C H A N D I G A R H

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TOP STORIES

Road tax set to go up in UT
Rates to be pegged to vehicle’s cost
Chandigarh, September 13
Get ready to shell out more road tax at the time of getting your new luxury car registered. Vehicles will now be taxed according to their cost in the union territory with the administration all set to propose a revised tariff after over a decade and a half.

Bulbul Case
Conflicting reports leave admn uneasy
Tells probe panels to substantiate recommendations
Chandigarh, September 13
The Chandigarh Administration is faced with a piquant situation of contrary reports in the Bulbul case in which a newborn died in the emergency of the GMSH-l6 recently.

Court allows minor rape victim to abort
Chandigarh, September 13
Additional chief judicial magistrate Anshul Berry today granted permission for the 14-year-old inmate of Snehalaya who was raped to undergo an abortion. The victim’s maternal grandmother appeared visibly relieved as the court allowed her application for the procedure to be conducted.

ICICI Lombard fined for harassment
Chandigarh, September 13
Holding ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co Ltd guilty of harassing a complainant, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed it to pay a compensation of Rs 10,000 for imposing foreclosure charges. The forum also asked the company to pay Rs 5,000 as costs of litigation and refund the insurance premium on a pro-rata basis.

Runaway Couple
Lawyer thrashed by bride’s kin
Panchkula, September 13 }
In a series of attacks on couples marrying against the wishes of their family in Haryana, a local lawyer was attacked when he came to file a petition for seeking protection for a newly married here today.

SHO in soup over lapses
Chandigarh, September 13
The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) today issued a notice to the Sector 3 police station SHO for lapses in investigation of a road accident case in which two cousins were crushed to death by a speeding car last month. The notice, asking the SHO to appear before the authority on October 4, has been sent following a complaint filed by HC Arora, state president of the RTI Activists Federation, Punjab.

GMCH-32: No CT scan report even after 14 days
Chandigarh, September 13
In a case of negligence, the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, failed to issue a CT scan report of a patient for 14 days, leaving the patient in the lurch. The report, which is usually prepared within 24 hours, was not released even today despite repeated requests to the authorities concerned by the father of the patient.

COMMUNITY

‘Green Gandhigiri’ to sensitise residents about environment
Chandigarh, September 13
Adopting an innovative technique to grab the attention of city residents, nearly 500 students from Panjab University, local colleges and schools will be spotted at various traffic lights on September 16, celebrating the World Ozone Day.

Doctors stage a protest outside the entrance gate of the GMSH, Sector 16, in Chandigarh on Monday. A Tribune photograph

Insurance Cover for Firemen
MC prepares draft for claims
Chandigarh, September 13
The demand of 261 firemen of the fire and emergency department of the Chandigarh municipal corporation to bring them under insurance cover is set to be fulfilled soon with the corporation preparing a draft for disability and medical claims.

Work on service roads begins today
Zirakpur, September 13
The long-pending work to lay the service roads on both sides of the stretch of National Highway-21, between the UT barrier and the starting point of the flyover on the Chandigarh-Ambala highway, will begin tomorrow. The road had developed several potholes and trucks are often parked in a haphazard manner on the stretch.

A file photo of the Chandigarh-Ambala road on National Highway-21.

MC looks for dumping ground site
Zirakpur, September 13
The Zirakpur municipal council is looking for 4-acre land for a dumping ground. The proposal has been mooted after the Punjab drainage department and local administration strictly ordered to the council not to throw garbage and solid waste along the Sukhna choe in Bishanpura village.

Naunihal takes over as SSP today
Prerna Puri to be Joint Secy (Home)
Chandigarh, September 13
With the joining of 1997-batch IPS officer Naunihal Singh tomorrow, Chandigarh is set to get a new SSP, while IAS officer and SDM (South) Prerna Puri will be the new Joint Secretary (Home).

Western Command to celebrate 63rd anniversary
Chandigarh, September 13
Western Command headquarters will celebrate its 63rd Raising Day at Chandimandir military station this week. A host of events are being organised to commemorate the anniversary.

Many BSNL numbers out of order
Mohali, September 13
“Efficiency” of the Punjab circle of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) to shift around 5,000 telephone numbers from the telephone exchange in Phase X to two other telephone exchanges in over two years, one in Phase XI and the other in Sector 70, is proving to be a headache for hundreds of telephone subscribers in Mohali.


A BSNL employee repairs a fault in the underground cable near the Phase X exchange. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

SC vacancies: Admn urged to clear backlog
Chandigarh, September 13
The Chandigarh SC and BC Employees Welfare Association has demanded the clearing of backlog of appointments and promotions belonging to the reserved categories in various departments of the Chandigarh administration.

Parking of vehicles outside clubs banned
Mohali, September 13
The district administration has banned the parking of vehicles on footpaths outside marriage palaces, hotels and clubs, failing which legal action will be taken against managements of these establishments.

Sewage treatment plant faces power crisis
Mohali, September 13
Power crisis is looming large over the city’s first sewage treatment plant near Manauli village here. For the last few days, the power supply to the plant has been erratic.

GMADA to start helpline numbers
Mohali, September 13
For the convenience of the applicants for Aerocity, the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) today decided to open helpline numbers so that the applicants could get their names or any other information rectified, if required. The size wise and category data of the applicants for Aerocity was yesterday uploaded on GMADA’s website.

Cop deposes in Nari Niketan case
Chandigarh, September 13
Deposing before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge GC Garg in the Nari Niketan rape case, head constable Usha stated that she had once found used condoms outside the Nari Niketan. She added that she didn’t report the matter to her seniors but had informed the superintendent of the institute.

Fire at Kiran Theatre
Chandigarh, September 13
A minor fire was reported at Kiran Theatre, Sector 22, following a short-circuit in electricity wires near a generator this evening.

