The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Dera Bassi lacks senior secondary school
Parmod Mehta

Dera Bassi, April 4
Students of Dera Bassi and other adjoining villages have been facing a lot of problems due to lack of government senior secondary school in the town despite repeated efforts of residents.

Though Dera Bassi has received the status of sub-division 12 years back, it has been running without the government senior secondary school.

Political leaders and ministers had made tall promises to upgrade the lone government high school of the town, which was set up before the Independence, but nothing has been done so far.

According to information, the government high school is the oldest school of the area but it had not been upgraded due to the vested interests of some owners of private schools in the town.

Teachers told the students were bound to go to other senior secondary schools situated at large distance.

The residents of nearly 25 villages and Dera Bassi had raised the demand of upgrading the school as the senior secondary school with the Chief Minister and director-general of the school education, but no action was taken.

School headmistress Sudesh Kumari stressed upon the need of upgradation of the school according to the need of the people. Meanwhile, district education official, secondary school, Harbans Singh said the issue had come into his notice recently and the case would be sent to the authorities concerned as soon as possible.

Workshop for dairy farmers on May 9
Tribune News Service

Patiala, April 4
The dairy development department, Punjab, would start a 45-day workshop for dairy farmers from May 9. Department deputy director Ashok Rauni said the main aim of the workshop would be to train and guide farmers to initiate steps to increase milk productivity.

Rauni further said the dairy farmers could avail easy loans for raising sheds and setting dairy farming.

Residents without water
Our Correspondent

Chuni Kalan (Bassi Pathana), April 4
Residents of this upcoming town on the Chandigarh Fatehgarh Sahib road are facing difficulty in getting drinking water, as the electricity department here has disconnected the power to the tubewell here due to the non-payment of bills.

Manoj Kumar Babla, member of the block samiti told The Tribune that the residents of the town are not getting drinking water supply from the past three days. He said the power connection of the only tubewell in the town has been disconnected.

He urged the administration to take immediate steps to resolve the matter. He said hundreds of students come to Chuni Kalan from various parts of the state to get education, but they face difficulty in getting drinking water.

He said with in summer season it becomes even more difficult to live without water as majority of the residents depend upon government water supply.

SDO Harpal Singh said the department had an outstanding bill of approximate Rs 2 lakh and approximately equal amount against Chuni Khurd panchayat. He said the department had temporarily disconnected the power supply to the tubewell and if the panchayat promised to clear the bill it would be restored.

He said it was surprising that sarpanch of Chuni Kalan got the power connection disconnected and didn’t promise to clear the bill.

Despite efforts village sarpanch Labh Kaur could not be contacted.

Girl child found abandoned
Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Sahib, April 4
In a shocking incident, a one-and-half months old baby girl was found deserted near the railway lines adjoining Brahman Majra village in Sirhind late last night.

The abandoned child

Railway police force in charge at Sirhind Railway Station Krishan Kumar said some passersby heard the cries of a baby and informed municipal councillor Balbir Singh Bailli. The councillor brought the matter to the notice of the railway police and the child was rushed to the civil hospital, where doctors said the baby was breathing normally and was healthy. Local residents took care of the baby at night. Residents said the baby was found near the railway lines and nobody knew about the whereabouts of the child. The railway police officials said a case in this connection had been registered against the unidentified parents of the child. The child was brought to the local Magistrate and was later sent to Yadavindra Bal Niketan, Patiala.

Jewellery stolen

Zirakpur: Thieves decamped with jewellery and two mobile sets after breaking into a locked house in Ravindra Enclave, Baltana, here today.

The ransacked house at Ravindra Enclave, Zirakpur. Tribune photo: Nitin Mittal

In his complaint to the police, Farid Ahmed, a resident of House no 40, Phase III, Ravindra Enclave, stated that he went to attend a marriage function, along with his family in Uttar Pradesh on March 31.

Farid said when he returned this morning, he found that things were scattered and locks of almirahs were also broken. He suspected that the miscreants might have entered the house after climbing the sidewall as the main door was locked.

He claimed that gold jewellery worth Rs 1.25 lakh, silver jewellery Rs 10,000 and two mobile sets were stolen.

