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Today onwards, 8-hour power cut in Panchkula
Panchkula, July 26
Beginning tomorrow, the town will face the worst-ever power crisis. While the residents will have to cope with power cut for eight hours, the industry will have a compulsory holiday on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Relief for Global Trust Bank depositors
Chandigarh, July 26
Long queues in the morning notwithstanding, depositors and the bank staff of Global Trust Bank (GTB) today heaved a sigh of relief following the announcement that the Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) will take over the bank.

Depositors at a counter in Global Trust Bank in Chandigarh on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

Kohli may be brought to Mohali today
Mohali, July 26
The prime suspect in the rape and murder of British teenager Hannah Foster, Maninderpal Singh Kohli, is likely to be brought to Mohali tomorrow evening or by Wednesday morning. The Punjab Police team comprising SSP, Patiala, Mr A.S. Rai and SP (Detective), Ropar, Mr K.S. Grewal took Maninder Pal Singh in custody in the SDJM’s court at Kalimpong today. 

No going back on rent order, says UT
Chandigarh, July 26
The UT Administration today informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it had no intention of withdrawing or amending the notification, dated November 7, 2002. Through this notification the UT Administration had exempted buildings having rent more than Rs 1,500 per month from the operation of the Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949, as applicable to Chandigarh.

Return investors’ money, HC tells PGF
Chandigarh, July 26
In a major setback to the controversial plantation company, PGF Limited, earlier Pearls Green Forests Limited, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed its petition challenging the order of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) asking it to get registered with SEBI.

Chandigarh AIR becomes highest revenue earner
Chandigarh, July 26
The Chandigarh station of All India Radio has become the highest revenue earning station for AIR in the region, thanks to some aggressive and innovative marketing techniques adopted by the local marketing team.

Remembering Kargil heroes no longer priority
Chandigarh, July 26
Five years after Indian soldiers fought against all odds to evict Pakistani intruders from the icy heights in Kargil, which left 534 troopers dead and another 1,000 permanently maimed, the commemoration of the event no longer figures as a priority.

CHANDIGARH CALLING Several residents have alleged that demolitions carried out by the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) are discriminatory. While one flat owner may face the bulldozer and fine, his neighbour with a similar or more blatant violation may be let off. All powers wrest with the CHB. Stinking park AIDS awareness Laugh off ills Whither youth? Study group Power wastage Monsoon woes

COMMUNITY

Villagers protest against land acquisition

Mohali, July 26 Over 1200 land owners of villages in Chandigarh’s periphery today staged a major protest at Dasehra Ground, Phase VIII, here against the acquisition of their land by the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA). Land owners protest against acquisition of land by PUDA in Mohali on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

Drought-triggered migrant influx raises crime spectre
Chandigarh, July 26
With drought in sight, the fear of an increased influx of people in the city is causing concern regarding its possible impact on the crime situation. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Mr Gaurav Yadav, today issued a note to the Station House Officers (SHO) of the city to find out if there has been any co-relation between drought and the crime graph in the city.

Police questions Punjab Recorders MD
Mohali, July 26
The Mohali police today questioned Varinder Singh, Managing Director of Punjab Recorders (PRL) Limited here, as part of investigations into the missing components used in the manufacture of battle tanks for the defence services. A team of police officers led by the Phase VIII SHO Mr Jagjit Singh visited the company’s premises today to look for clues. The various employees of the company were interrogated.

Partial compliance of order on use of ACs

Mohali, July 26 Punjab Government offices based in Mohali showed partial compliance with the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) orders banning the use of air conditioners in offices. The electricity board had banned the use of air conditioners in offices with effect from today due to extreme power shortage being faced by the state. Punjab School Education Board employees waiting for electricity supply in Mohali on Monday. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

American family adopts abandoned girl Panchkula, July 26 She was abandoned by her family to die on roads. But fate had other plans for her. Two-and-a-half years later, the girl has found loving parents and a home in the United States. Urvashi, a two-and-half -year-old girl staying at the state-run Shishu Greha, has been adopted by an American family. The formalities for the adoption are complete and the girl will soon go to her home in the US. The baby was rescued by the police in Narnaul in January 2002. She was taken to the Bal Sadan, and later shifted to the Bal Kunj at Chachrauli near Yamunanagar, which has now shifted to Panchkula. Urvashi will now have a home and family. — Tribune Photo

Tributes paid to Krishan Kant
Chandigarh, July 26
The Haryana Governor, Dr A.R. Kidwai, today called upon the people to play a creative role in solving the problems of illiteracy, disease, poverty and unemployment, which were great hindrances in the way of prosperity and development of the country.

