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TOP STORIES

Lopsided Rehab Scheme
Oustees shoot off missive to PM
Chandigarh, February 5
When it comes to double standard on rehabilitation of slum dwellers vis-a-vis the original inhabitants of the city, nobody can match the city administration. While the administration goes overboard in rehabilitating over 25,000 slum dwellers who have encroached on prime land worth crores, the original inhabitants of the city, whose land was acquired for the setting up of Chandigarh, continue to get a raw deal even after decades.

Order to demolish Punjab Police mess
Chandigarh, February 5
The city administration has ordered the demolition of the Punjab Gentleman Officers (GO) mess where the Punjab DGP, PS Gill, is staying at present. Assistant estate officer Hargunjit Kaur, while holding the temporary constructions carried out by the Punjab Police in Sector 1 as illegal, has sought police protection from the UT SSP to demolish the mess.
COUNTRY ROAD, TAKE ME HOME: These trees wait to spring back to life. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

Those with connections get PU hostel room first
Chandigarh, February 5
In a typical example of the hardships faced by students at Panjab University, MSc (first year) scholars whose names figure at the top of the waiting list for hostel rooms are still waiting for their turn even after six months while others who had the right connections were able to get accommodation.


EARLIER STORIES

Crime Watch
Basic policing requires stimulus
Chandigarh, February 5 Discrepancies in basic policing ail the Chandigarh Police. Almost half of the cases registered in the past year pertain to thefts, a majority of which are motor vehicle thefts and burglaries, which indicate the deterioration in basic policing and vigilance.


COMMUNITY

Chandigarh-Ludhiana Rail Link
Land acquisition delays work
Chandigarh, February 5
Even a decade after its commencement, the completion of the Chandigarh-Ludhiana rail link appears to be a distant dream. Railway authorities attribute the delay to problems in land acquisition for the Morinda section. “The major hurdle is land acquisition,” said an official of the construction wing.

New sanitation system raises stink
Panchkula, February 5
Four days after the sanitation system in the town was handed over to the municipal councillors, the arrangement has led to the controversy over the unjustified ration of manpower in different wards.

Cops question bodyguards of Ranjit Bajaj
Panchkula, February 5
While investigating the role of Ranjit Bajaj in the brawl at hotel North Park, the district police has questioned two persons allegedly found involved with him in a similar case at a discotheque in Chandigarh on August 28 last year. However, both of them were let free after Gurmohan Singh Bedi, the complainant, said they were not the ones who attacked him.

MC senior vice-president, vice-president posts
Election likely to be delayed
Mohali, February 5
Even though the Mohali SDM has been made convener for the elections to the posts of senior vice-president and vice-president of the municipal council, the poll is likely to get delayed once again due to pressure from SAD leaders who will like it at a time which suits their political interests thus depriving councillors of their democratic right.

Garbage plant a waste
Chandigarh, February 5
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation may have set an example in the country by installing a garbage-processing plant at Dadu Majra, but the authorities have failed to frame a policy for the segregation of garbage even after more than a year.


Muslims take part in Chelam in connection with Tazzia at Mohali on Friday. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

Threat calls to Mayor
Police identifies accused
Chandigarh, February 5
The UT Police claimed to have identified the caller who had threatened the Mayor and her two predecessors over phone yesterday. The police had received informal complaints saying that a man, claiming to be Om Parkash Saini, who is involved in several criminal cases, threatened Mayor Anu Chatrath and former mayors Kamlesh and Pardeep Chhabra over phone.

GMADA forms mechanism for PIO
Mohali, February 5
The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) has evolved a new mechanism to make the public information officer (PIO) and assistant public information officers (APIOs) more accountable. The action came after GMADA was pulled up the Punjab Information Commission for delaying supply of information sought under the RTI Act.

