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MC imposes house tax
Chandigarh, February 28
After rejecting the UT Administration’s reminders, the Municipal Corporation today imposed house tax on city residents. The house tax agenda, proposed by the nominated councillors, was passed within a few seconds in the House meeting and without discussion.

MC passes Rs 637.85 cr budget
Chandigarh, February 28
Amid slogans of ‘tanashahi nahi chalegi’ and ‘murder of democracy’ raised by BJP-SAD councillors, the Municipal Corporation today passed the budget of Rs 637.85 crore under both plan and non-plan heads for the financial year 2013-14.

City gets 20 pc hike in budget allocation
Chandigarh, February 28
Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram has given a hike of 19 per cent in the plan budget and 20 per cent in the non-plan budget for the Chandigarh Administration for 2013-14. Earlier, the service tax was only applicable to air-conditioned restaurants serving liquor, but now the tax will be levied on all restaurants.

Vegetable vendor stabbed to death
Panchkula, February 28
A petty quarrel over Rs 10 turned bloody this evening at Kisan Mandi, Sector 5 in Panchkula when a 26-year-old youth was stabbed to death. The victim, Ravi, a resident of Ram Darbar, was here to put up a vegetable stall with his brother Aneesh when he had a brawl with one Pradeep and seven others over the umbrella to be taken on rent. While Ravi died on the spot, Aneesh was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh.
                                                                                       Ravi 

Installation of high-security number plates begins
Chandigarh, February 28
City residents will have to pay the least for the affixation of high-security number plates to the UT Registration and Licensing Authority (RLA). The UT Home secretary, Anil Kumar, today launched the process of affixing the number plates. City residents can avail the facility from tomorrow. The rates fixed by the authorities are the lowest compared to Mohali and Panchkula for all categories of vehicles.

COMMUNITY

Healthcare, education get big push 
Chandigarh, February 28
From April 1, be ready to pay more at eateries as the Union Budget today brought all air-conditioned restaurants under the purview of service tax. “In a city like Chandigarh where all restaurants are air-conditioned, the move will surely hit the common man," said Ankit Gupta, general secretary of the Chandigarh Hospitality Association.

Rs 635 crore allocated for PGI
Chandigarh, February 28
The UT health department will receive a total grant of Rs 40.44 lakh for strengthening the healthcare services in the city during 2013-14. A sum of Rs 11.95 lakh has been allocated for upgrading the CMC, Mani Majra, to a 100-bed hospital, CHC, Sector 22, to a 100-bed hospital for MCH services and Polyclinic Burail to a 50-bed hospital.

High-end cars to cost more
Chandigarh, February 28
The Union Budget for 2013-14 will burn a hole in the pocket of local buyers as well as dealers of luxury cars as Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram proposed to hike the custom duty on high-end cars, bikes and excise duty on sports utility vehicles.

15 new schools proposed for city
Chandigarh, February 28
Fifteen new school buildings in southern sectors and on the periphery of the UT were proposed in the UT budget for next fiscal today. The proposal was tabled in Parliament.

Mixed response to budget

A model sashays down the ramp at Home Science College, Sector 10, Chandigarh, on Thursday. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

Ruckus in General House
Chandigarh, February 28
The first live telecast of the MC house meeting today witnessed a ruckus over various issues. As BJP-SAD councillors were raising slogans, the Mayor called marshalls to send the opposition councillors out. He even warned BJP councillor Davesh Moudgil about suspension. The house was interrupted many a time.

It’s raining complementary parking passes
Chandigarh, February 28
It is raining free parking passes in the city. While former Mayor Raj Bala Malik received 222 free parking passes last year, this year Mayor Subhash Chawla will receive 102 parking stickers, including 100 complementary stickers.

Man caught serving as staff nurse at GMCH-32 
Chandigarh, February 28
High drama was witnessed at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, this afternoon when officials caught a man working as a staff nurse.

Goods train chugs on City-Ludhiana line
Chandigarh, February 28
The trial of a freight train was conducted on the Chandigarh-Ludhiana link by the railway authority today. The Railway Divisional Manager, PK Sangi, said that was the departmental trial on this route and in the coming weeks more such freight trains will be run on the same route to check the status of the track. He said that the department is also waiting for the approval of the commissioner of rail safety to start this track.

City witnesses decline in HIV+ cases
Chandigarh, February 28
There has been a consistent fall in the number of people testing positive for the HIV, if the figures recorded at the city laboratories in the past four years are something to go by.

20 sheds razed at Sector 20 market
Chandigarh, February 28
The UT Estate office today demolished 20 sheds at the Sector 20 market amid protest by shopkeepers. A majority of the shopkeepers had raised illegal sheds at the rear of their shops. The drive started at 9 am and continued till 2 pm under the supervision of two inspectors — Anil Sharma and Parveen Mittal. The officials were assisted by 20 labourers and two JCB machines were used to remove the debris.
A demolition drive in progress at Sector 20 in Chandigarh on Thursday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Classic end to Chandigarh Dance Festival
Chandigarh, February 28
The last day of the Chandigarh dance festival saw a splendid performance by Mamta Shankar, daughter of legendary Udey Shankar. She, along with her troupe, presented a assimilation of different dance forms which had the colour of contemporary as well as classical and traditional folk style.