The owner claimed that the total loss from the theft was about Rs 1.5 lakh. The police has registered the case and started further investigations. — TNS

1 booked for reckless driving

The police has booked an unidentified driver of Indica car for allegedly driving the vehicle in a negligent manner leading to the death of a scooterist.

The deceased was identified as Amar Singh (65), a resident of Barakpur village, Sohana. However, his wife Sukhraj Kaur sustained serious injuries and was admitted to Gian Sagar Hospital, Banur.

In his complaint to the police, Sukhraj Kaur alleged that they were moving towards Zirakpur on their scooter, while they reached near Sharda dhaba, Chhat bus stop, a speeding car hit the scooter.

The investigating officer said some passersby took them to Gian Sagar Hospital, Banur where Amar has been shifted to a private hospital in Mohali but he died on the way to the hospital. — TNS

Ultrasound centre sealed

Mohali: The district health authorities today sealed an ultrasound centre in Phase III-A under the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act. Surprise checks were conducted at 41 ultrasound centres, including 25 centres in Mohali. Licence of 10 sound centres was suspended. — TNS

Cyclist killed

DERA BASSI: A cyclist was killed after being hit by a truck near Bhankarpur on the Ambala-Chandigarh highway last night. The deceased was identified as 55-year-old Ujagar Singh, a resident of Dera Jagadhari. Ujagar was employed with a nursery near Bhankarpur. He was on his way home when the incident occurred. He was rushed to the GMCH, Chandigarh, where he succumbed to injuries. — OC

Shopkeeper shot at by unidentified assailants
Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Sahib, April 4
Two unidentified assailants shot at a shopkeeper today evening at the Sirhind main market. The shopkeepers shut down their shops in the protest and demanded immediate arrest of the accused.

The injured has been identified as Samarvir Singh, who is running a shop in the Humayunpur area on the railway lines. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital, where his condition is stated to be serious.

The area residents said those who fired the gunshots were reported to be sons of a police official. DSP Amarjit Singh Ghuman reached the spot and assured the shopkeepers of arresting the accused within one hour.

Family members of the injured said two assailants came on a bike and fled away after firing the gunshot. Police officials said a case in this connection would be registered after recording the statements of onlookers and the victim.

Mobile ATM in jail
Attar Singh
Tribune News Service

Ambala, April 4
Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge Daya Chaudhary launched a mobile ATM service in Ambala Central Jail today. During her visit to the jail, senior officials of the district administration accompanied her.

Justice Chaudhary said prisoners lodged in Central Jail would get their monthly remunerations from the mobile ATM. She also distributed ATM cards among prisoners.

Certain prisoners said their parol was being delayed.

She directed the jail staff and district administration to go by the rule book and ensure that harassment was not caused to prisoners as far as the matter of parole was concerned.

Prisoners also expressed their willingness to donate blood. Responding to their plea, Justice Chaudhary directed the jail administration and health department to organise blood donation camps periodically.

The Judge also asked the health authorities to organise regular medical camps in jail.

Justice Chaudhary said prior announcement shall be made and notices regarding the camps should be put up in barracks.

Earlier, Daya Chaudhary addressed the Bar Association members. While appreciating the association, she said the Ambala Bar Association was one of the oldest associations and had given several legal luminaries who had later become the High Court Judges.

President of the Ambala Bar Association SK Jain demanded that corridors between the newly constructed lawyers chambers and judicial complex be connected.

District and Sessions Judge Shekhar Dhawan, Superintendent of Police Shashank Anand and the jail authorities, including SPS Chauhan and Sanjay Bangar, were also present on the occasion.

CRIME

Youth killed in hit-and-run case
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 4
In a hit-and-run case, a 27-year-old man was crushed to death by a truck near Bapu Dham Police Post in Sector 26 today. The deceased has been identified as Mohan Rana, resident of Kishangarh. He was employed as a waiter with a city-based caterer. The incident took place in the afternoon when the victim was on his way back home from Mohali on a bicycle.

The victim was hit by a rashly driven truck and crushed under the front wheel of the vehicle. He was rushed to the Government Multi-Specialty Hospital in Sector 16 where he was declared brought dead by the doctors.

The driver of the truck fled, leaving the vehicle on the spot. The police has impounded the truck and a case has been registered at the Sector 26 police station.

