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TOP STORIES

Allotment of booths
Cong leaders, top police officials indicted
Chandigarh, March 1
An inquiry report submitted by UT’s former Additional Deputy Commissioner PS Shergill into the illegal allotment of booths, has reportedly indicted the top Congress leadership, along with certain top officials of the police and estate office.

PEC student hangs self, motive uncertain
Classmates in shock over ‘jovial’ youth’s drastic step
Chandigarh, March 1
“He was the most jovial and brightest student of our batch. In fact he called up all his friends, even those he hadn’t met for a long time, on the fateful day.

Resource crunch stares MC in the face
Grants Rs 15 cr; expenditure Rs 80 cr
Chandigarh, March 1
Though the UT Administration has empowered the Municipal Corporation (MC) politically by transferring certain departments, resource crunch stares the Municipal Corporation (MC) in the face in the election year.

... As will Bacchus lovers for premium brands
Chandigarh, March 1
Bacchus lovers in the city are in for a price shock. In the new excise policy (expected to be announced in the mid of this month), the UT Administration is all set to increase the rate of certain brands of liquor.

Punjabi dishes a hit with Proteas squad
Chandigarh, March 1
Punjabi delicacies like ‘Amritsari fish tikka’ and ‘naan’, ‘Bhatti ka murg’, ‘tandoori roti’ with yellow ‘dal tadka’ virtually dominated the orders placed by the South African cricket players for Tuesday’s dinner. Talking to the Chandigarh Tribune, Neeraj Chaudhary, chéf and beverage manager of Hotel Taj in Sector 17, where members of two of the ICC World Cup teams - South Africa and the Netherlands - have been putting up, said after tasting Punjabi cuisine the players were enquiring about other mouth-watering dishes of the area.

Traffic violators to pay more
Chandigarh, March 1
Violators of traffic rules will have to shell out more. A high-level meeting presided over by UT Home Secretary Ram Niwas today recommended substantial hike in the compounding fee for traffic violations. The recommendations will be notified after a nod from the UT Administrator.

Chided, cop’s daughter goes missing
Chandigarh, March 1
A 16-year-old daughter of a head constable has been missing since the last two days. Balraj Singh, the girl’s father posted as a wireless operator with the control room, told the police that she left home on Sunday evening and had not returned.

Train runs over 2 within a span of few secs
Mohali, March 1
In a matter of a few minutes, two lives were snuffed out on the Chandigarh-Morinda track when a 14-year-old boy and a 65-year-old woman were killed at different spots on the track after being hit by a Kharar-bound train here this evening.

COMMUNITY

Service tax a triple blow to middle-class, say residents
Chandigarh, March 1
The city residents had mixed reactions to the Finance minister’s proposal to raise the service tax on air travel and consumer items and the fact that he also included sectors like hotel accommodation with a room tariff of over Rs 1,000 per day and air-conditioned restaurants serving liquor. Chandigarh Tribune talked to cross-section of people on service tax in the Union Budget.

Budget fails to keep SMEs happy
Expected an increase in excise exemption
Mohali, March 1
The Budget for 2011-12 has brought much disappointment for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), said KS Mahal, president of the Mohali Industries’ Association. He said the Budget had focused on various areas, including infrastructure, rural development, agriculture and education, but there was very little for the industry, especially SMEs.

Rs 470 cr for PGI in new Budget
Chandigarh, March 1
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukerjee has allocated a sum of Rs 470 crore for the PGI in the new Budget. This year, an increase of Rs 63 crore has been made in the allcoation for the next year as last year it got Rs 403 crore from the Centre under its planned and non-planned budget.

Increase in aid cheers Kashmiri families
Chandigarh, March 1 Kashmiri families residing in the city have something to cheer now, the UT administration has decided to increase the financial aid being provided to them.

Programme for senior citizens
Chandigarh, March 1 Anugraha, an NGO, in collaboration with the Centre for Social Work, University Institute of Emerging Areas in Social Sciences (UIEASS), Panjab University (PU), organised a five-day training programme on “Basic Care of Elderly and Issues Related to Elderly” at the ICSSR complex on the campus today.

Ansal Properties told to pay Rs 7 lakh compensation to allottee
Chandigarh, March 1
In a severe indictment of a leading developer, Ansal Properties and Infrastructure Limited, the UT Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission has directed the company to pay a compensation of Rs 7 lakh besides refunding Rs 64.12 lakh for failing to hand over the possession of a plot in Ansal Golf Link, Mohali, to a Jalandhar-based allottee.

Seminar marks golden jubilee of IAF 12 Wing
Chandigarh, March 1
A seminar on ‘Heavy Lift Capability of the IAF’ was organised as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of no 12 Wing of the IAF, here today.


The Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command, Air Marshal DC Kumaria (left), interacts with former station commanders of Chandigarh airbase during a seminar on the IAF’s heavy lift capability, in Chandigarh on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph

A ‘chill’ pill for city residents
Chandigarh, March 1
Overcast sky, strong winds and intermittent showers in the city and in parts of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh during the past 24 hours brought back slight chill as the day temperature came down by 2.3 degree Celsius.

