked for faking documents
Dera Bassi, April 17
The police here has booked three persons, including a former village sarpanch and patwari, for forgery. According to the police, the complainant Rajesh Kumar has alleged that he had given his house in Gulabgarh village on rent to one Shiv chand. Shiv Chand allegedly in connivance with the sarpanch of the village Amarjeet and patwari J.S. Saini claimed ownership of the house.

4 crime offenders nabbed
Patiala, April 17
In a drive launched by the local police to nab crime offenders, four persons were nabbed for committing various crimes in the city.

From Schools & Colleges
216 units donated at blood donation camp
Ropar, April 17
Two hundred and sixteen units of blood were donated at a blood donation camp held at Rayat Polytechnic College, Railmajra. The blood donation camp organised by students and management of Rayat Polytechnic College was held under the supervision of Rotary Blood Bank and Research Society, Chandigarh.

DC educates farmers
Patiala, April 17
In an attempt to create awareness among farmers pertaining to the depleting water table resources, the Patiala deputy commissioner D.S. Grewal today inaugurated a special `kisan jagriti camp’ under the `save water, save Punjab’ campaign at village Rajla, near here, today.

SPORTS

Stars, not cricket, interest people
50 pc tickets already sold, claim organisers
Chandigarh, April 17
Star cricketers, who were bought by Bollywood actor Preity Zinta to play for her Mohali team at an auction in Mumbai recently, have now been given the task to sell tickets for the match scheduled to be played at PCA on Saturday.
(From left) Stephen Fleming, Michael Hussey, Muttiah Muralitharan, Tom Moody and Yuvraj Singh at a press conference in Chandigarh on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Murali looks to take on teammates
Chandigarh, April 17
Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan is uncertain about achieving the feat of completing 1,000 international test wickets. Murali, who turned 36 today, said as the age was catching up, he does not know whether he would be able to achieve the feat or not.

                                                                     Muttiah Muralitharan

Feroz, Jairaj promising golfers
Chandigarh, April 17
Following the footsteps of local golf hero Chiranjeev Milkha Singh, many local budding golfers are making marks in the sport. Feroz S. Garewal and Jairaj Singh Sandhu are the new entrants in the talented crop.

(Left) Feroz and Jairaj Singh Sandhu with their trophies during the 5th Albatross Junior Golf Tournament at Gurgaon. — A Tribune photograph

Tribune Impact
Finally, powerlifter gets her due
Ambala, April 17
After reading a report ‘Powerlifting champ in need of finances’ in these columns, the managing director of an interior decorator company, Decotex, came forward to offer the financial aid of Rs 78,000 to a national-level powerlifter Rama Saini.

GNPS beat Shri Shri Academy by 84 runs
Chandigarh, April 17
The hosts, Guru Nanak Public School, Sector 36, started their campaign on a winning note as the team defeated Shri Shri Academy of Panchkula by 84 runs in the 2nd Gold Cup CCA (under-13) Cricket Tournament at GNPS grounds here today.



A batsman plays a shot during the 2nd Gold Cup CCA (under-13) Cricket Tournament at GNPS grounds in Chandigarh on Thursday. — Tribune photo by 
Manoj Mahajan

Carrom championship from May 1
Chandigarh, April 17
The Chandigarh Carrom Association (CCA) will be organising the 18th Chandigarh State Carrom Championship at St. Stephen’s School, Sector 45, starting from May 1 to May 4.

Soccer meet from May 16
Ambala, April 17
President of the Table Soccer Federation of India, Balwinder Johal, visited Police DAV Public School here today. He announced that the next All India Open Table Soccer Championship would be held in DAV Public School at Ambala City from May 16 to 18.

CRIME

Thieves decamp with mobiles worth Rs 1 lakh
Mohali, April 17
Thieves decamped with mobile instruments worth Rs 1 lakh and Rs 16,000 cash from a shop near Mubarakpur village here. The theft took place on Tueday night at the Sanjay watch shop. Thieves broke into the shop and took away mobile sets. Cartons of the mobile sets and the blades used to cut these open were recovered from the spot by the police.