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TOP STORIES

UT remains blind to e-waste disposal
Chandigarh, December 22
Definitely among the top per capita information technology users in the country, Chandigarh remains blind to e-waste disposal. With lakhs of computer terminals, mobile phones and associated accessories in the market and an equal number, if not more, discarded material, it has not earmarked any solution to the problem looking straight into our face.

Untreated e-waste lying at a “kabari” shop in Chandigarh on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

CHB auction flop show
Chandigarh, December 22
The auction of commercial property by the Chandigarh Housing Board(CHB) turned out to be a flop show here today. Of the 23 booths in Sectors 38 (West), 49-B and 51-A, there were bidders for only one booth in Sector 38 (West).

Teachers’ Selection
Result without merit, waiting lists
Chandigarh, December 22
The education department’s act of “evading” the declaration of merit and waiting list with regard to the recruitment of teachers has raised many an eyebrow.

Non-LPG autos can’t ply after March 31
Chandigarh, December 22
Non-LPG autorickshaws would not be allowed to ply on the city roads after March 31. This was stated by Home Secretary Ram Niwas after a meeting to review the progress of the conversion of non-LPG rickshaws into LPG autorickshaws.

OUT OF FAVOUR: Discarded Ambassador cars used by ministers and officers being taken away from Chandigarh. Tribune photo: Vinay Malik

Ruchika Case
Lawyer fought for free
Chandigarh, December 22
Pankaj Bhardwaj, who set an example in social service by waging a 19-year-old legal battle in the Ruchika molestation case -- free of cost -- is a sad man today. Though the former DGP, SPS Rathore, has been convicted, Bhardwaj says: “I am ashamed of the quantum of sentence. The court should have given him exemplary punishment.”

Anand overwhelmed
Chandigarh, December 22
Life has turned a full circle for Anand Parkash and his wife Madhu. A day after the conviction of the former DGP, SPS Rathore, the couple, who fought for their daughter’s friend, are overwhelmed by the public reaction.

Rent Reality — I
Cheap housing hard to come by
Chandigarh, December 22
Essentially envisioned for the salaried and the middle class, Le Corbusier’s dream city, Chandigarh, is getting harsh on the pockets of tenants. Even as the city’s periphery is witnessing a construction boom with thousands of apartments coming up, residential rentals in the city continue to travel north showing a growth of 10-20 per cent in the past about a year.

COMMUNITY

Sector 17
Squatters continue to rule the roost
Chandigarh, December 22
Developed as the heart of the city by Le Corbusier, Sector 17 seems to have virtually turned into encroachers’ paradise. With the problem of illegal squatters assuming alarming proportions, prominent traders are up in arms against the municipal corporation and the police for turning a blind towards the menace.


A vendor encroaches upon a pavement at Sector 17, Chandigarh. A Tribune photograph

Mock drill draws flak
Chandigarh, December 22
The mock drill by the Chandigarh Police at Sector 17 plaza on Monday invited criticism from various organisations for projecting terrorists as members of two minority communities.

Looking Ahead: 2010
Municipal Corporation
MC holds out hope for better times ahead
Chandigarh, December 22
If one were to go by the claims of the municipal corporation, city residents can look forward to 2010 as a ‘people friendly’ year with several major projects that have long been in the pipeline likely to be completed. These would put more facilities in place, making life a little more comfortable. However, the proof of the pudding would lie in its eating: Commitments undertaken in the past have almost invariably come to naught.

No let-up in cold wave conditions
Chandigarh, December 22
Cold wave conditions persisted in the city and its adjoining areas even today with the city recording below normal temperature. People in the city battled the severe chill for the third consecutive day as the minimum temperature dip to 5 degrees Celsius. Weather officials said the minimum temperature was likely to plummet further. The city today recorded a maximum temperature of 21 degrees Celsius.

NATURE’S BEAUTY

Setting sun makes for a beautiful view in Chandigarh on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

PESCO starts vocational training institute
Mohali, December 22
In order to diversify its activities and to create employment opportunities for ex-servicemen, their wards and others, PESCO has started a Security and Vocational Training Institute, which was inaugurated by Sewa Singh Sekhwan, minister for defence services welfare and information and public relations, in Phase VII, Industrial Area, here today.

Mohali police dons role of MC
Clears encroachments from markets
Mohali, December 22
Alarmed at the increasing incidents of thefts of vehicles and valuables from vehicles in markets across the city, the Mohali Police has donned upon itself the role of municipal council in clearing encroachments from the markets.

Panchkarma centre opens in Mohali
Mohali, December 22
Prof Laxmi Kanta Chawla, health and family welfare minister, Punjab, inaugurated Panchkarma Therapy Centre in the Civil Hospital here today as part of the AYUSH programme.

Hooda: Media losing credibility
Chandigarh, December 22
The media has been losing its credibility as the public had stopped taking it seriously, said Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Haryana Chief Minister, here today.

Tribune art critic honoured
Chandigarh, December 22
Art critic of The Tribune SD Sharma has been awarded the Pracheen Kala Kendra Award for 2009 for his meritorious service in the field of art and culture.



