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TOP STORIES

RTE Round 3: All talk, no action
Chandigarh, January 8
Ambiguity continues to haunt the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act in the city as the third meeting over draft rules ended inconclusively today. Expecting a response to queries and suggestions furnished by them in the last meeting held a fortnight ago, representatives of private schools said they were left shocked when confronted with demand for more suggestions.

Admin ignores ministry’s order
Chandigarh, January 8
An overzealous UT Administration has devised an admission procedure for unaided schools to make them abide by the Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act but has, in the process, ignored the inherent freedom granted to unaided schools by the ministry of human resources development (MHRD).

Khushpreet’s Murder
Informer to get Rs 5 lakh
Chandigarh, January 8
Following its failure in solving the gruesome murder of five-year-old Khushpreet, the UT police today enhanced the reward money for anyone who would give information regarding the killers to ` 5 lakh.


Students and residents hold a candle-lit vigil in the memory of Khushpreet at the Sector-17 Piazza in Chandigarh on Saturday. Tribune photo: S Chandan

60,000 SSA aspirants descend on Panchkula
Residents of Sectors 2, 4, 10 and 11 told to remain indoors
Panchkula, January 8
More than 60,000 aspirants for the posts of assistant block resource coordinator under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan project (SSA) today brought the city to a halt when they descended on it from different parts of Haryana to submit their application forms at the office of the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) at Sector 2 here.
A windowpane broken by aspirants at the office of the DIET in Panchkula on Saturday. Tribune photo: Nitin Mittal

14 laptops, computer accessories stolen
Chandigarh, January 8
Electronics item dealers, particularly those dealing in laptops, computers and LCD plasma screens, seem to be on the hit-list of burglars, who have been striking at night and committing thefts worth lakhs in one go.


Police officials examine the crime scene at Sector 34, Chandigarh, on Saturday. A Tribune photograph

COMMUNITY

Excise Officials, Liquor Contractors
After 4 yrs, finally, they meet
Chandigarh, January 8
After almost four years, the UT excise department finally took the first step to thaw the ice between liquor contractors and its officials after an informal meeting today. About 20 liquor contractors and wine merchants of the city attended the informal meeting with the officials, wherein the contractors put forward the problems being faced by them and made suggestions for the upcoming UT excise policy for 2011.

Be ready, chill here to stay
No takeoff as flights remain cancelled for fifth day
Chandigarh, January 8
The wind chill factor, which has made temperatures in the city plummet in the past few days, is not likely to go away any time soon, the weatherman cautioned today. Fog would make a comeback tomorrow morning, he added. Meanwhile, air travellers were the worst sufferers as no flight landed or took off from the city today.

Zirakpur-Kalka Highway
Level crossing closed for 10 days
Zirakpur, January 8
The level crossing on the Zirakpur-Kalka highway, near Dhakoli, will remain closed to vehicular traffic for 10 days due to the ongoing construction of a railway overbridge (ROB) on the highway. An official of C&C Construction Company, which is undertaking the construction work, said they had taken the permission from the railway authorities to close the level crossing from January 14 to 25.

Entertainment unlimited
Chandigarh, January 8
Entertainment unlimited with abundance of humour and satire, but laced with words of wisdom and didacticism marked the annual “Hasya Kavi Sammelan” organised by the Rajasthan Kala Parishad here today.


LAUGHTER MEDICINE: The audience has a hearty laugh during the ‘Hasya Kavi Sammelan’ at the Tagore Theatre in Chandigarh on Saturday. Tribune photo: S Chandan

Nagar kirtan taken out
Panchkula, January 8
A colourful nagar kirtan was taken out to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru, falling on January 11. The procession started from Nadda Sahib Gurdwara around 10.30 pm. The procession passed through various Sectors 1, 2, 4, 11, 14, 12, 12A, 15, 16, 10, and 6 before culminating at the historic shrine.

encroachment
Civic body videographs violations in markets
To use as evidence in court
Mohali, January 8
The municipal council has videographed the encroachments carried out by shopkeepers in the local markets and will serve notices on offenders soon after the government issues a notification for the formation of the new municipal corporation.

EDUCATION

Peaceful Protests
Student leaders flay PU’s reaction
Chandigarh, January 8
Student leaders of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Panjab University, today condemned the attitude of university officials when students protested to put forth their demands.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Firing
Police remand for 3
Ambala, January 8
The three men who had opened fire near the local bus station yesterday were today produced in the local court, which remanded them in police custody till January 15. The police had filed an application in the court and requested for a 10-day police remand of the men.

Annual day at Holy Heart school
Bassi Pathana, January 8
Holy Heart Public High School organised its prize distribution-cum-annual function here today. Gurmeet Singh SP (D) was the chief guest, where as Amardeep Singh Dharni, chairman of the managing committee presided over.

Punjab overall boxing champions
Fatehgarh Sahib, January 8
Host Punjab won the overall boxing championship of girls in the third National-Level Rural Tournament for boys and girls U-16 at Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College, here today.

Players in action during the third Natonal-Level Rural Tournament for boys and girls at Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College, Fatehgarh Sahib, on Saturday. A Tribune photograph

CRIME

Logs of khair seized from two farmhouses
Mohali, January 8
The Punjab forest department today seized logs of khair tree, weighing around 15 quintal, from two farmhouses in the forest area along the Tanda-Masol road, around 5 km from the PGI, Chandigarh. More recovery of illegally-felled khair tree was expected tomorrow. Apprehending it to be the handiwork of khair wood smugglers, the forest department has embarked on an exercise to scan the entire forest area that was privately managed.
Logs of illegally-felled khair trees being unloaded by forest department officials at Seonk Forest Rest House in Mohali on Saturday. A Tribune photograph

Rs 94,000 stolen from NRI’s purse
Chandigarh, January 8
Sixty-year-old Surjit Kaur, an NRI, told the police that ` 94,000 was stolen from her purse while she was attending a nagar kirtan at Sector 22 here today. The police was taking her complaint with a pinch of salt. A resident of Sector 15, she told the police that she went to the Sector 22 market and stopped to pay obeisance at a nagar kirtan.

SPORTS

National School Games
Back-to-back wins for city lads in soccer
Chandigarh, January 8
Starting on a winning note, Chandigarh boys’ soccer team (u-14) registered back-to-back wins during the 56th National School Games, organised by the UT education department, at various venues here today.

Tennis
Top seeds in U-18 quarterfinals
Chandigarh, January 8
Top seed Vikes Berwal and second seed Prabhsimran Singh Bal sailed into the quarterfinals (U-18 boys’ section) of the YMCA Total Tennis Tournament, being played at the Total Tennis Academy, Sector 11, here today.

City in softball semifinals
Chandigarh, January 8
Chandigarh, Kerala, Punjab and Delhi entered into the semifinals (men) of the 32nd Senior National Championship, being played at the PEC University of Technology, Sector 12, here today.