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Not a bright future for kids in these dingy classrooms
Poor hygiene n Kids sit on ‘taats’
Chandigarh, April 7
A dark and dingy room 10 feet by 12 feet, with broken windows and doors, accommodates 60-odd nursery students, who crouch on jute “taats” to attend their class. A rough blackboard, that has literally turned white, and the absence of tubelights add to the misery of the five-year-olds, who simply cannot figure out symbols scribbled on the blackboard.

Schools hopeful  Salary blues  Rs 1 cr allocated

Students sit on the floor in a corridor due to shortage of space in a classroom of Government Primary School functioning out of four Chandigarh Housing Board flats in Mauli Jagran; and (right) A water point in Government Primary School, Number 1, Mani Majra, also serves as a store room for the sweeper’s broom. Students seem pouring water to drink water from taps also used by sweepers to wash their brooms. Tribune photos: Manoj Mahajan

Minister, BJP leaders stranded in new lift
Mohali, April 7
Punjab local bodies minister Manoranjan Kalia and three senior BJP leaders accompanying him had a taste of the “hospitality” of the state forest department when they ended up spending 20 anxious minutes stranded in a lift at the Punjab forest complex building in Sector 68 here on Thursday afternoon.

Luxury scores over necessity

Theme-cum-Amusement Park ‘irregularities’
CBI questions UT ex-adviser Lalit Sharma
Chandigarh, April 7
Former UT Adviser Lalit Sharma was summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials today and questioned for over three hours in connection with an FIR registered against him for alleged irregularities in the multi-crore mega project - the Theme-cum-Amusement Park.

Metro well on track in Chandigarh
Trams are only one of the MRTS options
Chandigarh, April 7
The Chandigarh Metro is on track. Though the introduction of trams, as mentioned in an affidavit submitted by the UT administration in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, is also under consideration, Metro is still the preferred choice for solving commuting problems of the administration.

MRTS proposals over the years

HC BAR ASSOCIATION RESOLUTION
‘My Lords’ symbol of slavery, judges to be addressed as ‘sir’
Chandigarh, April 7
“My Lords” will soon be a thing of the past, if a resolution passed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association this afternoon is implemented “in letter and in spirit”. In lieu, they will be referred to as “sir”.

COMMUNITY

Support grows for Hazare in tricity
Chandigarh, April 7
Expressing solidarity with social activist Anna Hazare, who is on a fast till death for getting the Lokpal Bill passed in Parliament, tricity residents today joined his anti-corruption movement by organising peace marches are various places.

Residents take out a candlelight march against corruption and in support of the Lokpal Bill at Sector 17.

Faculty members of Panjab University, along with students, take out a candlelight march on the university campus.

Advocates of Punjab and Haryana join the cause at the Sector 17 Plaza in Chandigarh on Thursday. Tribune photos: Pradeep Tewari

Bhatti to join the cause
Chandigarh, April 7
Widely acclaimed for his puckish satires, Jaspal Bhatti, the ace comedian, will tomorrow stage a ‘dharna’ in New Delhi. He will be staging a ‘dharna’ in favour of the tainted officers and politicians whom the famed social activist Anna Hazare wants to be brought under the purview of the Lokpal Bill.

Social bodies, too, join
Ambala, April 7
A number of social and religious organisations of Ambala have come together to support Anna Hazare, who has begun fast unto death for the rollout of Lokpal Bill in New Delhi.

Candle march against corruption
Ambala, April 7
A large number of members of various social welfare organisations of the town led by the All-India Anti-Crime and Anti-Corruption Organisation held a candle light march on the main markets of the town, including Sadar Bazar at Ambala Cantonment last night, in support of Anna Hazare’s protest at New Delhi.

Excise policy
Liquor vends on MC lands on their way out
Chandigarh, April 7
The Chandigarh Administration’s new excise policy is set to take its toll on the temporary liquor vends functioning from the municipal land in the city.

Thyroid test at GMSH? No kit, keep waiting!
Chandigarh, April 7
Patients suffer while the authorities remain ignorant at the Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH) at Sector 16 here. Even as kits for the thyroid diagnostic test have been out of stock at the laboratory of the hospital since last week, the hospital authorities seem to be in no mood to take any remedial measures.

‘Act now for disease-free future’
Chandigarh, April 7
Interaction between clinician and microbiologist can help in prescribing specific antibiotic to patients, which will give better results.

Causes of child deaths discussed

Training juniors? IGP, DIG need revision
Panchkula, April 7
UT Inspector General of Police PK Srivastava and DIG Alok Kumar had to face embarrassment when both of them failed to handle the machine meant to train their juniors at a driving school here yesterday.