SD Sharma (centre) being presented the Pracheen Kala Kendra Award for 2009 in Kolkata. A Tribune photograph

Additional stocks of Tamiflu ordered
Chandigarh, December 22
Close on the heels of sounding an alert that swine flu has spread in the community, the UT health department has ordered additional stocks of antiviral drug - Oseltamivir (Tamiflu).

PGI gets hi-tech machine to control cancer
Chandigarh, December 22
A new high-tech linear accelerator machine, which controls cancer with minimum damage of normal tissues, was inaugurated by PGIMER Director Prof KK Talwar here today. The machine, costing Rs 6.5 crore, has been installed in the department of radiotherapy.

Workshop for people with HIV
Chandigarh, December 22
The Chandigarh State AIDS Control Society, and Chandigarh Network of Positive People (CNP+) organised a workshop for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs) here. The function was attended by 70 people living with HIV/AIDS.

EDUCATION

IIMs to favour girls
Chandigarh, December 22
Concerned over the disproportionate ratio of girls at the prestigious Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), a ‘deliberate known bias’ for girls is now being planned by these premier institutes to balance gender for the upcoming 2010 admissions.

‘Make your own identity
Chandigarh, December 22
An international conference on ‘Management and valuation of intangibles’, organised by the University Business School (UBS), today began at the English auditorium, Panjab University.

University Business School students attend an international conference at the English auditorium of Panjab University in Chandigarh on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

New principal
Chandigarh, December 22
The Sikh Educational Society has appointed Dr Charanjeet Kaur Sohi principal of the Guru Gobind Singh College for Women, Sector 26.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

NRI assaulted
Patiala, December 22
Rajkiran Singh Sidhu, an NRI from Canada, was critically injured when she was attacked by some unidentified miscreants here this morning.

Protest by patient’s kin over negligence
Ambala, December 22
Scores of residents of Sonda village, near Ambala City, protested at the civil hospital late this evening against the alleged negligence of a doctor after which a six-year-old girl had to be taken to the PGI, Chandigarh.

Lawyers’ stir continues
Ambala, December 22
The lawyers of Ambala kept their court work suspended to press upon their demand for setting up separate high court for Haryana. The Bar Association, Ambala, has given a call of work suspension today.

Ex-serviceman killed in accident
Lalru, December 22
An ex-serviceman was killed after being hit by a speeding truck on the Ambala-Chandigarh highway here this afternoon.

SBoP holds annual conference
Patiala, December 22
A three-day annual conference of senior legal functionaries of State Bank group started at SBoP Infotech Academy, here today, which was inaugurated by Diwakar Gupta, deputy managing director, SBI Corporate Centre, Mumbai.

COURTS

Allotment of Houses
HC: Stay to continue
Chandigarh, December 22
Just about a week after the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled the process of allotment of government houses was apparently “arbitrary”, Justice Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia today directed the continuation of the stay on the allotment of old type III, IV, V, VI, VII houses, along with new type VI houses.

CRIME

3,000 pirated CDs seized
Chandigarh, December 22
The police has arrested a Sector 22-based shopkeeper and seized pirated CDs from his possession. A raid was conducted on his shop following information provided by the Indian music industry that pirated CDs were being sold there. The police seized around 3,000 CDs, including over 1,200 blue films.

Police officials raid a shop in Sector 22, Chandigarh, on Tuesday. Tribune photo: S. Chandan

Three held for fraud
Zirakpur, December 22
The police today arrested three of the 11 accused in a forgery case. Complainant Gurjant Singh, a resident of Moli Baidwan village, Sohana, alleged to the police that the accused had duped him of Rs 11.60 lakh.

SPORTS

Kabir Trophy
St Kabir, St John’s set up title clash
Chandigarh, December 22
Traditional rivals St Kabir High School and St John’s High School, both of Sector 26, stormed into the final of the Under-13 St Kabir Football Trophy at St Kabir School ground here today.

Players of Ashiana School and St John’s School in action during a semifinal match in Sector 26, Chandigarh, on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Vinay Malik

Champions Trophy
City, Haryana in final
Chandigarh, December 22
AICF Chandigarh and AICF Haryana will clash in the final of the T-20 Champions Trophy organised by the All-India Cricket Federation at The Banyan Tree School Cricket Academy ground in Sector 48 B here today.

Hockey nursery opened
Bassi Pathana, December 22
The Indian hockey will regain its lost glory. The only thing holding it back was red tape, said Pargat Singh, sports director of Punjab, after inaugurating Mehar Baba Charitable (MBCT) Hockey Nursery here today.

Sports director Pargat Singh with budding players at a new hockey academy at Bassi Pathana. A Tribune photograph

7-wicket win for GNPS
Chandigarh, December 22
Guru Nanak Public School (GNPS), Sector 36, carved an easy seven-wicket victory over 37 Cricket Academy in the inaugural match of the Blue Chilly Cup Cricket Tournament for Under-16 organised by the Desh Prem Azad Cricket Academy at GNPS ground here today.

Cricket trials from Dec 25
Chandigarh, December 22
Trials to select probables for the upcoming V Hanumantha Rao All-India Under-19 four-day Twenty-20 National League Cricket Championship to be held at Hyderabad from January 12 will be held at MCM College for Women cricket ground on December 25.