Chandigarh, December 8
The multi-tier security during the PGIMER MD/MS entrance exam led to panic among candidates as a majority of them reached the centres without reading the instructions. The PGI had made it clear that nothing other than the admit card would be allowed in the examination centre and gates would be closed at 9.30 am.

While female candidates were seen removing their earrings, nosepins and hairpins during checking, male candidates were asked to remove their belts before entering the premises. So much so, even wallets were not allowed in the examination hall. Female candidates had to face difficulty in keeping cash with them.

Despite reaching the exam centre over an hour in advance, candidates had to wait in long queues for frisking. Also, not being allowed to carry their bags inside the examination hall, many students, who had reached the centres direct from bus stand, railway station and airport, were seen requesting residents of the area to keep their belongings.

Candidates appearing for the exam at Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, for instance, rushed to one of the houses to keep their bags. “These candidates made repeated requests for keeping their bags in my house. I had to postpone my plan to go out as I could not say no these helpless candidates,” said Sunita Jasrota, a resident of Sector 41.

Bags of candidates dumped outside DAV School, Sector 8, Chandigarh, on Saturday. Tribune Photos Manoj Mahajan

While the checking was done using hand-held metal detectors at entry points to the premises, students were asked to remove their shoes at the second entry. “I wasted more than 15 minutes in removing and wearing my shoes. This kind of intense checking was not expected,” said a candidate.

The candidates had to pass through doorframe metal detectors and after entering the exam hall, they were again frisked and were asked to register their biometric details.

CCTV cameras kept a constant watch over the candidates at all examination halls. 

Chandigarh, December 8
The high-tech security arrangements made for the PGI MD/MS examination came to naught at Guru Nanak Khalsa Public School, Sector 30, when the three lady constables deployed at that centre failed to operate the handheld metal detectors.

In an embarrassing situation for the three lady constables, when this correspondent got herself checked from one of them, the metal detector did not make any beep sound, despite the correspondent carrying two mobile phones.

The lady constable had not switched on the handheld metal detector before using it.

It was only after the correspondent told the three of them to switch on the device that the constables realised their mistake.

“Actually, we don’t know much about this device. We just know that in case it makes a sound, we have to nab the candidate,” is what one of them replied.

Meanwhile, the candidates had a heated exchange of words with the police personnel deployed at the centre, when they were not allowed to carry their belongings within the premises.

Chandigarh, December 8
Reaching late to the examination centre cost dear to two outstation candidates, when they were not allowed to enter the premises of DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, here today.

Dr Sandeep and Dr Sahyog, both hailing from Mumbai, got late by two minutes, which led to a loss of one whole academic year to them.

“After the last exam, we were expecting to rank among the top ten successful candidates, but sadly the exam got rescheduled. Today, we got late by two minutes, and have been asked to leave,” said Sandeep.

“I just feel like crying. Our whole year has been spoiled,” said Sahyog.

While the entry gate was closed at 9.30am, the students reached the venue at 9.32 am. It was after the candidates made several requests to the police personnel deployed there, that a PGI official reached the spot.

“Rules are rules. We had informed that no entry will be allowed after 9.30 am. The candidates should reach on time,” he said.

Chandigarh, December 8
To check whether Central Club and Chandigarh Club are meant for senior citizens, the UT Administration has written a letter to the management of both the clubs to submit details regarding the members of the clubs. The exercise is a part of the move to fix 
the lease money for the Central Club and Chandigarh Club.

A senior official of the UT Administration said the clubs had been asserting that these were meant for senior citizens, therefore, the UT Administration wanted to know the exact number of senior citizens, who were members of the clubs.

Vinod Talwar, president of the Central Club, Sector 9, said they had received a letter from the UT Administration regarding the issue. "Earlier, there were 1,100 club members but recently some of the members had left or failed to pay the club fee. Therefore, we are preparing a new list of members and will submit it to the UT Administration soon," Talwar added. Sandeep Sahni, president of the Chandigarh Club, said they were also preparing a list of members and would submit the same to the UT Administration.

After the controversy regarding the Central Club, Sector 9, which was recently opened after the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, all the clubs in Chandigarh are under the radar of the UT Administration. As there is huge difference in the lease money of various clubs as compared to their area, the administration is now trying to frame a uniform policy for all the clubs, which were on lease in Chandigarh. Presently, the Central Club pays Rs 1,31,000/ per month as lease amount. the chandigarh club pays Rs 1,08,000/per month as lease money. 