126 TA Battalion turns 50
Chandigarh, February 5
Territorial Army’s 126th Infantry Battalion (Jammu and Kashmir Rifles) celebrated its golden jubilee with fervour at Madhopur in Punjab today. A special address was given to the troops by Lt Gen BS Jaswal, Colonel of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles.

New IG vows to make police people-friendly
Chandigarh, February 5
Soon after taking up office as the new inspector general of the Chandigarh police, Pradeep Kumar Srivastva underlined the need for inculcating a “people-friendly” attitude in the force.

MC to propose Rs 550-cr budget
Chandigarh, February 5
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation is expected to have a budget of Rs 550 crore, including plan and non-plan, for the next fiscal, which would be tabled in the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) meeting scheduled for February 10.

Cloudy sky in next 24 hrs
Chandigarh, February 5
Weathermen have predicted cloudy sky or thunder development for residents of the city in the next 24 hours.

Inspection at 2 fair price shops
Chandigarh, February 5
As part of the drive to check the distribution of essential commodities, a surprise inspection was conducted by officials of the department of food and supplies, UT administration, here today.

Candlelit vigil in memory of road mishap victims
Chandigarh, February 5
A candlelit vigil was organised in memory of road accident victims at a rotary in Sector 3 here. Family members of the accident victims and members of a road safety NGO, Arrivesafe, organised the vigil in memory of a three-year-old accident victims.


Relatives and sympathisers pay homage to the accident victims who died at the Sector 3-4-9 and 10 roundabout three years ago, at Chandigarh on Friday. Tribune photo: Nitin Mittal

Devanagar MC team visits city
Chandigarh, February 5
A 35-member team of elected representatives and officials of the Devanagar Municipal Corporation visited the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation today to study taxation and finance system, auditing system, planning and management.

Mayor Anu Chatrath greets members of the Devanagar Municipal Corporation in Chandigarh on Friday. Tribune photo: S Chandan

Pulse polio drive from tomorrow
Chandigarh, February 5
The UT health department will organise a three-day pulse polio immunisation campaign from February 7.

Sufi singers regale audience
Chandigarh, February 5
Sufi singers from Rajasthan led by Jaisalmer-based Ustad Sahkur Khan regaled the audience at the Randhawa auditorium here today.

Justice Nirmaljit Kaur bereaved
Chandigarh, February 5
Iqbal Kaur, 84, the mother of Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge Justice Nirmaljit Kaur, breathed here last this morning. She was admitted to the PGI on January 31, after suffering from an asthmatic attack.

EDUCATION

Teachers
Accountability in selection proposed
Mohali, February 5
On teachers’ selection pattern in private colleges, the Punjab School Education Board has proposed an accountable selection process for teachers.

Education Reforms
CBSE question bank for schools
Chandigarh, February 5
The Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) will be providing a CD of question papers for Class IX to all its affiliated schools by February 20.

Show-cause notice to Sacred Heart
Mum’s the word
Chandigarh, February 5
While CBSE claims to have already issued a show-cause notice to Sacred Heart School in Ruchika Girhotra’s case, the school authorities still express ignorance.

Building bridges across barriers
Chandigarh, February 5
The sociology department of Government College for Girls, Sector 11, in collaboration with the Foreign Students’ Association of the college organised a function “Building Bridges Across Barriers” here today. The event was a cultural bonanza to showcase the culture and tradition of Afghanistan. Dr Nirupama Luthra, head of sociology department highlighted the significance of such activities in bridging the cultures.

Students during an Afghan cultural function at GCG, Sector 11, in Chandigarh on Friday. Tribune photo: Parvesh Chauhan

 
NEIGHBOURHOOD

2 killed, three injured in accident
Ambala, February 5
Two bank employees of Ambala Cantt were killed and three other injured in a road accident near Mulana on the Ambala-Jagadhri road this evening. The deceased were identified as BK Gupta and Rajinder Singh.

Seminar on environment
Patiala, February 5
Under the National Environment Campaign, a one-day seminar on “Reduce carbon pollution and control seasonal changes” was held at Government In-Service Training Centre, Patiala, here today.

