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CBI raids houses of 2 FCI officials

Mohali, January 9 Raids were conducted by CBI officials on the houses of two FCI officials living in Phase III-A and Phase IV here today in connection with the Rs 700-crore rice scam.
CBI officers raid the residence of Mr Amarjit Singh Brar, Phase IV, Mohali, on Monday. — Tribune photo by Vicky Gharu

Cops ‘tapping’ phones of judges, lawyers
Chandigarh, January 9
Names of two judicial officers, including a District Sessions Judge figure in the list of six telephone numbers for whom the Department of Chandigarh Telecommunication has sought a payment of Rs 13,000 from the UT Police for providing ‘phone records’.

Rude shock for new house occupant
Chandigarh, January 9
Sudhir Kumar, a stenographer at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, got the shock of his life when he received a water-cum-electricity bill issued by the Municipal Corporation for Rs 47,043 within a week of moving into his new government accommodation in Sector 39-D.

Beware! Depression is in the air
Chandigarh, January 9
Foggy days, plummeting mercury and a sun that usually forgets to peep out from behind cloudy skies bring in loads of depression for the weary soul.

Pyres lit amid pall of gloom Pathankot-Mukerian road mishap Mohali, January 9 Six members of a family who were killed in an accident on the Pathankot- Mukerian road yesterday were cremated amid a pall of gloom here today. It was a heart-rending scene as a nephew of one of the victims lit the pyres. Though there were six bodies, three pyres were lit. One was of Dr Surinder Sharma and his wife Sunita, the second of their son Naveen and his wife Roshini, and the third of Dr Sharma’s daughters, Purnima and Kavita. Sister of Surinder Sharma, who was killed along with five other members of his family in an accident, at their cremation in Mohali on Monday. — Tribune photo by Vicky Gharu

School timings changed
Chandigarh, January 9
Owing to severe cold conditions, the Panchkula Administration today declared holidays for three days in primary government and private schools beginning Jan 10.

• Passing Thru

COMMUNITY

Expert for creating scientific temper for social change

Chandigarh, January 9 “When our sacred books, our myths, our rituals claim to make statements of objective facts and express proporstional truths about nature, scientists and intellectuals have an obligation to assess their claims from set standards of evidence,” said Dr Meera Nanda, Fellow, Templeton Foundation, USA, delivering a special lecture on “Reclaiming Scientific Temper for a Secular Culture in India” at Panjab University today.

Dr Meera Nanda, Fellow, Templeton Foundation, USA (middle) at the ICSSR during a special lecture at Panjab University in Chandigarh on Monday. — A Tribune photo

SAD protests against farmers’ eviction
Chandigarh, January 9
Members of the Shiromani Akali Dal today staged a dharna at the Matka Chowk, Sector 17, against the eviction of Sikh farmers from Kashipur (Uttaranchal).

Jain targets govt over demolitions
Chandigarh, January 9
Former MP and senior BJP leader Satya Pal Jain has accused the Congress-led government at the Centre of carrying out large-scale demolitions in the city — something, he claimed, had never happened before.

Fauji Beat Health scheme success lies in patient satisfaction In his message with the first Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) newsletter issued last year, the Chief of the Army Staff General J.J. Singh had said that out of 17 lakh pensioners as on April 1, 2003, only one lakh had become members of the scheme. IMTRAT Officers’ Mess in Bhutan

‘Gajrela’ lands 8 in hospital
Panchkula, January 9
The savouring of a sweet, ‘gajrela’, by eight members of a family, hailing from Mani Majra, proved costly for them after they suffered food poisoning here this evening. The sweet was brought by Manish from a confectioner in the main market of Mani Majra.

Chandigarh Calling Bringing people closer to the Army It was a different exhibition experienced by the city people as it did not display the home appliances, electronic goods or clothes but exhibited the battle armoury at the army grounds near Kalagram, Manimajra. The city people thronged to see the tanks, Bofors guns, radars and bridge equipments at the exhibition, which was organized by Indian Army under the name ‘Know your Army’ for last Friday to Sunday. Children, who came with their parents, were very excited and evincing a lot of interest especially, in the Russian tanks and field guns. After seeing their enthusiasm Army personnel also allowed them to enter in the tanks.

CRIME

Thieves strike at gurdwara

Panchkula, January 9 Unidentified burglars struck at the Shri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara in Sector 7 here last night and decamped with Rs 15000 kept in the steel box (golak) before the Darbar Sahib in the main hall. They discarded the coins worth Rs 500. The theft came to light as the gurdwara sewadar, Gurbhagh Singh, opened the shrine door for the usual ‘Nitnem parkash’ a little before 5.00 am today morning. Shri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara where a theft of Rs 15,000 took place on Sunday. — A Tribune photograph

Agency owner’s house raided
Chandigarh, January 9
A team of Central Excise and customs today raided the house of an advertising agency owner in Sector 35-D and seized the papers pertaining to the advertising agency. The raid was conducted on the basis of a complaint of service tax evasion by the said agency owner.

