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Chaos at MC General House
Chandigarh, February 19
Chaos prevailed at the Municipal Corporation General House meeting after the City Mayor, during his speech, started praising local Member of Parliament (MP) Pawan Kumar Bansal, leading to the Opposition’s boycott. 
Councillors raise slogans as Mayor HC Kalyan reads out his budget speech at the Municipal General House meeting in Sector 17, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Parvesh Chauhan

Municipal Corpn approves Rs 792 cr budget for next fiscal
Chandigarh, February 19
The General House of the Municipal Corporation (MC) today approved the Budget of around Rs 792 crore for the fiscal 2014-15. While Rs 345.70 crores have been reserved under the Plan head, Rs 446.53 crores have been allocated under the non-Plan head. Under the Plan head, the UT Administration has earmarked Rs 136.60 crore for the MC. However, the civic body will bear the remaining expenditure under the head using the revenue it will be generating during the next fiscal.

Chandigarh votes 2014
City units of Cong, BJP, AAP a divided house
Chandigarh, February 19
While the Lok Sabha elections are around the corner, the city units of the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are a divided house. Eyeing ticket for the Chandigarh seat, various leaders are working “separately” for their respective parties.

Punjab, Haryana fail to pay PGI bed charges of Rs 8 cr 
Chandigarh, February 19
Governments of Punjab and Haryana have failed to clear the annual bed charges of the city’s premier healthcare institute - the PGIMER - for nearly five years. The outstanding amount has risen to Rs 8 crore. “We have been running into losses and have sent several reminders to the two state governments for clearing the debt, but they have not sent replies to date”, said a PGIMER official.

Cops rescue Kharar-based realtor from kidnappers, 4 held
Chandigarh, February 19
Within five hours after a Kharar-based realtor Gurmail Singh was allegedly kidnapped for ransom, the UT police managed to solve the case and recover the victim from the clutches of the accused.



The two accused in police custody at Sector 34, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

Stray dogs kill 61 sheep, goats
Mohali, February 19
As many as 61 sheep and goats were killed in the wee hours today after being attacked by a pack of stray dogs in an enclosure located on the outskirts of Manuali village here.

Dictatorial clause of reserving 50 seats pinches organisers of events at Tagore Theatre
Chandigarh, February 19
Residents have objected to the three-year-old dictatorial clause of reserving 50 seats by the organisers of events for the management of the Tagore Theatre that include the top brass of the Chandigarh Administration.

Raid on Joshi Auto Zone premises
Chandigarh, February 19
Suspecting evasion of value added tax (VAT) during stock transfer, sleuths of the UT Excise and Taxation Department raided the premises of Joshi Auto Zone and Joshi Auto Motive in Industrial Area, Phase II, here, this evening.

COMMUNITY

LPG auto-rickshaw operators go on strike
Chandigarh, February 19
Seeking phasing out of diesel-run auto-rickshaws in the city and non-implementation of the Chandigarh Administration's 2009 decision in this regard, the Tricity LPG Auto Union observed strike at the Sector 34 ground here today.

LPG auto-rickshaws queued up on the road separating sectors 33 and 34 in Chandigarh as operators went on strike on Wednesday. Tribune photo: S Chandan

Absconding couple declared POs
Chandigarh, February 19
A local court has declared the owners of Mitaflex Immigrations, Chandigarh, as proclaimed offenders (POs).

Selvel gets contract at new rate
Chandigarh, February 19
After over two hours of discussion, the General House of the Municipal Corporation (MC) today gave a go ahead to the controversial allotment of contract for maintenance of toilets in the city to Selvel Media Service.

Guv visits armed forces institute in Mohali
Chandigarh, February 19
Shivraj V Patil, Governor of Punjab, and Administrator of Chandigarh, made his maiden visit to Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute (AFPI) in Mohali today.



Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil addresses cadets at Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute in Mohali on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

Concealing bad habits can be harmful during anaesthesia, say experts
Chandigarh, February 19
Concealing unhealthy practices like smoking, drinking and health problems had emerged a major problem in youngsters coming for pre-anaesthesia check-up ahead of surgeries, said experts at the PGIMER.

Prof Sham bags first prize for small garden
Chandigarh, February 19
The Municipal Corporation today declared the results of the class F best garden in the city among the participants that had given entry for the Rose Festival.

Students stress on road safety
Mohali, February 19
Students of Chandigarh University, Gharuan, spread the social message of “safety is not expensive, it is priceless” among people through a street play staged for visitors at DT City Centre Mall, IT Park, Chandigarh.