Chandigarh, December 8
An eight-year-old male leopard was rescued by a team of the Punjab Wildlife officials this morning from a 22 feet-deep well at Ratta Khera village near Mansa. Later, the leopard was transportedt to the Chhatbir zoo.

Before transporting the leopard from the rescue site, the wildlife officials successfully revived the animal with an antidote. The leopard is the third wild cat, which was rescued and was brought to the zoo in the past one year.

“ On receiving a call last last night that the animal was trapped in a well, we formed a team and rushed to the spot. With the help of make shift lighting arrangement, the animal was tranquilised early in the morning and the two forest guards brought the animal out with the help of a net," said HS Grewal, Conservator (Forests), who supervised the operation.

It is being assumed that the leopard accidentally fell into the well. Officials at the Chhatbir zoo said the leopard was fine. 

Chandigarh, December 8
The lackluster approach of the officials of the Municipal Corporation can be gauged from the fact that the civic body is losing Rs 1.9 crore due to the non-recovery of rent from Verka booths in the city. These booths are being run on the corporation's land.

The fact came to light in the recent annual audit report of the Accountant General, Chandigarh.

The report states "The supply of milk to the city residents is partially made by the Ropar District Co-operative Milk Producer Union Limited through the milk plant, Mohali, under the aegis of Milkfed and for this a number of pucca booths as well as tinned movable outlets have been constructed on the land owned by the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh.

Previously, these booths were being used for the supply of milk to the city residents during the morning and evening only but with the launching of more Verka products, Milkfed converted these booths into full-time booths and started charging Rs 1,000 rent from the allottees of these booths."

The report also pointed out that besides selling Verka products, the allottees of these 104 booths are selling items of daily use and most of the booths have been providing STD/PCO services.

The Verka Milk Plant in Mohali had also collected Rs 4.99 crore as rent fee from the allottees from 2009-2012.

The report points out that till now the MC has failed to recover Rs 194.88 lakh from the booth allottees. 

Panchkula, December 8
The busy Panchkula-Barwala road remained blocked for over four hours after a fire broke out in a petrol tanker near Maankiyan village in Barwala this morning. The police swung into action and diverted the traffic from Ramgarh and Barwala towards Dera Bassi.

The tanker contained 20,000 litres of petrol. Six fire tenders from Panchkula were not sufficient to douse the flames. More fire engines were called from Dera Bassi, Ambala, Kalka and Chandigarh to control the fire.

A fireman, Suresh, suffered 50 per cent burn injuries and he was rushed to Sector 6 General Hospital for treatment.

Shahid, the driver of the petrol tanker belonging to Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), said he was on his way to Nalagarh from Bahadurgarh when the incident took place near Mankiyan village. "I parked the tanker near a dhaba. When I returned, I saw the tanker in flames," said Shahid.

HPCL officials Krishan Handa and Pawan Kumar also reached the spot. They said about 14,000 litres of petrol was still left in the tanker. 

Chandigarh, December 8
In the birbery case of Justice (retd) Nirmal Yadav, a special court of the Central Bureau of Investigation served a reminder notice on the Supreme Court Registrar General for producing the original records, after an application seeking the same was submitted by former Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge Nirmal Yadav.

Yadav had moved an application under Section 91 of the CrPC, seeking relevant records on the basis of which a sanction to prosecute her was granted. The applicant had urged for summoning the SC Registrar General, CBI, the Department of Justice or any other instrumentalities of the Union of India and all the relevant record with respect to the consideration of the issue of the sanction for her prosecution to determine its validity and circumstances and material basis on which such decision was arrived at by authorities concerned.

Yadav’s counsel Vishal Garg Narwana said the records had been provided by the ministry. The case is scheduled for hearing on January 12, 2013. The case dates back to 2008, when a bag, carrying Rs 15 lakh, was falsely delivered at the residence of another High Court Judge Nirnal Kaur.

Chandigarh, December 8
The temperature in the City Beautiful will play truant for the next couple of days as the mercury will dip during night and increase during day time. As per the Met Department officials the maximum temperature recorded today was 24.9 degree celsius and minimum was 8.6 degree. According to the department, in the next few days, there is no possibility of rain due to which temperature will rise during the daytime and fall at night.

Surinder Pal, director, Met Department, said there were chances of rain after December 12 if there was proper snowfall in the hills. He said for the past four years the temperature varies between 20 to 23 degrees in December. The Met Department officials said the cause of high temperature for the past three years was weak western disturbances.