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TOP STORIES

UBS chairman quits
VC refuses to accept resignation, second by a PU head in a week
Chandigarh, February 16
In a move that may be indicative of Panjab University officials losing their grip over administration in the wake of the recent student protests, the chairman of the University Business School, Dinesh K Gupta, tendered his resignation on Wednesday.

HC clarifies school admission cutoff dates
Chandigarh, February 16
A day after the Punjab & Haryana High Court put to rest the controversy over the minimum age for school admissions, justice Mahesh Grover Wednesday clarified the cutoff date for upper KG and KG classes was Sep 30, 2006 and that for lower KG and nursery was Sept 30, 2007.

Missing child still untraced
Gaps between barbed wires, absence of CCTV cameras expose chinks in security at Snehalaya
Chandigarh, February 16
A day after 10-year-old Suraj fled Snehalaya, a home for slum children in Maloya, after scaling the boundary wall from the rear side, there is no sign of the missing child.

LOOPHOLE: A gaping gap within the fencing around the perimeter of Snehalaya at Maloya village in Chandigarh. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Despite a ban on the burning of dry leaves, the practice continues in various parts of Chandigarh. Tribune photo: Vinay Malik

Minor alleges rape bid by father
Panchkula, February 16
In a shocking revelation, a 15-year-old girl today alleged that her father tried to rape her in the bathroom in December last year. She further alleged that her father, along with an uncle and aunt, beat her up after she narrated the incident to the wife of her eldest uncle.

PCA Stadium to have three-tier security ring
Mohali, February 16
For the three World Cup matches scheduled at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium here, The Punjab Police is gearing up to throw a three-tier security ring around the stadium. For the safe conduct of the matches, over 1,500 police personnel from Fatehgarh Sahib, Ropar, Patiala and other neighbouring districts were being deployed at the venue of the match.

KK Sharma may join after Delhi budget
Chandigarh, February 16
The Delhi Government is likely to retain the newly appointed Adviser to the UT Administrator KK Sharma till the Delhi budget is presented next month. This was reportedly decided at a meeting between Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram yesterday. Sharma, who holds the important position of PWD Secretary, will stay on till the Budget is presented with a view to maintaining continuity. — TNS

COMMUNITY

Housing board flat owners encroach upon open space
Panchkula, February 16
A quarter of residents of the old Housing Board colony in Sector 19 have encroached upon almost all the greenbelts in the area. There are over 800 apartments in the colony and about 200 owners of those situated on the ground floor have covered the 30 square feet open space in front of their flats with a 3 to 4-foot high boundary wall., leaving virtually no parking space for those residing on the first floor.

Space encroached upon by residents outside their houses in Sector 19, Panchkula. Tribune photos: Nitin Mittal

Work at 230 govt houses hanging fire Four years gone, still not done Renovation incomplete as departments, contractors pass the buck

Chandigarh, February 16 Scene 1: A family in Sector 22-D has no clue as to where to go to answer nature’s call as the water connection to the new toilet has not been restored, thanks to lack of coordination between the three government departments involved in the renovation. SEE THROUGH: A resident works in her kitchen, which has an opening in the common wall, at Sector 22 in Chandigarh. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Recruitment won’t be easy
Rs 60-crore grant will be a tall ask for MC
Chandigarh, February 16
It will not be a cakewalk for the municipal corporation (MC) to get 3,500 fresh posts sanctioned for various wings of the corporation and get an additional grant of about Rs 60 crore from the UT administration for the next financial year.

Easy Runs

A match in progress between Punjab and Services in the Vijay Hajare Cricket Tournament at cricket stadium in Sector 16, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Vinay Malik

MC to provide shelter to the needy
Mohali, February 16
The Mohali municipal corporation has proposed to construct a “Raen Basera” for shelterless people in the town. At least 34 persons, who did not have any kind of shelter of their own, have already been identified by the civic body as the beneficiaries.

Bus service in Mohali from Apr 1
Mohali, February 16
Meeting a long-pending demand of the commuters, the Punjab Transport Department has decided to run city bus service in Mohali from April 1. A fleet of low-floor air-conditioned buses would be inducted to run the local bus service.

Sukhbir orders completion of Mohali projects by May
Mohali, February 16
Taking stock of the town’s development, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal asked officials to ensure timebound completion of projects worth Rs 80 crore over the next three months following a meeting with senior officials of various departments held at the Powercom guesthouse in Sector 51 here.

RACING TO GLORY

Athletes take part in a race during the annual sports meet of BEd College, Sector 20, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Vinay Malik

Tribune Impact
Suman gets free treatment at GMCH
Chandigarh, February 16
Finding it hard to meet the expenses of treatment at city hospitals, Suman, a victim of wrong blood transfusion, has finally been able to get free treatment at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32.

Encroachment by shopkeepers rampant
Zirakpur, February 16
Roadside encroachment by shopkeepers and others continues to be on the rise with the Zirakpur municipal council failing to take action against the offenders. Commuters complain that the enforcement wing of the council has failed to conduct a major anti-encroachment drive to remove the obstructions.

Shifting of power dept office miffs residents
Zirakpur, February 16
The shifting of the electricity department office has left the local residents high and dry, as they have to cover long distances to submit bills or lodge complaints. The building has been shifted to the Pabhat road, near the Pabhat grid.