Fauji Beat
Can soldiering and corruption go together?

THE argument often heard these days is that in a corrupt country like ours, if we accept 90 per cent corruption in civil life, why can’t we tolerate even 10 per cent of the menace in the Army. The justification in support of this argument is that the characteristics of an Indian remain the same whether he is in the civil or the Army. Air Chief Marshal S. Krishnaswamy releases first day cover on the completion of one year of the IAF contingent in Congo.

Assn demands opening of judicial complex
Mohali, July 26
The House Owners’ Welfare Association, Phase I, has demanded that a judicial complex be opened for the public in the old Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) building here.

Bar wants more cases shifted to CAT
Chandigarh, July 26
The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Bar Association today urged the Union Government to transfer more cases of autonomous organisations and corporations from the courts to CATs for speedy justice.

Ex-servicemen flay non-registration of servicemen as voters
Chandigarh, July 26
Ex-servicemen have sought the intervention of the Election Commission of India to nominate an officer in military and paramilitary units as an assistant electoral returning officer so that service personnel can be registered as voters at their place of posting.

CRIME

Two women commit suicide
Chandigarh, July 26
Two women have committed suicide while two persons have died in accidents and the body of an unidentified beggar has been found in the city. A 30-year-old unidentified woman ended her life by jumping before a train near the Modern Housing Complex, Mani Majra, here today.

24-year-old commits suicide
Panchkula, July 26
A 24-year-old man, Ram Ashish, committed suicide by hanging himself from an iron pipe running along the ceiling of his house in Abheypur village. The victim’s family found him hanging in the house today and rushed him to the hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

Minor raped by labourer
Mohali, July 26
A 13-year-old girl, a resident of Badh Majra, was allegedly raped here today by a daily wage labourer working at a house construction site in Phase VI. The incident took place at house number 516, Phase VI.

Stabbing incident: complaint against victim
Panchkula, July 26
The incident in Sector 6, where a young lawyer was stabbed by the male relatives of his beloved yesterday, took a new turn. The girl’s family has now lodged a complaint with the police against the victim, Ravinder Singh.

BUSINESS

UBI introduces Core Banking Solution
Chandigarh, July 26
With a view to providing technology-driven services to customers, Union Bank of India has introduced anywhere and anytime banking service called Core Banking Solution (CBS) at one of its local branches here. The service has also been introduced at the bank’s extension counter at Punjab Mandi Board office in Sector 17. It was inaugurated by secretary of the Punjab Mandi Board, Mr A. Venuprasad.

Market pulse
Good response
Chandigarh, July 26
The recently introduced Bajaj CT 100 has crossed the 1 lakh sales mark within 81 days of its launch. “We have increased production to meet the demand,” says Mr R.L. Ravichandran, vice-president, Business Development and Marketing.

EDUCATION

Suspended teacher has resigned, says school manager
Chandigarh, July 26
In the case of the teacher working at Sophia Convent School, Kalka, who had allegedly subjected his pupil to corporal punishment, the Manager of the school, Father Basil D’ Mello, claimed that the teacher, Mr Jose Ignatious, had resigned.

GJIMT chairman claims good placements
Mohali, July 26
The Gian Jyoti Institute of Management and Technology (GJIMT) and Gian Jyoti Public School, Phase 2, Mohali, offering MBA, MCA and BCA courses in affiliation with Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, today claimed to have placed majority of its students in reputed companies across the country.

GMCH to conduct second  counselling
Chandigarh, July 26
Government Medical College, Sector 32, Chandigarh, has decided to conduct the second counselling of candidates for admission to MBBS/BAMS and BHMS courses 2004 on August 5.

Training programme starts at NITTTR
Chandigarh, July 26
A short-term training programme on “Aspects of curriculum design” got underway at the National Institute of Technical Teachers’ Training and Research, Sector 26, here today.

Inter-school painting contest
Chandigarh, July 26
The Chandigarh unit of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF) organised an inter-school painting and poster-making competition at Art Museum, Sector 10, here on Monday to commemorate Vijay Divas.

COURTS

Transfer issue of ‘local’ judges discussed
Chandigarh, July 26
Members of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association today held a general house meeting to discuss the issue of transfer of "local" Judges, particularly those whose kin are practicing in the High Court.

