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Patil may order CBI probe into booth scam
Chandigarh, March 3
The UT Administration is likely to order a CBI inquiry into the booth scam in the Sector 41 Krishna market here in which union parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Bansal, Adviser to the UT Administrator Pradip Mehra, former Mayor Pardeep Chabbra and former Deputy Commissioner RK Rao have been named by the inquiry officer PS Shergill.

Brickbats flow free on Facebook

A Rs 20-cr scam; estate office played ostrich
Chandigarh, March 3
The Krishna market booth scam in Sector 41 here is pegged at over Rs 20 crore. The booths, which were allotted for a paltry sum ranging from Rs 5.25 lakh to Rs 6.25 lakh, are at present priced at around Rs 25 lakh in the open market.

Bansal should quit, says BJP
Chandigarh, March 3
A delegation of the BJP, led by its local unit president Sanjay Tandon, met Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Shivraj Patil regarding the booth scam here today.

Two victims seek police protection
Chandigarh, March 3
Feeling a threat to their lives, two victims of the booth allotment scam --Dinesh Kumar Sood and Nathu Ram -- who played a vital role in pursuing the case, sought police protection today.



The crusaders: Dinesh Kumar Sood (left) and Nathu Ram. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Battle half won, say victims
Chandigarh, March 3
Dinesh Kumar Sood and Nathu Ram, who played a vital role in pursuing the booth allotment case, are a satisfied lot today. “Half of the battle has been won by us,” they said while commenting on the report.

3-year-old child killed, abandoned by accused
In another incident, retired head constable crushed under bus
Chandigarh, March 3
In a tragic incident, a three-year-old child, who died after being hit by a rashly driven vehicle, was abandoned by the driver of the vehicle near the Sector 18 church here today.

COMMUNITY

‘My family has gone through hell’
Chandigarh, March 3
“My son studies in Class VI. As a practice, key headlines of a day are written on his classroom’s blackboard. During that turmoil, he refused to go to school saying he could not bear to look at the blackboard which had his father’s name with a word like sexual harassment.

MC flags off sanitation drive 
Chandigarh, March 3
The sanitation campaign was flagged off by Municipal Corporation Mayor Ravinder Pal Singh today at Hallo Majra.

Mayoral Poll Petition
Mayor seeks time
Chandigarh, March 3
The counsel of the Municipal Corporation Mayor Ravinder Pal Singh today sought time from the UT Deputy Commissioner’s court to file a reply to the notice issued to him regarding the mayoral election petition. The court directed the counsel of the Mayor to file the reply by the next hearing scheduled for March 10.

All smiles With the Class X exams beginning on Thursday, students of various government schools discuss the question paper with each other in Chandigarh. Tribune photo: Vinay Malik

Preparing for civil services?
Just have the right attitude
UPSC to switch subject knowledge assessment with aptitude test
Chandigarh, March 3
In a bid to revolutionise the country’s civil services, the Union Public Service Commission has not only made its application process online, but has also decided to check Indian Administrative Services aspirants for the right attitude. Deviating from its usual pattern of evaluating students in preliminary examination on general knowledge and a chosen subject, the UPSC now plans to switch subject knowledge assessment with aptitude test.

Railways’ new ticket transparency tool
Enter, hand-held terminals
Chandigarh, March 3
In a bid to bring transparency in issuing tickets and to check corruption among the ticket-checking staff, the Railways has decided to introduce hand-held terminals (HHTs) so that the availability of vacant berths can be instantly provided to passengers.

Now, town planning dept to use Google Earth
Mohali, March 3
In withdrawal of the archaic exercise of the Punjab’s Town and Country Planning Department relying on satellite imagery, town planners in the department would now be using applications of Google Earth Pro to have access to the latest data on the planned and haphazard urbanisation in different cities of Punjab.

Two high-profile accident cases
HC accepts police explanation for delay in medical examination
Chandigarh, March 3
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has accepted the explanation given by the Chandigarh Police for the delay in conducting the medical examination of Sukhmani Brar and BS Gill, accused in accident cases. The police has issued instructions to conduct the medical examination of the accused at the earliest.

Down and out, with drugs
Chandigarh, March 3
A slice of meaningful theatre with socially relevant thematic content marked the Spring Theatre Festival here yesterday. The drug menace and its causes and effects are immaculately analysed and the channels of drug peddling juxtaposed in the powerful drama “Mitti Rudan Karre”, a production of the Theatre Arts group.