Jewellery, cash stolen
Mohali, January 9
Gold jewellery, cash and other valuables were stolen from a house in Phase VI here. Nacchatar Singh complained to the police today that thieves took away 10 tolas of gold, Rs 40,000 in cash and other valuables from the house.

Two held on cable theft charge
Chandigarh, January 9
The police has arrested two Panchkula residents on a charge of stealing telephone wire worth about Rs 2 lakh from IT Park.

3 labourers killed in wall collapse
Zirakpur, January 9
Three Bihari labourers were killed in a wall collapse in the Shivam  Cinema area on the Zirakpur-Kalka highway here last night.

BUSINESS

UTI launches scheme
Chandigarh, January 9
The UTI Mutual Fund today launched a new equity-oriented scheme, “UTI leadership equity fund”.

Lucky winners
Chandigarh, January 9
Col H.S. Bhagat, a resident of Sector 43, has won the first prize of a trip to Thailand in Shop ‘n’ Win offer of Punjab Stores, Sector 9, here.

EDUCATION

Students rake their brains to prepare reports on moon landing

Chandigarh, January 9 In the backdrop of India working towards launching a mission to the moon, a competition organised by the Aeronautical Society of India here today presented school students' perceptions on how such a project can be executed. Students of Apeejay School, Jalandhar, who won the moon-landing competition in Chandigarh on Monday. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

Library expert shows concern over poor reading habits of students

Chandigarh, January 9 For Prof HR Chopra, the journey from a small clerk to being a president’s nominee for the selection board of university librarian, has been a learning experience. With no regrets in life despite facing various trials and tribulations, Professor Chopra who retires in February as the Chairman and Professor of the Department of Library and Information Sciences, Panjab University, feels that a lot still remains to be done. Prof HR Chopra

Aeronautical society to organise competitions
Chandigarh, January 9
The Chandigarh chapter of the Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI) will be focusing its activities on students during the year. Several events involving students have been planned in this connection.

Involve students in peace process, says Pak team
Mohali, January 9
Delegates of a goodwill team from Pakistan visiting India today said that students of schools, colleges and universities should also be involved in the process of improving relations between the two countries.

Magic show
Mohali, January 9
A magic show was organised at Shemrock Senior Secondary School, Sector 69, here in aid of Red Cross by magician J.K. Samrat from Ropar.

Elementary teachers hold peace march
Chandigarh, January 9
Members of the Unemployed Elementary Teachers Union today staged a peace march with their mouths gagged from Sector 17 to Sector 22 here today.

PU research scholar honoured
Chandigarh, January 9
Ms Purnima Parashar of Panjab University has been honoured with the Best Poster Award in the section of Anthropological and Behavioural Sciences at the 93rd Indian Science Congress held in Hyderabad from January 3 to 7.

Teacher comes to school drunk
Chandigarh, January 9
A volley of abuses, commotion and finally the arrival of the police. Monday morning at Government Model High School, Sector 26, witnessed all this as Tarsem Lal, Work Experience teacher, came to the school in a drunken state and started hurling abuses at the school principal, Ms Manjit Kaur.

SPORTS

Foreign players see PHL a learning ground

Chandigarh, January 9 The second edition of the Premier Hockey League (PHL) here has attracted spectators in large numbers for it has given them a chance to watch their local heroes in action. Foreign players play alongside their Indian counterparts in the ongoing PHL tournament at the hockey stadium, Sector 42, Chandigarh.

Raman, Kanwar star in Elite club win
Chandigarh, January 9
A fine performance by Raman Sharma 73 off 20 balls (12 fours and 2 sixes) and Kanwar Singh enabled Elite Cricket Club beat Talwar Cricket Club by 52 runs in the first Rayash Trophy Match at ITRI grounds, Sector 28, here today.

Rowing c’ship from Jan 28
Chandigarh, January 9
The Chandigarh State Senior Rowing Championship for Men and Women will be held at the Lake Club on January 28 at 8 am. Events will be conducted in single and double scull and Coxless Fours.

Factionalism in sports body costs city teams dear
Chandigarh, January 9
Chandigarh school sports teams are made to meet their travel expenses for taking part in the national school games as the Northern Railways, Ambala Division, has refused to give them the usual 75 per cent sports concession.

Softball team announced
Chandigarh, January 9
The Chandigarh Amateur Softball Association has announced its teams for in the 27th Senior National Softball Championship to be held in Puri (Orissa) from January 10 to 15.

YPS drub Saupin’s in cricket
Chandigarh, January 9
An all-round performance by Subeer Hayer (52 off 35 balls) helped YPS Mohali beat Saupin’s School, Panchkula, in the Satluj Public School Cricket Tournament (under-12) played at Satluj Public School, Sector 4, here today.

ADMINISTRATION

Monorail project for firm with 450 cr turnover
Chandigarh, January 9
The Chandigarh Administration has decided on setting up monorail as a mode of transportation for ensuring rapid mass transportation to ease the rush of traffic on the city roads.