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Bansal sanctions Rs 199 crore
Chandigarh, January 6
Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal today sanctioned Rs 199 crore for the double-laning of the rail track between Dappar and Chandigarh. 

The Chandigarh railway station will be developed as a world-class station. Tribune photo: S Chandan

IIT experts have a plan for better public transport
Chandigarh, January 6
Taking a cue from ants, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, has come up with a solution to streamline the public transport system in the city. According to it, while Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) buses on certain routes are overloaded, buses ply almost empty on some routes at the same time. The best way to streamline traffic is by striking a balance between the overloaded and the empty buses.

Panchkula schools extend vacation till January 16
Panchkula, January 6
Government primary and secondary schools in Panchkula have extended the vacation from January 7 till January 16 in view of the cold wave conditions. For private schools in Panchkula, the vacation has been extended from January 7 till January 15.



The cold wave has forced schools to extend the winter vacation . A file photo

No respite from biting cold; 16 flights cancelled
Chandigarh, January 6
The weather condition further worsened today. The morning temperature recorded at the Chandigarh Air Force observatory plummeted to 0.6°C against 1.6°C recorded yesterday.




A child braves chill while riding a bicycle on the road dividing Sectors 16 and 17 in Chandigarh on Sunday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

COMMUNITY

Attendants at mercy of elements
Chandigarh, January 6
The bone-chilling winter has affected hundreds of patients’ attendants, who, in the absence of any covered waiting area or hall, are forced to brave the chill sitting in the open parks on the PGI campus.


Patients’ attendants shiver in the open on the PGI campus in Chandigarh on Sunday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

Rubble clearing: Bansal to provide funds for equipment
Chandigarh, January 6
Taking up the issue of rubble during a meeting of the Federation of Sectors Welfare Associations of Chandigarh (FOSWAC) here today, Union Minister for Railways Pawan Kumar Bansal said while it was the primary responsibility of the residents to ensure that the rubble from produced during the construction of houses and buildings is disposed off properly, he, on his part, would provide funds to the Municipal Corporation for purchasing the equipment required for clearing rubble.
Union Minister for Railways Pawan Kumar Bansal addresses a meeting of the Federation of Sectors Welfare Associations of Chandigarh on Sunday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

Check liquor sale below MRP, say contractors
Chandigarh, January 6
The UT Excise and Taxation Department is at the receiving end with a group of local liquor contractors accusing it of ignoring the rampant practice adopted by certain contractors to sell liquor below the minimum retail price.

High drama at traffic naka to check speeding
Chandigarh, January 6
High drama was witnessed at a naka to check over speeding on the transport light point-Tribune Chowk stretch after one of the local residents alleged that the traffic police misbehaved and manhandled him and members of his family. The agitators could be pacified only when the DSP (Traffic), Kamaldeep, reached the scene. A complaint was lodged with the Industrial Area police station against the police.
A member of a family, which accused the police of misbehaving with them, narrates the incident to a police official near Centra Mall in Chandigarh on Sunday. Tribune photo: s chandan

Exhibition firm fined Rs 3.9 lakh
Chandigarh, January 6
A company, Global Camps Media, which organises exhibitions, was today fined Rs 3.9 lakh for organising an exhibition at the Shvalikview hotel without paying tax to the Excise Department.

Patwaris to spread legal awareness
Mohali, January 6
To sensitise the rural folk about the schemes of the Legal Service Authority, especially the legal rights of the economically weaker section and importance of permanent lok adalat, the Mohali District Legal Authority is all set to rope in patwaris of the respective areas.

Revolving cameras at Student Centre soon
Chandigarh, January 6
With a view to keeping a close watch on the activities of students on the campus, the Panjab University authorities are going to install revolving cameras at the Student Centre and outside the VC office.

A CCTV camera installed at the entrance to Panjab University; and (right) security personnel check a car on the university campus on Sunday. Tribune photos: Pradeep Tewari

National theatre fest begins today
Chandigarh, January 6
The 8th TFT Winter National Theatre Festival, starting from tomorrow evening at the Tagore Theatre, has been dedicated to the Delhi gang rape victim. The festival will begin with the play “Aare Sharif Log” to be performed by Abhinav Rang Mandal, Ujjain (MP).

Ensure houses are safe when vacated: Admn
Chandigarh, January 6
Stung by criticism for not acting on time to remove the encroachments at the official residence allotted; the UT administration is facing yet another similar episode. In case of the house of a former DGP, PS Gill, at Sector 16 several rooms were constructed within the premises which caused damage to UT's property.


Damaged courtyard of the government house in Sector 16 that was recently vacated by former Punjab DGP PS Gill. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan.

Open house responses
Learning Self-defence skills must for women
In the wake of the Delhi Gang rape, no one is safe in tricity too. Chandigarh is increasingly becoming more and more unsafe for women. The failure of the police to effectively tackle such cases is also adding to the occurrence of such incidents more often. The police patrolling needs to be intensified in risky areas like bus stops, educational institutes and eating joints.

Members of the Unique Society of Artists, Panchkula, pay homage to the Delhi rape victim through paintings on Sunday. Tribune photo: Nitin Mittal

chandigarh scan
General body meeting held
A general body meeting of the Chandigarh Business Council (regd), an apex traders body of Chandigarh, was held on Sunday in the city at Hotel Metro - 43. The meeting was attended by nearly 125 members. Jagdish Arora, who had completed the first term of two years as the president was unanimously nominated the president for the second term by the Governing Body and approved by the General House. Kamaljit Singh Panchhi, LC Arora, JPS Kalra, Subhash Sethi, Baldev Goyal, Kamal Gupta, SP Bansal, etc., while speaking at the meeting, apprised the members of the action taken by the Council during the last tenure on crucial issues like building bylaws, VAT, FDI, Food Safety Act, etc.