Contractual clerical staff protest
Chandigarh, February 28
Around 180 clerks, recruited on a contractual basis in 2011, staged massive protest in front of the Vice-Chancellor office this morning after the university handed over relieving letters to them. Contractual employees protest outside the Vice-Chancellor office at Panjab University on Thursday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

EDUCATION

Musical mornings back at Strawberry Fields
Chandigarh, February 28
Complementing the fresh, in-bloom winter annuals cheerily blossoming in the gardens of the Strawberry Fields Kindergarten, are the rosy cheeks, gleaming eyes, lilting tones and chattering voices of the children. These pre-schoolers sang nursery rhymes and innocent songs as part of their biannual musical mornings. Jubilant faces mark the musical morning at Strawberry Fields Kindergarten on Thursday. A Tribune Photograph

1,200 attend job fest at MCM-36
Chandigarh, February 28
The MCM DAV College for Women organised a day-long Maha Job Fest. The unique endeavor was gave an opportunity to job-seekers throughout the tricity and a platform to companies to recruit deserving candidates. Students attend a job fest at MCM DAV College in Sector 36, Chandigarh, on Thursday. A tribune photograph

Quiz marks Day 2
Chandigarh, February 28
The second day of “SCITRON 2013”, a science fest, witnessed a plethora of events at Panjab University. The day began with a science quiz “SciGyaan” at physics auditorium. Students from four universities participated in the quiz.

from schools
Photo exhibition
Chandigarh: The photography club of Saupin's School, Sector 32, organised an exhibition to showcase the talent of children. The photographs were clicked and cropped by the children on their own. Students appreciate photographs displayed during an exhibition at Saupin's School in Sector 32, Chandigarh, on Thursday. Tribune photo: Parvesh Chauhan

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Air Marshal lauds officers for enhancing combat potential
Ambala, February 28
Air Marshal Arup Raha, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force’s western command, today arrived here on a two-day visit. He was accompanied by his wife Lily Raha.

COURTS

Man gets life sentence for killing wife
Mohali, February 28
A local court today awarded life sentence to a man for murdering his wife. Krishan Kumar, alias Bablu, had murdered his wife Shobha with a grass cutter on June 18, 2009, following a tiff. The couple had been residing in a rented accommodation at Phase XI.

14-day custody for Park Plaza theft accused
Chandigarh, February 28
Ramesh Bhanaji Chhag, an accused in the theft case reported at Hotel Park Plaza in Sector 17 was today produced in a local court which sent him to a 14-day judicial custody.

CRIME

Theft bid foiled at ATM
Chandigarh, February 28
Unidentified miscreants made a foiled attempt to steal cash from an ATM machine of Axis Bank with the help of an electric cutter at Sector 7 last night. Sources said the security guard of the machine, Ram Lal, was drunk and sleeping on duty when the theft came to light. The thieves fled the spot while leaving the cutter behind after they noticed a patrolling police party.

PU prof loses Rs 47,000 to ATM cloning
Panchkula, February 28
In a first of its kind ATM cloning case in Panchkula, a PU professor was shocked to see a message late night that Rs 47,000 had been withdrawn from his account that too from Delhi.

Nine youths booked for advocate’s murder
Mohali, February 28
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Panjab University connection surfaced in the yesterday’s firing incident, which claimed the life of advocate Amarpreet Singh and left his cousins Gaganjot Singh and Sharanjit Singh seriously injured last night.


Amarpreet Singh’s relatives at his residence in Phase III-A, Mohali, on Thursday.  Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

For 4-yr-old Gursifat, his father will soon return
Mohali, February 28
For four-year-old Gursifat Singh, his father Amarpreet Singh will soon be returning home to attend his uncle’s wedding. The child is oblivious of the fact that his father was shot dead yesterday in front of his house in Phase 3-A here.

Death due to drug overdose: Police files chargesheet
Chandigarh, February 28
The Chandigarh Police today filed a chargesheet in the case involving the death of a college girl, Radhika Vashisht, due to drug overdose in December last year. The police filed the chargesheet under the Section 304 of the IPC for culpable homicide not amounting to murder against two youths, Saurabh and Gagandeep. The third accused, hotel manager Kishan Kumar, has been charged with causing destruction of evidence under Section 201 of the IPC. The chargesheet was filed in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate.

Domestic help flees with Rs 1 lakh
Chandigarh, February 28
A prominent Punjabi writer, Ram Swarup Gautam, was duped of Rs 1 lakh by his driver who had been working for him for the past three years. The complainant runs an advertising agency in the name of Vision Enterprises in Sector 42.

SPORTS

Budget: City sports department gets Rs 17 crore
Chandigarh, February 28
In order to improve sports and youth services of the City Beautiful, the UT Administration has been allotted with a budget of over Rs 17 crore, today. With that much grants in hand, the sports department is looking forward to bringing new infrastructure and maintaining existing infrastructure.


A gym at Sports Complex, Sector 46, in Chandigarh. A file photo

West Zone win by 122 runs
Chandigarh, February 28
In the ongoing league matches of 10th All India Oriental Insurance Cricket tournament, teams of West Zone and South Zone won their respective matches, here today.



A match in progress during the ongoing All-India Oriental Insurance Company Zonal Tournament in Chandigarh on Thursday. A tribune photograph

YPS athletics meet: Arnav races to glory
Mohali, February 28
In the ongoing annual athletics meet of Yadvindra Public School, athlete Arnav Mahajan won the 100 mt hurdle race. In the 100 mt hurdle (Class II) race, Sidhchintan, Harshveer and Jasnoor claimed top spots. In the Class III group, Kunwar, Manraj and Kartikayan secured top three places.