EDUCATION

Waiting in long queues a thing of past
Admission to undergraduate courses through CET goes online
Chandigarh, February 16
Students seeking admission to Panjab University’s undergraduate courses, including five-year honours school programme, law and pharmaceutical courses through common entrance test (CET), will not be required to stand in long queues for counselling and seat allocation this year.

RTE Guidelines
All documents were issued to schools, claims education dept
Panchkula, February 16
An official of the education department informed the court today that the department had issued complete documents pertaining to the RTE policy and guidelines to schools.

Bag pack

Students of Government School, Maloya village, head for home in a rickshaw on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Violation of fire safety norms
Notices to be served on four schools
Chandigarh, February 16
The fire department will issue notices to four schools of the city for violating fire safety norms. This was decided at a meeting of the fire committee chaired by Devinder Singh Babla here today.

Training in classroom management techniques
Chandigarh, February 16
A UGC-sponsored orientation programme for lecturers working in institutes of higher education was inaugurated at the Academic Staff College, Panjab University, here today.

Now, going geothermal
Chandigarh, February 16
The workshop on “Geothermal Development in Northwest Himalayas” organised by the Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, Panjab University (PU), and the department of civil engineering, National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, in association with INDNOR Project (an Indo-Norway joint venture) concluded today on the PU campus.

Dev Samaj wins 3 NSS awards
Chandigarh, February 16
Dev Samaj College of Education, Sector 36, won three awards out of four state NSS awards, incepted this year, by the State NSS Cell, department of education, Chandigarh administration.

PU NOTES
Conference
Chandigarh: Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarathi Parishad (ABVP) is organising an international conference “WOSY - World Organisation of Students and Youth” on the Panjab University campus. In a press conference today, ABVP representatives said WOSY was an international body of peace and cooperation activists.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

BJP march against Hooda govt
Ambala, February 16
The local unit of the BJP staged a protest march through the town, raising slogans against the Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda, here today. They protested against the lack of development in the state. Led by local BJP legislator Anil Vij, the protesters, carrying placards marched, through the main markets.

Civil hospital gets dialysis facility
Fatehgarh Sahib, February 16
A new dialysis centre was inaugurated by Member of Parliament Sukhdev Singh Libra at the local Civil Hospital here today. Libra said patients would now be able to avail of the facility at an affordable price.

COURTS

NRI gets bail in fraud case
Panchkula, February 16
NRI Manjit Singh Rattu, who was arrested by the local police on December 16, was granted bail in a case of fraud by a local court here today. Two cases of cheating had been registered against Rattu.

CRIME

One more held for assault on lawyer Chandigarh, February 16 A day after Narinder Gujjar, an advocate and student leader, was assaulted at Sector 17, the police arrested one more accused, Baldev Chaudhery, a former DAV student. The police arrested Baldev from Sector 17 today. Three of his accomplices, including SOPU president Barinder Dhillon, were still on the run. The accused being taken to court. Tribune photo: Vinay Malik

J&K sex scandal
Two victims turn hostile
Chandigarh, February 16
Weakening the case of the prosecution, two victims in the infamous J&K sex scandal turned hostile in the court of the district and sessions judge today. The two victims retracted from their statements and took a complete U-turn. They today deposed that they had never recorded their statements with the CBI.

Woman consumes poison, dies
Husband booked, attempts suicide, hospitalised
Chandigarh, February 16
A matrimonial dispute turned awry when a woman committed suicide by consuming poison at her residence in Dadu Majra Colony here last night. Her husband, who was subsequently booked in a case of abetment to suicide, attempted suicide today and was under treatment at the Government Multi-Speciality Hospital (GMSH) at Sector 16.

Suicide bid
Chandigarh, February 16
A 28-year-old woman attempted suicide by slitting her wrist here today. The woman was identified as Umesh, a resident of Sector 40. She took the extreme step near the high court roundabout.

One dies in mishap
Chandigarh, February 16
A day after a five-year-old child was crushed to death by a truck near the airport, another man lost his life in a road accident in Chandigarh late last night. A 55-year-old resident of Bapu Dham Colony died after an unidentified vehicle hit him at the Sector 39-40-55-56 roundabout here.

SPORTS

82 golfers to tee off today
Asiad silver medallist in fray
Chandigarh, February 16
Fresh from his silver medal triumph in the golf team event of Asian Games, Abhijit Chadha will tee off with the cream of amateur golfers in the ninth Chandigarh State Golf Championship on the par-72 greens of the Chandigarh Golf Club here tomorrow.

AITA Series Allen beats Yuvraj to win pre-quarterfinal Chandigarh, February 16 Allen Johnson defeated Yuvraj Bains to win the singles (U-16) pre-quarterfinal match of the CLTA-AITA Championship Series Tennis Tournament being held at CLTA Complex here today. A player in action during the CLTA-AITA tennis tournament in Chandigarh. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

City players to be honoured
Chandigarh, February 16
The Chandigarh Sports Council will organise a function to honour city players on the basis of their performance last year at Tagore Theatre, Sector 18, on February 23. The city players who has contributed their best at the national-level tournaments /championships of archery, athletic, badminton, basketball, boxing, cricket, cycling, fencing, football, gymnastic, hockey, judo, rowing, skating, swimming, softball, table tennis, tennis and weightlifting will be facilitated.

50 Rotarians for district golf tourney
Chandigarh, February 16
Around 50 Rotarian golfers from District 3080 comprising areas of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal will converge on the greens of the Chandigarh Golf Club for the District Golf Tournament organised by the Rotary Chandigarh Shivalik on February 20.