Man held with country-made pistol
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 4
The UT Police today arrested a youth from near Panjab University with a country-made pistol and two live cartridges.

The accused has been identified as Ravi Kumar, a resident of Una in Himachal Pradesh. On his interrogation, the accused disclosed that he works as an auto electrician and had come from Kurali by a bus to Chandigarh today.

The accused has been booked under various sections of the Arms Act and will be produced in a court tomorrow. “He may have come to the city with a weapon in order to carry out snatchings. We will seek his police custody to see whether he has involvement in other crimes in the city,” said inspector Gurmukh Singh, SHO, Sector 11 police station.

Alert traffic cops

Head constable Gulab Singh and constable Satnam Singh of the Chandigarh Traffic Police along with a home guard volunteer were on duty at the PGI gate when they noticed a man running near the gate number 1 of Panjab University. A man chasing him signalled the traffic cops to stop the person. It was the found that the accused was fleeing after he was caught while trying to break open the lock of a bike in the parking lot of the university. His search was conducted and a weapon wrapped in a cloth was found in his bag. The traffic cops immediately called the Police Control Room following which Ravi Kumar was arrested.

Sarpanch, revenue official arrested for graft
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 4
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a revenue official and a sarpanch of Fatehgarh Sahib for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 9 lakh in Sector 43 here today.

The accused have been identified as revenue official Narinder Singh and sarpanch of Panjol village in Fatehgarh Sahib Darbara Singh. They will be produced before the CBI special court in Patiala tomorrow.

CBI officials said the bribe was being accepted for executing a sale deed in favour of the complainant, a resident of Fatehgarh Sahib. The complainant had purchased agricultural land in Panjol village. CBI officials said revenue official Narinder Singh allegedly threatened the complainant that in case of non-payment, objection would be raised to the tehsildar concerned and his sale deed would not be executed. A trap was laid and the duo was arrested.

A case under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, has been registered at the CBI headquarters in Sector 30, Chandigarh. CBI officials said the accused were being interrogated to ascertain the involvement of more suspects in the case.

SPORTS

YMCA Tennis Tourney
Arvind makes major upset, beats Chirag
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 4
Arvind Sethi of Delhi Public School and trainee of the Total Tennis Academy made a major upset by beating Chiraj Singh of Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association 4-0, 4-2 in a one-sided semifinal of boys’ under-12 age group in the YMCA Total Tennis Tournament, being played at clay courts of YMCA Total Tennis Academy, Sector 11 here today.

A player in action during a semifinal match at the YMCA, Sector 11, Chandigarh, on Monday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

In the 42-minute contest, Arvind showed his class in his powerful forehand and heavy topspin backhand to dominate Chiraj in every aspect of the game. Now Arvind will clash with Sehaj Sidhu, who outclassed yesterday’s hero Abhijeet Chowdhary in straight sets 5-3, 4-2. Abhijeet, who was off colour today, put a brave front but all went in vain.

Asav Kumar and Chiraj Singh, the top and second seed, respectively, justified their positions and made it to final of the tiny tots category after demolishing their respective rivals in the semifinal matches. Asav got the better of Yuvraj Singh of Manav Mangal School 4-0, 4-1 while Chiraj Singh thrashed Udayveer Singh 4-1, 4-2.

The following are the results:

Boys U-10 event (semifinals)

Chiraj beat Uday Vir Singh 4-1,4-2;

Asav beat Uvraj Singh 4-1,4-0;

Boys U-12 (semifinals)

Arvind Sethi beat Chiraj Singh 4-0,4-2;

Sehaj Sidhu beat Abhijeet Choudhary 5-3,4-2

Boys U-14 (semifinals)

Parmeet Deol beat lakshay Sofat 4-5(5-7),4-2;

Boys U-18 (quaterfinal)

Prabsimran Bal beat Rohit Dhiman 5-4(7-4),5-3;

Girls U-12 quaterfinals

Saryu Swatantra beat Raveena 6-2;

Gracy beat Simerpreet 6-1;

Kamaljot Kaur beat Harleen 6-1;

Akshita singh beat Arshpreet Kaur 6-2;

Girls U-12 (semifinals)

Saryu Swantantra beat Gracy 4-2,4-1;

Akshita Singh beat Kamoljeet Kaur 4-2,4-2.