Notice to PU on Valecha’s plea in Syndicate poll
Chandigarh, July 26
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notice to the respondents, including Panjab University, Chandigarh, on a petition filed by Mr Pawan Valecha challenging the election of Mr Gopal Krishan Chatrath, advocate, and Mr Ranvir Partap Asija to the Syndicate of PU from the Department of laws.

LIFESTYLE

Kapil wants better status for cricket in city

Kapil Dev, legendary cricketer whose roots in Chandigarh remain intact, is nowadays seen more often in the city, thanks to his newly renovated hotel in Sector 35, The Kaptain’s Retreat. He reached the city this morning and was spotted in the hotel fiddling with new ideas for his venture. Kapil Dev at his newly renovated hotel in Sector 35, Chandigarh, on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

Ploughing a lonely furrow in twilight years

“May you live a long life” is the most common blessing given in India. It is supposed to be the best thing one can wish for a person. But ask the elderly how they feel about their quality of life, and their answers are revealing. However, a long life is, in no way, a blessing. Health problems coupled with low morale affect the psyche of old persons, says 74-year-old Gulshan Kumar, whose poor eyesight has robbed him of all enjoyment in life. Old age not only means having to face physical ailments, it also includes emptiness in one’s life, the elderly feel. Mr S. H. Patel, who frequents the Sector 36 garden, said though his family cared for him, yet deep inside he felt a void.  In the twilight of life. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

Testing love, compatibility You can test love and compatibility between you and your partner now. It is possible with the latest technological love-meter which has been brought by Amar Upadhyay, Sanjit Bedi and Shraddha Nigam. They are starring in Sahara’ s teleserial Saathiya - Pyar Ka Naya Ehsaas.  Sanjit Bedi, Shraddha Nigam and Amar Upadhyay at a road show at Fun Republic, Mani Majra on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

HEALTH

Parents’ over-expectation cause of stress in children
Chandigarh, July 26
Unable to express their anxiety and fears, as many as 20 per cent of the teenagers in the city are suffering from psychological stress. Stating this at a media conference at PGI here today, Dr Prabhjot Malhi of the Advanced Paediatric Centre (APC) and in charge of the child helpline said the main problem of stress among adolescents was parents’ over-expectation, especially in academics, which adolescents found difficult to meet.

Breastfeeding good for mother, child
Chandigarh, July 26
If you had any doubts about breastfeeding your baby, then consider this: The breast-fed children go on to have 10 points more IQ than their bottle fed counterparts. They develop a better immune system, keep away from allergies like asthma and are less infection-prone.

Bansal inaugurates ECG machine

Chandigarh, July 26 Member of Parliament Pawan Kumar Bansal inaugurated a multi-channel computerised ECG machine which has been installed at the Charitable Diagnostic Laboratory at Sood Bhavan here today. Member of Parliament Pawan Kumar Bansal inaugurating the computerised ECG machine at Sood Bhavan in Sector 44, Chandigarh, on Monday.

ORS week begins
Chandigarh, July 26
The Chandigarh Chapter of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, along with the Department of Paediatrics, PGI, and the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, Chandigarh, started celebrating the ORS week today. The experts stressed the importance of the oral rehydration solution (ORS) in the management of cases of diarrhoea at a press conference organised at the PGI.

Another cholera patient at PGI

SPORTS

Convincing win for UT in handball

Chandigarh, July 26 Hosts Chandigarh scored a convincing win over their counterparts Kerala on the opening day of the Junior National Handball Championship played here today at two venues — DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8 and Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 19. Laloo Kumar Sharma of Jharkhand attempts a shot against SAI West during the 27th Junior National Handball Championship in Chandigarh on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

City girl in Indian youth netball team
Chandigarh, July 26
Navneet Kaur of Chandigarh is the only girl from the city who has been selected in the Indian youth netball team for participation in the Fourth Asian Youth Netball Championship being held at Colombo from July 24 to 31. Navneet who is also a national player of basketball, took to netball only two years back. 

ADMINISTRATION

Sub-Inspector suspended
Chandigarh, July 26
A Sub-Inspector of Sector 26 police station, Mr Satwinder Singh, was today suspended for allegedly misbehaving with a lawyer and departmental action was initiated against two constables of police lines.

Separate queues for women
Chandigarh, July 26
All public dealing offices as well as e-governance centres in Chandigarh will have separate queues for women. The UT Administrator, Justice O.P. Verma (retd), today asked the Chandigarh Administration to have separate queues for women.