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Epidemic Spreads To More Areas
Cholera kills 3 more in Panchkula
Panchkula, July 18
With three more children dying of cholera in the past 24 hours, the death toll in Panchkula has reached four. At least 18 more confirmed cases of cholera have been reported from the General Hospital and over 400 others are being treated for diarrhoea. The disease, which claimed its first victim in Rajiv Colony, struck at the crusher zone in the Chandimandir area today.

Muck on administration’s face: A special photo feature on unhygienic conditions in various colonies of Panchkula and vicinity.

Madanpur
MC learnt no lesson from deaths in 2007
Mohali, July 18
The death of two children in Madanpur village here in July last year, reportedly due to water-borne diseases, has failed to spur the authorities to take steps to ensure that it didn’t happen again.

PGI to promote telemedicine in SAARC countries
Chandigarh, July 18
The expertise of the region’s prestigious super-specialty hospital, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, will no longer be restricted to the patients of north India.

Union minister for external affairs Pranab Mukherjee being welcomed by union minister of health & family welfare Dr Anbumani Ramadoss and PGI director Dr K.K. Talwar at the 29th convocation of the PGI, in Chandigarh on Friday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

Don’t go abroad, minister tells doctors

Telecom co. coughs up Rs 20 cr tax
Chandigarh, July 18
A leading Mohali-based telecom company today deposited Rs 20 crore with the income tax department after a probe was initiated into its last year’s turnover yesterday.

BDS, MBBS Seats
Parents cry foul over NRI quota
Chandigarh, July 18
The counselling for BDS and MBBS seats that is going on at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, here took an ugly turn today when the parents of students and the principal of the college had an altercation over the seats under the NRI quota.

Agitated parents during heated exchanges with the selection committee at Government Medical College and Hospital auditorium, Sector 32, Chandigarh, on Friday. A Tribune photograph

COMMUNITY

Failure to take back wife costs man Rs 50,000
Chandigarh, July 18
An estranged husband’s failure to take back his wife, found to be in a sound mental health in a medical examination, has cost him dear.

HALF-MEASURES: Residents of Chandigarh’s Sector 41 were happy when the road in front of Government Senior Secondary School was widened about a month ago. Too soon, perhaps. They had not bargained for what was to follow. One side of the newly laid road was dug up to lay tiles but the work stopped half way. Most tiles have come off, some have been stolen, and the fancied walkway is now a slushy mess, especially after it rains. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

Naya Gaon NAC chief poll on July 22
Naya Gaon, July 18
The first-ever president to the Naya Gaon NAC would be elected by its members on July 22. This was announced here this evening. The main contenders for the post include Arjun Singh, former sarpanch of Kansal village, Gurdhian Singh, a resident of Naya Gaon, and Harbant Singh Bajwa.

Ambala's Urban Estate goes online
Panchkula, July 18
All sectors of Ambala Urban Estate have been made online in plot and property management module. User ID and passwords have been issued to all allottees to enable them to see the details as well as the status of their property on the Internet.

Reporter's Diary
Believe it or not
Competition can bring out the best even in a government department. If former CITCO managing director JS Bir is to be believed, an elderly couple was so awe-struck by the renovation work at Mountview’s coffee shop that they asked if the hotel had been sold or leased out to a private party. It took quite an effort on the part of CITCO to explain to them that the hotel was, indeed, with the government. Hope CITCO maintains the standard of service it exhibited during the sprucing up of the hotel.

Police ‘helps’ tenant trespass
Chandigarh, July 18
If allegations of Tara Singh are to be believed, officials of the UT police allegedly helped a tenant to trespass on a commercial plot in Ram Darbar here.

Bank staff protest outsourcing
Chandigarh, July 18
A demonstration was held by bank employees in front of the regional office, Bank of Baroda, here today. The Bank of Baroda employees were on strike against outsourcing of bank jobs to outside agencies.

CITIZENS’ GRIEVANCES
Year gone, no passport
I applied for renewal of passport at the passport collection office in Patiala in October 2006 (File No. CHDZ15477906) . Police verification has been done since, but even after more than a year, no passport has been issued to me. I require the passport to persue higher studies abroad.