Manoj, Harpreet best athletes
Kharar, February 5
Manoj Kumar and Harpreet Kaur were declared best athletes during the seventh annual sports meet of the Indo Global Colleges, Abhipur, held today.

Railway police seize 37 rum bottles, 1 held
Kalka, February 5
The Government Railway Police (GRP) has arrested a retired Army personal for possessing liquor on Wednesday night.

Shiv Sena chief’s effigy burnt
Patiala, February 5
Students of Punjabi University, Patiala, came out in support of Rahul Gandhi’s statement that Maharashtra was for all Indians and criticised the comments made by Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackrey against the young leader.

COURTS

High Court
Shun lethargic approach, HC tells bureaucrats
Chandigarh, February 5
Nearly five years after the Right to Information Act came into being, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the authorities concerned to shun lethargic attitude. Justice K Kannan asserted: “The bureaucratic mindset of lethargy must go; inertia must give place to quick response”. The Judge has also made it clear that “defiance shall be tellingly punished”.

Babla granted bail
Chandigarh, February 5
A local court today granted bail to Congress councillor Devinder Pal Singh Babla in a SIM card case, but turned down another bail petition in a shed case.

CRIME

2 held with contraband
Chandigarh, February 5
The police has arrested two people with contrabands from different parts of the city last night. The police said Bharat Yadav of Mani Majra was arrested from near the level crossing in Mani Majra on Thursday night while carrying 500 grams of charas.

‘Affluent’ beggar arrested
Chandigarh, February 5
The Chandigarh Police arrested Shankar Mehta, an “affluent” beggar, while seeking alms in the Sector 37 market. He was earlier arrested over two years ago for the same offence. The police produced him in a local court today, which sent him to the Old Age Home. He was presently staying at the Sector 43 ISBT for the past six months and was caught begging in the Sector 37 market.

Robbery Case
Whisky remanded in 2-day police custody
Mohali, February 5
Devinder Singh Whisky, main accused in the murder of Chandigarh-based property dealer, Harjinder Singh, was today remanded to the two-day police custody in connection with a five-month-old loot case at a liquor shop in Phase X here.

2 commit suicide
Chandigarh, February 5
A 16-year-old girl and a middle-aged man reportedly committed suicide in different parts of the city today. The police said Rosy, a student of class XII, was found hanging at her residence in Kaimbwala village this afternoon. She was suffering from epilepsy and was taking treatment from the Sector 16 Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH). She was depressed due to the prolong ailment, the family members told the police.


SPORTS

Football Fest
St Soldier, St John’s in semis
Panchkula, February 5
Talented St Soldier International School B Team, Sector 28, (pool D), St John’s School, Sector 26, (pool A), hosts Mount Carmel, Sector 47, (pool A) and Vivek High School B Team, Sector 38, qualified for the semifinals of the Chandigarh Football Festival for Under-11 for Mount Carmel Trophy at Mount Carmel School ground in Sector 47 here.

Inter-Academy Meet
Bowlers help Satluj claim title
Panchkula, February 5
Fine bowling spells by Harpreet Singh and Ravi Saini helped Satluj Public School win the Under-15 Inter-Academy Cricket Tournament played St Soldier Divine Public School, Sector 16, here today.

Chandigarh cling on to handball title
Chandigarh, February 5
In a hard-fought match, Chandigarh defeated Pathankot 19-17 to retain the title for the third time in the WAC Inter-Area Handball Championship that concluded at 12 Wing Air Force here today.


Players in action during the WAC Inter-Area Handball Championship in Chandigarh on Friday. A Tribune photograph

City lad wins doubles title
Panchkula, February 5
Akshit Mahajan, a student of Class XII, Hans Raj Public School, Sector 6, won the under-19 doubles title in the All-India Badminton Ranking Selection Tournament held at Pune recently.


 



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