A scene from the play ‘Mitti Rudan Karre’. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

Gulzar Singh Sidhu cremated
Chandigarh, March 3
Gulzar Singh Sidhu, a former chief engineer, Irrigation, Punjab, passed away on Tuesday. He was 97 and was not keeping well.

No environmental go-ahead for Camelot
Chandigarh, March 3
Environmental clearance to Tata Camelot Housing Project has not been accorded till date; as such the construction cannot commence at the site, the Punjab and Haryana High Court heard on Monday.

EDUCATION

From Schools and Colleges
Farewell party
Chandigarh: Students of the commerce department, GCG-11, organised a farewell party for the outgoing students of BCom III on Wednesday. Achila Dogra, principal of the college, was the chief guest on the occasion. The students presented various items ranging from songs, dances, medleys, modelling and mimicry. Students of the outgoing class presented a fashion-cum-modelling show. Neelanchi was declared Miss Commerce.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Gurjit first in paper reading
Kharar, March 3
Doaba College of Education celebrated the national science day. Jeet Singh, chief administrator, Doaba Group of Colleges, graced the occasion as chief guest.

Woman dies mysteriously, in-laws booked
Fatehgarh Sahib, March 3
A 32-year-old woman died under mysterious circumstances in Nolakha village yesterday. The deceased has been identified as Mayawati, who was married to Harvinder Singh of the village around 15 years ago.

Kalka to ban poly bags from today
Kalka, March 3
The local administration is all set to totally ban the use of poly bags from tomorrow. Taking a note of the excessive use of poly bags, the administration would challan the shopkeepers violating the ban orders.

Woman crushed to death
Kalka, March 3
A recklessly driven truck today claimed the life of a woman on the NH-22 in the main market of Pinjore.

Ambala MC razes illegal building
Ambala, March 3
The Municipal Corporation has demolished a three-storied under-constructed building at Ambala city as it was being constructed without any approved site plan. Two JCB machines were pressed into operation to raze it. Senior officers of the corporation, executive magistrate and police personnel were present on the site.

Death of youth
PSHRC seeks probe report from police
Rajpura, March 3
Taking a note of a news report published in The Tribune “Fearing police torture, youth commits suicide”, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has called for a report from the SSP, Patiala, in this regard. The commission has sought a detailed report of inquiry into the case before April 27.

COURTS

Complaint against Mirwaiz filed in court
Chandigarh, March 3
A complaint has been filed in the local court today against Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq seeking action against his anti-national speech organised during a seminar in Kisan Bhawan in November last year.

CRIME

34 quintal poppy husk seized
Chandigarh, March 3
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has seized a truck containing around 34 quintals poppy husk near the airport roundabout last night and arrested two persons.


The poppy husk that was seized from a truck near the airport roundabout in Chandigarh on Thursday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Gold chains snatched
Chandigarh, March 3
Two motorcycle-borne youths targeted two city residents and snatched gold chains and cash from them. Two snatchings were reported in the city on Wednesday as well.

Recruitment of Bus Conductors
5 more candidates held in impersonation case
Panchkula, March 3
The police arrested five youths for forgery and impersonation here today in connection with the written examination for bus conductors conducted by the Haryana Transport Department on February 27.

BDPO stopped from performing duty, 5 booked
Zirakpur, March 3 The police had booked five villagers for obstructing a public servant from performing his duty. The case was registered against Tarsem Singh, Pala Singh, Joginder Singh, Ajay Singh and Roshan Lal, all residents of Singhpura village, on the complaint of Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO), Dera Bassi, Preetinder Singh.

SPORTS

SA-Netherlands Tie — A bummer off-field too
Chandigarh, March 3
The first match of the ICC World Cup at the PCA Stadium witnessed a cold response from cricket lovers of the region, as even the 5,000 free entry ticket-holders failed to turn up for the match between South Africa and The Netherlands.

OUTPOST: Policemen find it hard to kill time as they guard a barricade meant to check a mad rush for the match.

PGTI Players’ Championship
Bhullar shares lead at halfway stage
Chandigarh, March 3
Twentytwo-year-old Gaganjeet Bhullar from Kapurthala missed a couple of short putts, but still surged ahead to share the lead with Kolkata’s Shankar Das at the halfway stage of the Rs 40-lakh PGTI Players’ Championship on the par-72 greens of the Chandigarh Golf Club here today.