Letter
Malls harm greenery
Recently, some shocking reports have come that green spaces may now be used as parking lots for the malls as there is a parking problem. This is sure to sacrifice many trees.

EDUCATION

DAV College teachers protest transfer of lecturer
Chandigarh, July 18
Transfer of a DAV College lecturer has invited the ire of the teachers’ union. Union members have appealed to the authorities to revert the illegal transfer orders.

PU cuts fee hike for NRI students
Chandigarh, July 18
After weeks of deliberations, Panjab University has finally spared a thought for NRI students studying in various courses on the campus. The university authorities that had earlier hiked the fees of existing and new NRI students by 10 per cent in all the courses, has now decreased the hike by 5 per cent.

Draft ready for UT education board
Chandigarh, July 18
The Chandigarh education department has drafted a plan for its own education board. The Chandigarh school education board would encompass the elementary level (Class VIII) in the beginning.

CHB offers parking space to MIG allottees
Recognises their power to buy cars
Chandigarh, July 18
The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has finally recognised the power of the middle-income group(MIG) to buy cars. In a departure from the past, when the two-room flat (MIG) owners were allotted scooter garages, the board is offering underground car-parking space to these allottees in its upcoming housing scheme in Sector 63 here.

UBS yet to fill sports category
Chandigarh, July 18
Controversies refuse to die down in admissions pertaining to sports category students. After the protest by students and parents over admission under sports category during AIEEE counselling, the controversy has now shifted to University Business School, PU.

Class XI Admission
Few turn up for sports category counselling
Chandigarh, July 18
Miscalculation on part of the Chandigarh education department led to a thin rush at the counselling session for the ongoing admissions to Class XI at Government Model Senior Secondary School-10, here, today.

Parents inquire about the admission schedule from education officials at GMSSS-10 in Chandigarh on Friday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

From Schools & Colleges
Advanced course in IT at BGS institute
Mohali, July 18
BGS Institute of Science and Management, Mohali, today announced the introduction of GAC (global access certification) in Information Technology and business management streams.

PU to host inter-varsity youth fest
Chandigarh, July 18
Panjab University is all set to play a perfect host for the first time to North Zone Inter-Varsity Youth Festival.

DAV principal is regional director of 11 schools
Chandigarh, July 18
Madhu Bahl, principal, Kailash Bahl DAV Senior Secondary Public School, Sector 7B, Chandigarh, in addition to her existing duties, has been appointed regional director of 11 DAV management-run schools in Punjab and Haryana state.

From Schools & Colleges
Father’s Day at EuroKids
Chandigarh, July 18
EuroKids in Sectors 18 and 37, Chandigarh, and Sector 9, Panchkula, organised Father’s Day today. Fathers had put everything on hold for spending some precious moments with their kids.

Mandal to open schools for poor
Chandigarh, July 18
Sarv Hindu Shiv Mandal has decided to open schools and colleges to impart free education to poor at grassroots level in villages, perform marriages of poor girls, provide clean drinking water, organise free medical camps in village.

ADMINISTRATION

Niharika Rai is MD, CITCO
Chandigarh, July 18
The “officer crunch” with the Chandigarh administration is proving a blessing in disguise for low-rung IAS officers. With the repatriation of the secretary, tourism, and MD, CITCO, JS Bir, a Punjab-cadre IAS officer, the Chandigarh administration today handed over the charge of MD, CITCO, to a junior-level UT-cadre IAS officer, Niharika Rai. At present she is SDM (East) and Registering and Licensing Authority (RLA), Chandigarh.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Unpaid Bills
PSEB suspends power supply to streetlights
Threatens same for waterworks
Bassi Pathana, July 18
The town has plunged into darkness following disconnection of power supply to streetlights on account of unpaid bills due with the municipal council.

4 truckloads of illegal eatables seized
Rajpura, July 18
The civil surgeon, Patiala, along with a team of food inspectors from Rajpura seized four trucks loaded with illegal eatables here late last night.

American delegation meets students
Patiala, July 18
A delegation from Wilkes University, Pennsylvania, USA, visited the school of management studies, Punjabi University, here today.

