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TOP STORIES

Massive turnout for panchayat elections
80 to 90 per cent polling was reported in most blocks and barring a few skirmishes, the elections were largely peaceful
Chandigarh, May 26
In contrast to incidents of violence in the zila parishad elections held recently, the city’s periphery witnessed peaceful panchayat elections even as over 80 per cent of the electorate exercised its franchise today.

Ness Mess
SSP works up Rs 1.88 cr bill
Mohali, May 26
Even as the Mohali police slapped a bill of Rs 1.88 crore on the PCA for providing security for IPL matches, the association today washed its hands off the ongoing controversy between Kings XI Punjab team owner Ness Wadia and the SSP, R.S. Khatra.

City has a red light area
Chandigarh, May 26
The city is set to join the league of metros in flesh trade. If things go unchecked, the area around Mani Majra may soon be what GB Road is to Delhi, Sona Gachi to Kolkata and Falkland Road to Mumbai.

UT HOME SECRETARY
56 DAYS GONE still counting ...
Delay is detrimental
The delay in the appointment of the home secretary is telling on the functioning of the administration. Since the home secretary’s post is a crucial post, the uncertainty is delaying important projects.

COMMUNITY

Girls enjoy camel ride during a carnival in Mohali. — Tribune photo by Vicky Gharu

Fire in Sec-35 eatery
Chandigarh, May 26
Customers ran for their lives from Gopal sweets shop and restaurant in Sector 35, here, when a fire broke out in the building this afternoon. No one was reportedly injured in the fire.

Misuse of MC logo
Babla seeks probe
Chandigarh, May 26
Congress councillor Devinder Singh Babla today lodged a complaint with the UT inspector-general of police (IGP) seeking probe into alleged misuse of the official logo of the Chandigarh municipal corporation by Jaypee Group of Companies.

Encroachments galore on city’s periphery
Chandigarh, May 26
Violate law and then get concessions from the administration seems to be the mantra for the city’s politically well-connected encroachers. And godown owners of Daria village are religiously following this single-thumb rule.

Illegal structures which have come up outside the Daria village in violation of the Periphery Act. — Tribune photos by Vinay Malik

CM to inaugurate hospital
Panchkula, May 26
Panchkula is all set to get its first multi-speciality hospital in the private sector with the launch of Alchemist Hospital on May 29. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, will formally inaugurate the hospital on May 29.

Revoke JE’s suspension, demand MC employees
Chandigarh, May 26
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation Employees Union (CMCEU) today staged a protest outside the municipal corporation building demanding to revoke suspension of junior engineer Balraj Singh.


Members of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation Employees’ Union raise slogans demanding to revoke junior engineer Balraj Singh’s suspension outside the municipal corporation building in Sector 17, Chandigarh, on Monday.— A Tribune photograph 

Experts discuss campus violence
Chandigarh, May 26
A panel discussion on curbing campus violence was held in the Academic Staff College, Panjab University, as part of its ongoing orientation course for college and university lecturers.

7-day SAANG festival in P’kula
Panchkula, May 26
Public Relations and Cultural Affairs Department in collaboration with the North-Center Zone Culture Centre, Allahabad, will organise a seven day SAANG festival from May 29 here at the Inderdhanush Auditorium, Sector 5.

Security cover for builder’s family
Panchkula, May 26
The police today provided a security cover to the Harish Gupta, the builder who allegedly got threats from unknown persons on Friday. Gupta got two threatening letters demanding Rs 10 crore.

Suicide by Lovers
Sanjay’s mother responsible, alleges husband
Chandigarh, May 26
The couple, who was found hanging from a tree in Sector 42 jungle area here yesterday, had reportedly took the extreme step after it exhausted the money that the woman, Kulwinder, had borrowed from her husband’s associates.

Letters
Road woes

EDUCATION

From Schools & Colleges
Mural at GMSSS-47 carries a message
Chandigarh, May 26
The efforts of three fine art teachers took shape in the form of a unique mural depicting the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan message at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 47, here. This work of art, having dimension of 45x8 feet, has been created by Vishal Bhatnagar, sculptor and fine arts teacher of GMSSS-47, Rajender Kumar, sculptor and fine arts teacher of GMSSS-10 and Subhash Shorey, painter and fine arts teacher of GMSSS-16. 

Vishal Bhatnagar, Subhash Shorey and Rajender Kumar pose with the mural work in Chandigarh. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Back from Singapore, students share their experiences
Chandigarh, May 26
The 18-member group of students, teachers and NGO representatives who visited Singapore, today shared their experiences.

