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Confusion over PEC counselling
dates continues
Chandigarh, July 21
Irked by the stand of the Chandigarh Administration to postpone the dates of counselling at the Punjab Engineering College, the students seeking admission to the college today decided to air their grievances at a meeting with the UT Administrator, Justice O.P. Verma, tomorrow.

‘Wild guests’ come calling on two homes
Panchkula, July 21
Two homes in the district today had some ‘wild guests’. In the first incident, a two-and-half-feet-long monitor lizard (goh) that had strayed in a house in Sector 26, was rescued by wildlife officials and released in the Berwala forest. The sector is located across the Ghaggar river.

A two-and-a-half-foot-long Indian Pangolin which strayed into a house in Kabir Panthi Mohalla, Pinjore, on Wednesday. — Tribune photo by Pankaj Sharma

Licences for vehicles which are not in market!
Chandigarh, July 21
The Chandigarh Administration continues to issue driving licences to youngsters over the age of 16 for vehicles below 50 CC engine capacity, even though no such vehicles are being sold in the market!

Women taken away from high court premises
Chandigarh, July 21
A young woman was today forcibly taken away from the Punjab and Haryana High Court premises by her parents and some relatives.

Aaina does city proud Chandigarh, July 21 The telephone in the Jains’ house in Sector 28 has been ringing since yesterday night, ever since the news that an Indian team had won a space settlement competition organised by US space agency, NASA, in Florida, came in. Mr Rakesh Jain and his wife Ms Anupam Jain in a jubilant mood at their residence in Sector 28 in Chandigarh on Wednesday. — ATP photo

Army paid field area allowance in violation of orders: CAG
Chandigarh, July 21
In violation of Ministry of Defence orders, the Army had paid about Rs 3 crore as field area allowances to personnel during Operation Parakram. The allowance was not only paid beyond the authorised period, but to troops who were not entitled to it.

2 Mohali residents die in mishap
Mohali, July 21
Two residents of Phase VII here were killed when the vehicle in which they were travelling collided with a truck on way to Gorakhpur this morning.

• Minor fire in school creates panic

COMMUNITY

Oppn councillors threaten to gherao MC chief
Mohali, July 21
Opposition councillors have threatened to gherao the president of the Municipal council and other officials at the monthly meeting of the civic body to be held in the next few days in protest against the failure of the council to carry out development works in the town.

Kendriya Sadan to get new look
Chandigarh, July 21
The Kendriya Sadan in Sector 9, housing about 40 Central Government offices, is all set to acquire a new look with the addition of more facilities for employees and visitors.

Mix response to move on Portraits Gallery

Chandigarh, July 21 The proposal to relocate the National Gallery of Portraits housed on the premises of Centre State Library, Sector 17, is receiving mixed responses. While freedom fighters and others associated with the gallery for long are viewing the rearrangement of portraits with great apprehension, the officials have a sound reason to make their next move.
A view of the National Gallery of Portraits that awaits a relocation to make space for some additions to the Centre State Library, Sector 17. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tiwari

Council yet to prepare ID cards for milk vendors
Mohali, July 21
The local Municipal Council has failed to make any progress in preparing the identity cards of milk vendors and meat sellers in the town as had been directed by the Department of Local Government.

Cheques distributed among ex-servicemen
Mohali, July 21
The Ropar administration is committed to rehabilitate the families of the soldiers who had attained martyrdom while performing their duties since 1999 and it had made special efforts in this regard.

Panchkula Diary
New rates for bricks, tiles
Panchkula, July 21
District Magistrate, Ms Neelam P. Kasni, yesterday set the new rates for bricks and tiles, and transportation costs, for carrying on various developmental works in the township. According to a press note, the new rate has been fixed at Rs 1320 per 1000 bricks and Rs 1500 per 1000 cement concrete tiles.

• Reaching out to destitute women

• School celebrates monsoon

Chandigarh, July 21 Jaspal Bhatti was at his cynical best yet again. This afternoon, provoked by the failure of rains this year, he planned a special “yagna” to appease the weather gods. The ceremony took place in the heart of Sector 17 where all members of Bhatti’s Nonsense Club gathered to indulge in “strange” antics. Jaspal Bhatti and his Nonsense Club members burn the effigy of the Met Department to appease the rain god in Chandigarh on Wednesday.

UT signs power pact with NHPC
Chandigarh, July 21
In order to meet the demand for power, Chandigarh Administration today signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the National Hydro Electric Power Corporation ( NHPC ) for buying power in the future from the upcoming 231 MW Chamera Hydro Electric Project near Chamba in Himachal Pradesh.

Ramp scorchers

Some of the top models display the collection of students of NIFD on Tuesday night at North Park Resorts, Panchkula. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

2 hurt in highway mishap
Lalru, July 21
Two youths sustained serious injuries when the scooter they were riding rammed into an earthmover on the Kalka-Ambala highway, near here, this evening.

Unemployed youth to get loan for ventures
Chandigarh, July 21
The Industries Department, Chandigarh Administration, has said that it will provide financial assistance up to Rs 2 lakh to the individual unemployed youth and Rs 10 lakh for a group of unemployed youth under the Prime Minister’s Rojgar Yojna to enable them to set up their own ventures and become self-sufficient and self-reliant.

Stress to strengthen coop movement
Chandigarh, July 21
Mr S.S. Dhillon, Registrar of the Cooperative Societies of the Haryana Government, underlined the need for strengthening the cooperative movement in the country.