HFCL asked to pay Rs 10,000
Bassi Pathana, July 18
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, while disposing of a complaint of journalist Ravinder Moudgil regarding disconnection of his telephone, has imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 jointly on HFCL Infotel Ltd, Mohali, and Chugh Telecom Ltd, Bassi Pathana, for causing mental agony and harassment and also directed the firms to pay Rs 500 as cost of the petition.

358 complete ITBP training
Patiala, July 18
The passing out parade of the 28th battalion of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) was held at the ITBP complex here today.

Bassi Pathana roads cry for attention
Bassi Pathana, July 18
Roads of Bassi Pathana are crying for attention. Rains have proved havoc for the roads as well as for residents.

Manjit Kaur elected MC chief
Dera Bassi, July 18
Manjit Kaur, councillor from ward No. 11, and Seema Sharma, councillor from ward No. 5, have been unanimously elected president and vice-president, respectively, of the of Dera Bassi municipal council.

Newly elected president Manjit Kaur (garlanded right) and vice-president Seema Sharma at the municipal council office at Dera Bassi on Friday.

SAD faction takes councillors for junket
Bassi Pathana, July 18
While the date for the election to the president of municipal council has been fixed, an aspirant for the post belonging to the SAD has taken some councillors for a trip to Himachal Pradesh.

Not enough food for sniffer dogs
Fatehgarh Sahib, July 18
Sniffer dogs of the district dog squad are not getting enough food due to lack of funds. The police department is supposed to get Rs 80,000 a year for the food and maintenance of these dogs, but this year it got only Rs 8,000. As a result, the dogs are not being given meat.

Sniffer dogs attached with the Fatehgarh Sahib police.

Man's bid to set himself afire
Ambala, July 18
Gurcharan Singh, a resident of Kailash Nagar, Ambala City, attempted to immolate himself by sprinkling kerosene oil on his body in front of the deputy commissioner’s residence here yesterday due to alleged denial of justice.

Delimitation
Draft notification issued
Kharar, July 18
Principal secretary, local bodies, has issued a draft notification for the delimitation of limits of Kharar municipal committee.

Swimming meet
Patiala, July 18
The Patiala District Swimming Championship for seniors, juniors and sub-juniors will be held at Government Mohindra College swimming pool on July 19 and 20.

SPORTS

AITA: Local players win titles
Chandigarh, July 18
Local players shone city’s name by winning championship in both boys’ and girls’ category in under-18 age-group in the AITA Talent Series Tennis Tournament at the CLTA Stadium in Sector 10 here today.

Jeev all set for Japan Golf Tour
Chandigarh, July 18
Having shown his prowess in the European Golf Tour, Jeev Milkha Singh is all set for the Japan Golf Tour before a final effort at US PGA Major as he moves ahead to inch his way to the world top-50 ranking.

Vohra guides GNPS-36 to victory
Chandigarh, July 18
A fine unbeaten knock of 86 runs off 76 balls by man of the match Manav Vohra guided Guru Nanak Public School, Sector 36, to a seven-wicket victory over DAV School, Sec 15. Shahnawaz single-handedly helped DAV School, Sector 8, register an easy win by his brilliant all-round performance.

Lake Club to have multi-purpose hall
Chandigarh, July 18
In the direction to make the city a sports hub, Chandigarh administration is all set to take off the project of constructing ultra-advanced multipurpose hall at Lake Club complex.

Chandigarh in T20 final
Chandigarh, July 18
Chandigarh stormed into the final of the Punjab State Twenty20 Inter-District Under-16 Udham Singh Trophy beating Faridkot by six wickets in the semifinals being held at Ludhiana.

Cricket trials
Chandigarh, July 18
Chandigarh Cricket Association will be conducting trials to select a team of under-16 category for Haryana Inter-District Cricket Tournament on July 20 at Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 19, here.

CRIME

Five booked for attacking police team
Panchkula, July 18
The Chandi Mandir police has booked five persons for allegedly attacking policemen when they were returning after raiding an illegal liquor sales outlets in Morni area, near here, today.

CULTURE

Spellbinding performances mark Guru Poornima
Chandigarh, July 18
The essence of the sholka ‘Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu Gurur Devo Maheshwra…’ enshrined in our epics extols the ‘guru’ as an embodiment of God.