Legal awareness camp at agri summit
Mohali, February 19
The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Mohali, organised a legal awareness camp during the Progressive Punjab Agriculture Summit at Chappar Chiri village.

EDUCATION

PU mulls grading system in colleges
Chandigarh, February 19
Panjab University is mulling to introduce grading system for the undergraduate level in all colleges affiliated to the university from the next semester.

Indian mathematics more advanced than Western world: Delhi University V-C
Chandigarh, February 19
“Indian Mathematics has been far more developed and advanced than the Western world,” said Delhi University (DU), Vice-Chancellor Prof Dinesh Singh during a colloquium at Panjab University today.


Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dinesh Singh during a colloquium at Panjab University. Tribune Photo: S Chandan

Ex-PU student leaders to join SOI fold on Feb 26
Chandigarh, February 19
To emerge victorious in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is trying to rope in youth voters of the city.

Police to sensitise students on online lottery fraud
Panchkula, February 19
In the wake of the Nigerian fake lottery fraud coming to the fore, the Panchkula Police have decided to start an awareness drive in schools and colleges to sensitise students from falling into such traps.

PU adjudged best govt varsity
Chandigarh, February 19
Panjab University (PU), has been adjudged as the best government university of the country by India’s Premier Apex Chamber, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

CCET staff protest with black badges
Chandigarh, February 19
Chandigarh College of Engineering and Technology (CCET) employees union staged a silent protest by putting black badges on the college premises today.


Employees of the Chandigarh College of Engineering and Technology hold a silent protest by wearing black badges in Chandigarh on Wednesday. Tribune photo

PU & colleges notes

From schools

(Clockwise from top) Roses in full bloom; workers prepare for the upcoming Rose Festival; and a man works on a giant wheel at the Leisure Valley in Sector 10, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. Tribune Photos: S Chandan

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Techno-cultural fest begins
Dera Bassi, February 19
‘Panache-2014’, a three-day national techno-cultural fest hosted annually by the SUS Group of Institutions, began yesterday. Around 2,000 students from 30 colleges across the Northern Region got themselves registered for competing in various events.

COURTS

9 acquitted in murder case
Chandigarh, February 19
The Court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Preeti Sahni today acquitted nine persons in a murder case.

CHB penalised for failing to refund earnest money
Chandigarh, February 19
The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has been penalised for failing to refund earnest money of Rs 70,000 to the complainant after draw of lots for one bedroom flat.

Accused fails to turn up for hearing
Mohali, February 19
The court proceedings in the local advocate Amarpreet Singh, alias Lucky, murder case could not move ahead as one of the nine accused again sent his medical certificate to the court here today.

CRIME

Police register case under IT Act
Chandigarh, February 19
The email account of a pharmaceutical company in the Industrial Area here has reportedly been hacked. Acting on the complaint of the company, the police have registered a case against unidentified persons under various sections of the IT Act.

Mastermind lands in police net
Chandigarh, February 19
Two months after the railway recruitment scam was unearthed, the cyber crime cell of the UT police today arrested the mastermind, Ashok Kumar (30), a resident of Bazana village, Sonepat district of Haryana.

Man held with poppy husk
Dera Bassi, February 19
The Lalru police have arrested a person with 25 kg of poppy husk near the local bus stand today.

SPORTS

PUC pip SGGS Club
Chandigarh, February 19
In the two league matches of the ongoing Senior State Basketball Championship for Men and Women, the Panjab University Campus (PUC) Club defeated the Sri Guru Gobind Singh Club (SGGS) Club in the men’s section and the Guru Gobind Singh (GGS) Club overpowered the Dev Samaj BEd College Club in the women’s section, at the basketball courts of New Public School in Sector 18, here, today.

Players in action during a match of the Senior State Basketball Championship in Sector 18. Tribune photo: S. Chandan 

Global billiards tourney in city from April 4
Chandigarh, February 19
The Asian Confederation of Billiard Sports and World Billiards Ltd in collaboration with the Punjab Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) will conduct the 15th Snooker (U-21) and the 13th Asian Billiards Championship. For the first time, a world billiards ranking tournament will be held in Asia. The championship will be held from April 4 to 10 at the UT Guest House in Sector 6, here.

National sports meet kicks off on a colourful note 
Chandigarh, February 19
The All-India Sports Meet of the Central Revenue Department, Ministry of Finance, kicked off today at the grounds of Panjab University.

Artistes perform during the opening ceremony of the sports meet in Chandigarh on Wednesday. Tribune Photo: Manoj Mahajan