Studying in Japan was an enriching experience for local lads
Chandigarh, May 26
“Aspire big, there is always a way. I could not think in the wildest of my dreams that I would ever get a chance to visit Japan, experience their culture, their lifestyle, their technology, but it was to be that way”, says Abhinav Sharma, who has just returned from Japan after attending a 10-day exchange programme held recently.                                  Abhinav Sharma

PU Notes
OCET admit cards despatched
Chandigarh, May 26
Admit cards of the eligible candidates who are to appear in OCET-2008, to be conducted by the Panjab University, Chandigarh, from June 1 to June 3, have been despatched by registered post. Those who do not receive the admit cards by 29.05.2008, should may get the duplicate cards from the university office (CET Cell, Aruna Ranjit Chandra Hall, near post office) on May 30 and 31.

COURTS

Cops go extra mile for Noor’s comfort
Baljinder, Noor get 14-day judicial custody
Chandigarh, May 26
The officers of the UT special crime investigation cell seem to have turned chivalrous. The courtesy they are extending to Noor Kataria, the controversial model, is raising eyebrows.

Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan 

‘Cops using Noor to fix Baljinder’

Consumer Forum
PNB to pay up Rs 20,000
Chandigarh, May 26
District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum today directed the chief manager of Punjab National Bank to pay compensation of Rs 20,000 to a resident of Mohali for furnishing wrong information.

Courtroom Brawl
Lawyer blames judge for ‘shouting at him’
Chandigarh, May 26
Argument between a lawyer and a Division Bench found its echo outside the courtroom with the advocate blaming the judge for “shouting at him” in a formal complaint submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court bar association.

ADMINISTRATION

GPA Holders
Admn can’t make up its mind on transfer fee
Chandigarh, May 26
When it comes to taking people for a ride nobody matches UT bureaucrats. The administration’s reported flip-flop on the transfer fee for the regularisation of the general power of attorney (GPA) holders in group housing societies is a case  in point.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

22-year-old woman goes missing
Ambala, May 26
Agitated relatives of a 22-year-old girl today ransacked a local ashram after their daughter went missing early today morning.

Anti-terrorist week commemorated
Bassi Pathana, May 26
Hindu organisation Bassi Pathana commemorated anti-terrorist week by organising various activities in the town. In a press release issued here today Manoj Kumar Banda, general secretary of the organisation, said the members of the organisation took the pledge to fight terrorism and to maintain communal harmony at every cost.

Now, pay more to get LPG connection
Patiala, May 26
The inflation-hit common man is at the receiving end once again with all the three major oil companies forcing the consumer to shell out much more for getting a new LPG connection.

SPORTS

City’s biggest prize money golf meet opens today
Car at stake for hole in one
Chandigarh, May 26
Top professional golfers of the country will battle it out for the Rs 30 lakh prize money at stake in the PGTI Players’ Championship, which gets under way tomorrow with the pro-am event on the par-72 greens of the Chandigarh Golf Club.

From left, Ajay Gupta, H.S. Bath, D.S. Bains and G.S. Lehal interact with the media on the eve of the Rs 30-lakh PGTI Players Championship at the Chandigarh Golf Club on Monday. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

Hockey players auction apparel to raise funds for tourney
Chandigarh, May 26
While lakhs are being spent on mini designers outfits for IPL cheerleaders, hockey veterans are forced to put their articles on auction to raise funds to hold a hockey tournament.

Indian hockey forward Rajpal Singh shows his T-shirt which he has donated to the organisers of Dharam Singh Memorial Hockey Tournament. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

TT body announces calendar
Chandigarh, May 26
The Chandigarh Table Tennis Association has decided to organise two open tournaments this year.

Edmund Rice Cricket Academy register win
Chandigarh, May 26
Hosts Edmund Rice Cricket Academy (A) team thrashed Pioneer Cricket Academy, Delhi by 10 wickets in the All-India Challenger Trophy Under-14 Cricket Tournament being played at St John’s High School, Sector 26 ground here today.

Now, polo lessons at Lake Complex
Chandigarh, May 26
To facilitate polo enthusiasts as well as interested players, lessons on the sport are being started at the Chandigarh Horse Riders’ Society (CHRS) at the Lake Sports Complex here.

Budding polo players ready to take lessons at Lake Club in Chandigarh on Sunday. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

Entire police force being targeted: PCA member
Chandigarh, May 26
Describing the altercation between SSP R.S. Khatra and corporate honcho Ness Wadia as unfortunate, PCA executive member Parminder Singh today said the businessman had raised a finger not at an individual, but the entire police force.

CRIME

3 cars, 1 motorcycle stolen
Chandigarh, May 26
Mohali resident Lakhbir Singh reported to the police that his car (DNC-0415) was stolen from the PGI on May 25. A case under Section 379 of the IPC has been registered at the Sector-11 police station.

CULTURE

Hans Raj entrances with Sufiana spells
Chandigarh, May 26
"Sufiana music is a divine benediction that permeates every soul," maintains acclaimed Sufi maestro Padmashri Hans Raj Hans. Hans gave a soulful performance of Sufiana kalaams at the auditorium of Government College, Sector 11, here, today.
Hans Raj Hans performs at Government College, Sector 11, in Chandigarh on Monday. — Tribune photo by Vinay Malik