Increase in Prices of Raw Material
Mohali development projects to miss completion deadline
Mohali, April 7
Various time-bound development projects worth crores of rupee in Mohali are set to miss their schedule of completion, owing to increasing prices of raw material.


Road work has been discontinued due to want of raw material at the Phase 1 and 2 dividing road in Mohali. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

Memorable rendezvous with poet Neeraj
Chandigarh, April 7
The city art lovers were treated to a rare spell of exquisite and delicately perfumed verses, weaved with wealth of meaning in a specially designed memorable rendezvous with the celebrated poet and film lyricist Dr Gopal Das “Neeraj” (87) in a specially designed Kavya Sandhya at the Haryana Niwas here today.

DC: Parking, encroachment issues to be tackled soon
Mohali, April 7
Mohali Deputy Commissioner Varun Roozam today said the issue of parking problem and encroachments would be tackled soon. He said the development works in the city were being taken up forcefully.

Recreation room for PU drivers
Chandigarh, April 7
Panjab University officials inaugurated a recreation room for members of the PU Drivers’ Association for resting between duty shifts.

EDUCATION

PU students’ charge against professor
‘We were deliberately failed in history exam’
Chandigarh, April 7
Having got a re-appear in the same subject twice, nearly 25 MA students of the department of history at Panjab University have submitted a formal complaint against Professor Surinder Singh, a senior teacher of their department, for deliberately failing them in the exam.

Impossible to identify any paper: Teacher

PUSU protest on hostel problems
Chandigarh, April 7
In what appears to be a close contest among various student organisations on the Panjab University campus to raise problems of hostel residents, the Panjab University Student Union (Sukhjit faction) supporters today staged yet another protest outside the Vice-Chancellor’s office.
A PUSU activist argues with a teacher during a protest outside the PU VC’s office in Chandigarh on Thursday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

Students protest against ‘faulty’ results
Panchkula, April 7
Hundreds of polytechnic students from various parts of the state reached here to protest against the alleged mistakes in their semester results announced a fortnight ago.

Polytechnic students from different colleges of the state gather to protest in front of the office of Director, Technical Education, Haryana, in Panchkula on Thursday. Tribune photo: Nitin Mittal

Students say no to junk food
Chandigarh, April 7
“Eat healthy say no to junk food,” was the motto of the day at Saupin’s School, Sector 32 here.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Yuvi visits deras in Fatehgarh Sahib
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 7
Cricketer Yuvraj Singh, who was named ‘Man of the Tournament’ in the 2011 Cricket World Cup, visited the ‘dera’ of Ajit Singh Hansaliwale in Hansali village on Thursday. However, he was not able to meet the ‘dera’ head. Earlier on Wednesday night he also visited the ‘dera’ of Ram Singh Ganduanwale located on the Sirhind-Landran road in Daphera village. Accompanied by his mother, Shabnam Kaur, he spent about two hours there. While talking to reporters on Wednesday night Yuvraj said his family had been visiting the ‘dera’ for the past many years.

RTI Act: 75 pc applications meant to settle personal scores
Rajpura, April 7
Seventy five per cent applications received under the RTI (Right to Information) Act are meant to settle personal scores. As many as 18,772 applications were received in the past five years out of which 17,929 have been disposed of and fines have been imposed in 540 cases.State information commissioner PPS Gill stated this today during a visit to Rajpura. He said that the Act was formed to bring transparency in government departments.

Organic farming key to revive agriculture: Study
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 7
Innovative techniques in farming are an answer to debt-ridden farmers of Punjab, who failed to prosper despite high subsidies and rise in MSPs in the agriculture sector.

Experts to dwell on moral values for professionals
Ropar, April 7
The Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), Bhaddal, is organising a two-day national conference on moral and ethical values for professionals from April 15 in collaboration with Punjab Technical University (PTU), Jalandhar.

Spreading awareness on healthy habits
Ambala, April 7
Chaman Vatika School observed World Health Day here today. The celebration was aimed to create awareness of a specific health theme to highlight the special area of concern on health issues such as mental health, maternal, child care and climate change.

19 bottles of smuggled liquor recovered, two held
Bassi Pathana April 7
The local police has recovered 19 bottles of smuggled liquor and arrested two culprits. SP Singh, DSP, said that the local police headed by Rajwant Singh, ASI, in charge city, had erected naka on the Nandpur Kalour road.

Farmers continue indefinite dharna, demand justice
Dera Bassi, April 7
Indefinite dharna by farmers of Bhankarpur village for the ownership rights of 650-acre land, today entered into its 74th day and the farmers warned of continuing their struggle till they got justice.