Tribune employee retires
Onkar Singh, Assistant Manager (Press), The Tribune, retired yesterday after putting in 30 years of service in the institution. He joined as Assistant Operator in the institution in March 1980.
Onkar Singh

HC asks pvt schools to ensure 15 pc quota for poor kids
Chandigarh, March 1
The Punjab & Haryana High Court on Tuesday directed all privately run schools in the city to ensure 15 per cent of seats are reserved at the entry level for students belonging to economically weaker sections of the population.

Vivek school in fix over setting up of Class X question paper
With exams set to begin on March 14, the school is yet to get approval from the CBSE
Chandigarh, March 1
Vivek High School, Sector 38, the only city school to have opted for framing its own question papers for the forthcoming school-based Class X assessment, is in a fix after the school acting on the directive of the Central Board Of Secondary Education had sent these self-designed question papers for the Board’s ‘verification’ but even after three months it is yet to get a response. The school exams are scheduled to start from March 14.

Seeking exemption from classes not easy now
Panel to keep an eye on students involved in cultural events
Chandigarh, March 1
Tightening the noose around students who seek exemption from classes to organise cultural events, but are not completely involved in those, Panjab University is mooting stricter attendance rules.

CBSE: 14,000 take Class XII exam
Chandigarh, March 1
More than 14,000 city students appeared for the Central Board Of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class XII examination in over 26 city centres today.

Keeping the tradition alive
SEEKING BLESSINGS: A student touches the feet of his teacher before the board examination at the GSSS-18, Chandigarh, on Tuesday. As many as 14,000 students took the CBSE class XII exam in the city. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan Report

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Wife’s Death
Pinjore resident wants action against doc
Kalka, March 1
Fakir Chand Vashishth, a resident of Shiv Shakti Colony , ward no 1, Pinjore, has alleged “inaction” by the health department , Haryana, against a doctor of the Panchkula General Hospital, who was responsible for the death of his wife. He alleged that despite complaining to higher authorities several times he was still waiting for justice since one-and-half-year. Fakir Chand alleged that he had already written to Health Minister, Haryana, Director General, Health Services, and CMO, Panchkula, and has sought an action against the doctor, but nothing happened so far. He said, on January 6, the investigating officer, Dr Umesh Modi, had also recorded his statement.

7-yr-old crushed to death
Dera Bassi, March 1
A seven-year-old girl was killed in a road accident near Bhankarpur village yesterday. The girl was identified as Tarnpreet Kaur, a resident of Bhankarpur.

Stocked stubble gutted
Morinda, March 1
A stock of stubble lying on over four acres of land on the Morinda-Kurali road was reduced to ashes in a fire that broke out here on Sunday afternoon. The incident took place in the yard of a company that is setting up a co-generation plant at Morinda Sugar Mills.

Rs 1 lakh forgery at SBI
Dera Bassi, March 1
A forgery of Rs 1 lakh occurred on the premises of the State Bank of India (SBI) at Dera Bassi here today. The incident occurred when PD Mittal of Dera Bassi handed over Rs 1 lakh to an unidentified youth believing him to be a bank employee.

COURTS

170 district court cases to be expedited
Chandigarh, March 1
Around 170 cases pending trial with the District and Sessions Court will now be decided on a priority basis. The decision was taken following a meeting of the Administrative Judge Justice K Kannan with the District Court authorities today. Court sources said directions had been issued for expedition of long pending trials to reduce the number of pending cases and to dispose off the cases in time. “We have identified 170 cases pending trial with the district and sessions court which will now be decided on a speedy trial,” said a court official.

Harassment
Contempt plea against UT police
Chandigarh, March 1
A resident of Ram Darbar has moved court accusing the UT Police of harassment and has sought action against the police for contempt of court. Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Ram Darbar, has filed a contempt petition seeking action against the UT Police SSP, SHO, Sector 31, Rajbir Singh, a constable, posted at the police station, Sector 31, and Ravinder, a head constable posted at Sector 31.

CRIME

Bus runs over mother, daughter
Panchkula, March 1 A one-year-old child, along with her mother, was crushed to death when a bus ran over them at Manav Colony near Saketri village here today.

SPORTS

Harmandeep first in long jump
Chandigarh, March 1
Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Pharmacy organised its annual sports meet here today. More than 250 students of the college participated in the athletics meet.

LOOKING FORWARD

Netherland team captain Peter Borren along with his teammates arrives at the Chandigarh Airport on Tuesday to play ICC World Cup with South Africa at the PCA Stadium in Mohali. Tribune photo: Vinay Malik

Saupin’s emerge football champs
Chandigarh, March 1
Saupin’s School, Sector 32, won the Inter-School Girls Football U-17 Championship organised by the UT sports department at Government High School, Sector 42, here.

Jeev, Chowrasia, Bhullar tee off today
Chandigarh, March 1
Jeev Milkha Singh will be teeing off with a galaxy of golf stars in the ` 40 lakh prize money PGTI Players Championship which gets under way on the par-72 greens of the Chandigarh Golf Club here tomorrow. This will be the Chandigarh golf icon's first appearance in a tournament on home turf after a gap of 10 years. Although Jeev is yet to fully recover from his back injury, he decided to play in the tournament as "I want to give my maximum support to the PGTI, as it is doing a fantastic job for the development of professional golf in India.”