EDUCATION

School principals want winter vacation schedule revised
Chandigarh, January 6
As the weather conditions remain nasty every year, many have raised questions over the outdated approach of the Education Department as far as winter vacations are concerned.

UT Administration yet to resolve key issues
Chandigarh, January 6
Even as the admission process for the next academic year is about to be over in private schools, several key issues important for the implementation of the RTE Act in Chandigarh are yet to finalised and resolved by the administration here.

Experts dwell on ‘identity’
Chandigarh, January 6
Notion of liberation, both of individual and society, is important for our understanding of identity and its complex politics. This observation was made by Prof S. Paneerselvam from the Department of Philosophy, University of Madras, Chennai, while addressing the audience during the first day of a seminar on Identity and Otherness held at the PU.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Teacher booked on molestation charge
Ambala, January 6
The city police has registered a case against a teacher of SA Jain Senior Secondary School, Ambala, on the charges of molesting a girl student of class IX. The father of the victim has also filed a complaint with the school management in this regard.

Mock tests for JEE, JET aspirants held
Dera Bassi, January 6
The Sri Sukhmani Institute of Engineering and Technology, Dera Bassi, conducted a series of mock tests for the aspirants of JEE and JET - 2013. The tests were conducted to provide the aspirants with a platform to check their preparations for the entrance tests. More than 3,000 candidates appeared for the tests.

Three children receive burn injuries
Ambala, January 6
Three children received serious burn injuries on their faces at Ambala City this evening following a leak in an LPG cylinder. The children were rushed to the Civil Hospital at Ambala City. They were identified as Mohammed Arif (11), Armaan Khan (7), Tanveer Khan (5).

Man donates Rs 51,000 for accident victim
Zirakpur, January 6
Sonu Sethi, a fan of renowned Punjabi singer Gurdas Maan, celebrated the birth anniversary of his hero by donating Rs 51,000 for the treatment of an accident victim.

DJ booked for defacing public property
Zirakpur, January 6
The Zirakpur police has registered a case against a local King DJ for defacing the property of the National Highway Authority. The case was registered following the complaint of officials of the National Highway Authority under the Punjab Prevention of Defacement Act-1997.

Ambala Cantt railway station to be upgraded
Ambala, January 6
Railway Minister Pawan Bansal said formalities were being carried out for converting Ambala Cantonment railway station to a world-class model station. The then Railway Minister Mamta Banerjee in the 2010-11 Rail Budget had announced this project for Ambala.

COURTS

MLA’s brother granted bail
Panchkula, January 6
Harbhajan Chaudhary, Doon MLA Ram Kumar Chaudhary’s brother, who was arrested by the Panchkula police for shielding the MLA, under section 216 (harbouring a criminal) of the IPC, was produced before a court, which released him on bail.

CRIME

Youth attacked in Mohali
Mohali, January 6
A youngster of Phase VI suffered serious injuries in an attack by four or five persons who were armed with sharp weapons and a revolver here today. The victim, Iqbal Preet Singh, who was allegedly hit with an axe on his head by one of the attackers, got six stitches on the head. Iqbal Preet’s brother Jasbir Singh, who was with him during the attack, escaped unhurt.

Purse snatched at Mani Majra
Chandigarh, January 6
A snatching incident was reported from Mani Majra where two motorcycle-borne youngsters snatched a purse containing Rs 35,000 from a woman. According to the police, Shashi Dogra, a resident of the MHC, Mani Majra, Chandigarh, complained that two person sped away on their motor cycle after snatching her purse containing cash and an ATM card on Saturday. She said she could not note down the registration number of the motorcycle.

SPORTS

Pranav, Nandini sail through
Chandigarh, January 6
CLTA trainee Pranav Suri (Ind) defeated Alex Solanki (Ind) by 6-2, 6-3 in the second round of the boys’ U-18 ITF Junior Circuit Tournament at CLTA stadium, Sector 10, Chandigarh. He then went on to defeat second seeded Balaji Lakshmanan by 6-2, 6-1. In girls’ category, another CLTA trainee Nandini Sharma defeated second seeded Aboli Goghari (Ind) by 6-4, 6-1.


A player in action during the ITF Junior Circuit Tournament at CLTA stadium, Sector 10, Chandigarh, on Sunday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

PGGCG, Sector 11, emerge overall winner
Chandigarh, January 6
PG GCG, Sector 11, Chandigarh, emerged as the overall winner of the Panjab University’s Inter College Fencing (Women) Championship held at PU Gymnasium Hall, Chandigarh.

Neel Singh cruises into final
Chandigarh, January 6
Neel Singh Dhaliwal of Total Tennis Academy cruised into the final (boys’ U-10) after ousting his opponent Gourav in an easy encounter in the LD Kapoor Total Tennis Championship 2013. Neel won the match with the score 8-1.

Manjeet School of Cricket beat Ropar by 93 runs
Chandigarh, January 6
In the inaugural match of 1st Gurdev Singh Hayer Memorial Tournament (U-13) in Chandigarh, Manjeet School of Cricket defeated Ropar by 93 runs.

Black belt test held
Chandigarh, January 6
The 2nd black belt test was conducted today at Chi Kwang Do Martial Art Academy, Panchkula.

flexing muscles: Bodybuilders take part in a competition at DAV College, Sector10, Chandigarh, on Sunday. tribune photo: pradeep tewari