Former MLA cremated
Mohali, September 13
The mortal remains of Basant Singh, former MLA, Anandpur Sahib, were consigned to flames at the Mohali crematorium here this evening. The ex-MLA was nephew of Late Giani Zail Singh, former President of India. He died yesterday after prolonged illness.

GOING TO THE DOGS

(Top left) Railway Station Unplugged: A man helps his grandson get off an engine, reflecting lapses in security at the Chandigarh railway station on Monday. (Top right) Stray dogs have a field day and (bottom) a letter box with a broken lock; and non-functional LCDs at the Chandigarh railway station. Tribune photos: Manoj Mahajan

EDUCATION

Evaluation System
CBSE to increase parents’ involvement
Chandigarh, September 13
Going a step ahead of seeking feedback, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has now decided to increase parents’ involvement in its ambitious continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE).

PEC SCAM
CBI finds ` 1 crore in Dr Nishikant’s bank accounts
Chandigarh, September 13
The sleuths of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) found Rs 1 crore in the bank accounts of Dr Nishikant, the alleged mastermind behind the fraudulent admission of 11 students in the PEC University of Technology, Sector 12, here under the scheme of Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA) by submitting fake documents.

CBSE to launch virtual labs soon
Chandigarh, September 13
If all goes well Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) may soon be launching its first virtual laboratories for students to enhance the practical aspect of school education.

From Schools & Colleges

Counselling sessions for teachers, students
Chandigarh, September 13
In a bid to strengthen student-teacher relationship at government schools in the city, the education department will organise special counselling sessions to be jointly attended by teachers, students and parents.

PUSU sweeps executive panel election
Chandigarh, September 13
In yet another crucial victory, candidates of the Panjab University Students Union (PUSU) won four out of five seats in the executive panel election held here today.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Patiala resident killed in accident
Rajpura, September 13
A resident of Patiala got killed in an accident and two others were injured near Ganda Kheri village this evening.

Mazdoor union ends dharna
Kalka, September 13
The seven-day dharna of Uttar Railway Mazdoor Union (URMU), Kalka, ended today.

Jaspreet pockets silver in shot put
Ambala, September 13
Jaspreet Singh, a student of Indian Public School, Ambala, won a silver medal in shot put during the 22nd National Inter-Zonal Junior Athletics Championship which was held at Vijaywada (Andhra Pradesh) on September 5.

Experts dwell on crime against women
Ambala, September 13
A one-day workshop on “Crime against women” was organised by the women cell of MM Engineering College, Mullana. The workshop was organised to bring awareness among faculty of MM University about various crimes like dowry deaths, sexual harassment, domestic violence, divorce, etc.

Vishwas Public students shine
Ambala, September 13
Students of Vishwas Public School clinched eight medals in the district-level karate competition held at Mahavir Jain School, Ambala Cantt, today.

COURTS

Contraband Seizure Case
Ex-ASI admits frisking woman
Chandigarh, September 13
A retired police officer, while deposing before a court in an NDPS case, today stated that he had frisked a woman after he suspected her of carrying contraband. The physical search of a woman by a male officer is a breach of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

CRIME

2 booked for brawl at mall
Police role under cloud
Chandigarh, September 13
The role of the Chandigarh police has come under the scanner following a brawl at DT Mall last night, in which the police booked two Patiala residents for allegedly assaulting security guards. Eyewitnesses accused the police of acting in a biased manner.

Scorpio, Rs. 2.65 lakh stolen
Mohali, September 13
Parking vehicle in front of PUDA Bhavan in Sector 62 here proved costly for Balwinder Singh, a Rani Majra village resident, when burglars drove away his Mahindra Scorpio. Balwinder had left Rs 2.65 lakh in the car while he, along with his friends, had gone to the PUDA office to enquire about land compensation status.

Two killed in accidents
Chandigarh, September 13
Two persons, both in their mid-twenties, were killed in two accidents on the elevated railway track between the city and Mohali here today.

Artistes were hired to threaten victim
Mohali, September 13
In yesterday’s case of thugs posing as officials of realty firms and police officials to target properties of NRIs and affluent persons, the police has found that two of the suspects, Deepak and Himanshu, had arranged Mumbai-based artistes to pose as crime branch cops in order to threaten the Sector 67-based NRI Darshan Kumar.

Two held for raping minor
Mohali, September 13
The police today arrested two persons out of five who were involved in a gang-rape case of a minor girl. The accused have been identified as Mahavir and Suresh.

Man hangs himself to death
Zirakpur, September 13
A 21-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan at his house in Pabhat village late last night.

30,000 oxytocin injections seized
Zirakpur, September 13
The Mohali police, along with the local drug inspector, today raided at a chemist shop here and seized 30,000 oxytocin injections from the shop.

SPORTS

Prabhjot takes PU Campus home
Chandigarh, September 13
Forward Prabhjot helped Panjab University Campus, Chandigarh, drub AS College, Khanna, 8-1 in the Panjab University Inter-College Football (men) Tournament being played on the PU grounds here today.




Players vie for the ball during a football match at Panjab University on Monday. Tribune photo: Vinay Malik

KDS Nagra appointed technical official
Chandigarh, September 13
Chandigarh-based weightlifting coach KDS Nagra has been appointed technical official for the weightlifting event during the forthcoming Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi. Former national coach Nagra will also act as SIC supervisor (Games Village) during the games.

Cyclotron on September 26
Chandigarh, September 13
In a bid to encourage the city residents to use bicycles as a mode of transport, the Chandigarh administration in association with Hero cycles will hold a cycling event-Cyclotron on September 26 in the city.

Rain plays spoilsport
Chandigarh, September 13
Rain washed out the third day’s play of Punjab Cricket Association’s Emerging Players Tournament.