Farmers of Bhankarpur raise against the state government. Photo by the writer

Pension body demands quick disbursal of cases
Patiala, April 7
The Pensioners Welfare Association (PWA) today demanded that their timely retirement benefits are provided to the retired employees, following their retirement and their pension cases are taken up almost one year before their retirement. This was one of the prime demands raised through a memorandum by the PWA members during their 3rd annual conference held here recently, which was attended by hundreds of members from across Punjab.

Illegal structures on govt land razed in Pinjore
Kalka, April 7
Continuing its anti-encroachment campaign, a team of local administration headed by Naresh Kumar, Duty Magistrate, today razed several illegal structures in Pinjore.

230 units of blood donated
Patiala, April 7
More than 230 units of blood was collected in a blood donation camp held at Punjabi University, Patiala, under the aegis of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and NSS department.

Sweeper electrocuted
Lalru, April 7
A sweeper was electrocuted in a hotel near Lalru today while sweeping the roof of a hotel.

COURTS

Bhakra repairs
Ensure necessary water supply to UT, Mohali: HC
Chandigarh, April 7
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today made it clear that the authorities concerned are “under a legal obligation to ensure minimum necessary supply of water is made available to the residents” of Chandigarh and Mohali even as the Bhakra mainline canal remains closed for maintenance.

RTE case deferred to May 7
Chandigarh, April 7
Hearing of the PIL seeking implementation of the RTE Act was deferred to May 7 by the Court of ACJM Priti Sahni today.

Co-op housing society president remanded
Chandigarh, April 7
The court of special CBI judge Ritu Tagore today sent the president of the Chandigarh-16 Cooperative House Building Society, Kulwant Singh Gill, to two-day police custody.

Four acquitted for abetment to suicide
Panchkula, April 7
District and Sessions Judge Manjit Singh acquitted four persons, including two women, who had been facing charges of abetment to suicide here today. Those acquitted are identified as Surinder Kaur, wife of the deceased, her mother Savitri Devi, and brothers Ram Singh and Hansraj.

CRIME

Body of taxi driver found
Mohali, April 7
The body of taxi driver Amarjit Singh (22), was found near Siswan village on Wednesday. He was murdered by unidentified assailants after robbing his taxi (PB-65-F 6660) on April 5.

Guarantor held for furnishing fake documents
Panchkula, April 7
Following a complaint from the Panchkula chief judicial magistrate,the local police has arrested a resident of Ropar allegedly for furnishing fake documents as a guarantee in the court. The accused, who was identified as Neeraj was produced in the court today from where he was remanded in police custody for two days.

SPORTS

Kings XI sans Punjabi flavour
Chandigarh, April 7
When the Indian Premier League (IPL) launched its first edition, it was only natural for the owners of the Punjab Kings XI cricket team to hinge their team around “Punjabiyat” in a big way to associate the team with Punjabis. With city lad Yuvraj Singh, a Punjabi, captain, the team comprising local boys Pankaj Dharmani, Uday Kaul, Sunny Sohal and Gagandeep Singh, Punjabiat was pronounced.

DD Sharma Cricket Trophy
BTS thrash Madan Lal Cricket Academy
Chandigarh, April 7
Host Banyan Tree School (BTS) Cricket Academy thrashed Madan Lal (ML) Cricket Academy, Gwalior, by 183 runs in the Third Dr DD Sharma All-India Cricket Tournament (U-15) at BTS grounds, Sector 48, here today.

Fight of might

A match in progress between Rural Electrification Corporation Limited and BBMB at a kabbadi tournament held in Sports Complex, Sector 42, Chandigarh, on Thursday. Tribune photo: Parvesh Chauhan

BTS Cricket Academy dominate
Chandigarh, April 7
Hosts BTS Cricket Academy crushed Kanishka Cricket Academy by 69 runs in the third DD Sharma All-India Cricket Tournament (U-15) being played on the BTS School ground, Sector 48.

Tennis meet from April 11
Chandigarh, April 7
The Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA) will hold the Union Bank ITF Men’s Futures US$-10,000 Tennis Tournament from April 11 to 16. Players from around 17 countries like Japan, France, Germany, Uzbekistan, Luxemburg, Belgium, the USA, Sweden, Serbia, Taipei, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Yugoslavia will be participating in the event.

Golf Club Poll
Malvinder, Panag to fight for president’s post
Chandigarh, April 7
Raja Malvinder Singh has emerged as the front-runner for the post of Chandigarh Golf Club president with Punjab IAS officer Harjeet Inder Singh and Col (retd) JS Kang not filing their nomination papers on the last date of the nominations.