Accident victim dies at PGI
Chandigarh, July 21
Shanbhu Prasad (27), who was seriously injured last night in an accident in which his pillion rider Geshu Chawla (22) of Ambala died on the spot, today succumbed to his injuries at the PGI.

Former employees of Punwire hold a protest rally in Sector 17, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

Sekhri meets Governor on lease money issue
Chandigarh, July 21
The Management of the Central Club led by its President, Maj J.S. Sekhri (retd), today met the UT Administrator Justice O.P. Verma, and sought an amicable solution to the lease money issue.

Food Corporation association flays abolition of posts
Chandigarh, July 20
The Punjab unit of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) Officers’ Association has decried the move of the FCI management to abolish the posts which have fallen vacant because of some officers opting for the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS).

• Disabled children have fun

• FM can’t satisfy everyone: MP

CRIME

Clerk caught taking bribe
Chandigarh, July 21
A clerk in the Directorate of Haryana Education, Om Prakash Sharma, was today arrested red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 8,000 from a JBT teacher from Kurukshetra district.

Man cheated of Rs 5 lakh
Chandigarh, July 21
A resident of Sangrur has alleged that he was defrauded by V.N. Sharma of Euro Technologist, Naya Gaon, who had taken Rs 5 lakh from him on the pretext of sending his son to the USA.

Married woman abducted
Chandigarh, July 21
A 21-year-old married woman has allegedly been abducted by her former friend from the Janata Kumhar Colony here.

2 held for stealing woman’s bag
Chandigarh, July 21
A Sector 40 resident and another of Panchkula have been arrested for allegedly snatching Ms Inderjeet Kaur’s bag from Modern Housing Complex Mani Majra.

Rs 2 lakh stolen from Sector 42 house
Chandigarh, July 21
A sum of Rs 2 lakh has allegedly been stolen from the house of Mr Vinod Kumar, a resident of Sector 42. The cash was kept in the safe of an almirah.

EDUCATION

Principal Speak
Education empowers
EDUCATION is the key area that should be given due importance if any country or society has to progress. The developed nations have achieved their current status by laying special emphasis on education. It not only helps in broadening the mental horizon of the students but also leads to overall development of their personality.

MFA course for Govt Art College approved
Chandigarh, July 21
After a delay of four years, the proposal to start Masters in Fine Art course at the local Government College of Art, Sector 10, has finally been cleared. The course is all set to commence from this academic session, and it will provide 10 seats in each of the four disciplines of painting, printmaking, applied art and graphics.

Quality education in govt schools on anvil
Mohali, July 21
The ‘School Education Plan-Mohali 2004’, a prospective outline plan for quality education through government schools in Mohali, will be prepared by the Department of Education, Punjab. The first meeting for the purpose is scheduled to be held on July 27 at the office of the Principal Secretary, School Education, Punjab, Mrs Tejinder Kaur.

Stenographers’ exam on Oct 10
Chandigarh, July 21
The northwestern regional office of the Staff Selection Commission will hold the stenographers’ examination on October 10. According to Mr N.K. Virdi, Deputy Regional Director of the SSC here, the examination will be organised in Chandigarh, Jammu, Srinagar, Shimla, Jalandhar and Ambala.

Schools to have consumer clubs
Chandigarh, July 21
On the directives of the Union Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies, consumer clubs would be established in the local government schools. About 25 such clubs are to be established in the city schools.

• Dept exams from July 26

LIFESTYLE

The team of TVS motor company and “Out there Adventurers” have joined hands to set a world record on their FX 150 CC four-stroke bike. En route to Marsimik La, the highest motorable pass in the world, the expedition members passed through Chandigarh after being flagged off from Delhi on Wednesday. Seven mobike riders on their way to the world’s highest motorable pass passed through Chandigarh on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

The ongoing Asia Cup is just one reason to visit Ambassador, the fine dining restaurant-cum-bar lounge of Hotel Sunbeam, Sector 22. The giant screen takes you close to the excitement in Sri Lankan stadiums. Varinder Sehwag’s strokeplay acquires an additional punch as you down a chilled mug of beer in an air-conditioned grandiose ambience. Kitty party members help themselves to Continental food at Hotel Sunbeam, Sector 22, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. — Tribune photo by Pankaj Sharma

• Spiritual guru to visit city on July 25

SPORTS

2 city spikers selected in junior volleyball team
Chandigarh, July 21
Two city-based spikers, Balwinder Singh and Gurinder Mavi, have found berth in the Indian Junior Volleyball team (under-17) which will take part in the third Children of Asia Sport games to be held at Yakutsk (Russia) from July 24. Both players hail from the Shivalik Volleyball Academy which is being run under the aegis of Shivalik Public School, Sector 41.

Admission schedule for dept of correspondence studies
Chandigarh, July 21
The Department of Correspondence Studies, Panjab University, announced its admission schedule here today. The Chairman of the department, Prof Devinder Singh, said that the last date for receipt of enrollment forms without late fee was September 30 and students could submit the form till October 29 with a late fee of Rs 150.

New Public School b’ball team to leave for USA today Chandigarh, July 21 Ten basketball players from New Public School, Sector 18 will be leaving tomorrow for the USA to attend a training camp. According to Mr R.D. Singh, Principal of the school, only two schools from India had been invited for the camp, DAV Police School, Amritsar and New Public School, Sector 18. He said only their school had got a green signal for the trip.

Cagers of New Public School, Sector 18, who are leaving for the USA tomorrow for a training camp.

• School tennis tournament

• Baljit Bains joins as Chief Commissioner, IT