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Bansal sworn in as Minister of State
Chandigarh, January 29
Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal, the local Member of Parliament, was sworn in as the Minister of State for Finance. He was administered the oath of office by Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam, the President of India, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi today.

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam administers the oath of office to new Union Minister of State Pawan Bansal at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Sunday. — PTI photo

Arrest of accused hits language barrier
Panchkula, January 29
Citing a language barrier, the police has failed to arrest a man accused of trafficking tribal girls from Jharkhand. Despite the levelling of charges of trafficking against him by a volunteer of the National Domestic Workers Movement, Sister Namrata, following the recovery of a girl earlier, the police has expressed helplessness in registering an FIR against him.

SOARING HIGH: Swarms of birds returning to their nest at sunset in Chandigarh on Sunday. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

Fire Department to upgrade facilities
Plans to spend around Rs 2 crore
Chandigarh, January 29
The Chandigarh Fire Department is finally waking up. And it would not be wrong to say that it has taken a devastating earthquake in J&K to shake off the slumber. The realisation has finally forced the Fire Department to upgrade itself to face the natural disasters in a better way.

New housing scheme for Sectors 49, 38 (West)
Chandigarh, January 29
The Housing Board has announced new housing scheme of one and two bedroom flats in Sectors 38 (West) and 49, where the residents of the city can apply from January 31 onwards. The CHB has decided to launch a self-financing housing scheme with an aim to provide an opportunity to the residents of the city to have their own houses on competitively low rates.

Coop society members take to streets against admn Demand immediate draw of lots of flats Chandigarh, January 29 Tired at the dilly-dallying tactics of the Chandigarh Administration on the issue of the draw of lots, members of the Universal Cooperative House Building Society, Sector 48, today took to streets and threatened to start a relay fast.

Members of the Universal Cooperative House Building Society protest against administration's decision not to allow the draw of lots in Sector 48 of Chandigarh on Sunday.—A Tribune photograph

SAD joins farmers to oppose Zirakpur urban estate
Zirakpur, January 29
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has declared that it will oppose the proposed Zirakpur urban estate. The ultra-modern urban estate is proposed to be developed by PUDA to give fillip to the planned development in Chandigarh’s periphery.

• Passing Thru
  Mr R.S. Prasad, Managing Director, SSR Trexim (India) Pvt. Ltd.
  

COMMUNITY

Indian women no longer weaker sex, says US expert Chandigarh, January 29 Having authored more than 50 books on a broad spectrum of information technology, this management consultant has also been managing the affairs of the youth, under privileged and the needy. Members of the Group Study Exchange team from Arkansas, USA, at a press conference in Chandigarh on Sunday. — A Tribune photograph

Protest march by village evacuees

Chandigarh, January 29 The evacuees of the UT villages today took out a procession to protest against the indifference of the Chandigarh Administration to comply with its own decision of 2003 to rehabilitate the displaced villagers. Members of the welfare society of landlords/authorised originals of 50 villages of capital project, Chandigarh, take out a protest march from Sector 38 gurdwara on Sunday. — A Tribune photograph

7 hurt as truck overturns
Chandigarh, January 29
At least seven persons sustained injuries when the truck they were travelling in turned turtle near Kalagram on the Chandigarh-Panchkula road here this evening. The injured were rushed to the Sector 16 General Hospital.

BVP members urged to serve the poor
Chandigarh, January 29
Over 100 members of the Modern Housing Complex unit of the Bharat Vikas Parishad attended the general body meeting here today. Speaking on the occasion, Mr ID Ojha, All-India Secretary-General of the BVP, urged the people to channelise their energies to serve the poor and downtrodden sections of the society.

Human Rights Watch organises seminar Mohali, January 29 The VII annual seminar of the All India Human Rights Watch was organised here today. Justice N.C. Jain, Chairperson, Punjab State Human Rights Commission, was the chief guest. Justice N.C. Jain, Chairperson of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission, speaks at the annual seminar of the All India Human Rights Watch in Mohali on Sunday. — Tribune photo by Vicky Gharu

Homage paid to great saint
Mohali, January 29
Baba Kundan Singh (N) International Charitable Trust organised a three-day religious programme that ended today at the Gurdwara Singh Sabha Phase-4. After bhog of Akhand Path, Gurmat discourses and Kirtan programmes were held.

• Honoured

CRIME

Two cars stolen
Chandigarh, January 29
Two cars were stolen from the city in the past 24 hours. Two youngsters snatched a purse from a woman. Mr Sawinder Mandhora of Modern Housing Complex, Mani Majra, lodged a complaint with the police that his car (CH-03-U-1562) was stolen from his house yesterday.

Girl caught stealing dies
Chandigarh, January 29
A minor girl was today caught red-handed while stealing mechanical equipment worth Rs 20,000 from a factory in Industrial Area. Sources in the Industrial Area police station said Mr Subash Dogra of plot number 181/15, Phase I, Industrial Area in his complaint alleged that he caught the girl while stealing dies.

2 arrested for shoplifting
Chandigarh, January 29
The UT police’s crime branch today arrested two persons and claimed to have recovered four stolen DVD players from their possession. Acting on a tip off, a team of the crime branch arrested Sanjay alias Suraj of Sohana village and a Bassi Pathana-based junk dealer, Sunil Kumar alias Sonu.

EDUCATION

Sherwood Convent holds annual function
Mohali, January 29
The annual function of Sherwood Convent School, Mohali, Phase-4 was held at Pracheen Kala Kendra Sector 71 here. The programme started with the chief guest lighting deepshiksha. The principal presented the annual report and informed the audience about the extra curricular activities and plan for the year ahead.

Dance mania at PU as Goonj concludes Chandigarh, January 29 The annual technical-cum-cultural festival — Goonj — at Panjab University, organised by the students of the University Institute of Engineering and Technology, ended with a DJ night here this evening. Students of the University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET) perform bhangra during Goonj 2006 at Panjab University on Sunday.

Campus placements at CEC
Mohali, January 29
Max New York Life Insurance Company Ltd conducted campus interviews at Chandigarh Engineering College, Landran, near here, today. Under the campus placement drive launched by the Training and Placement Cell set up by the college, the interviews were for the first batch of its MBA students passing out in 2006.

India Tourism Day celebrated
Chandigarh, January 29
Desh Bhagat Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, celebrated “India Tourism Day” by organising a seminar on “The Growing Trends of Tourism in India” here today.

Poem recitation by tiny tots
Mohali, January 29
Poem recitation by play schoolchildren took place at Small Wonders School, Phase 7, here. Children in the 2-3 age group enthralled the audience. The Director, Mr Sandeep Singh, welcomed the guest of honour, Mr Gursewak Mann.

Students advised to follow Guru’s ideals
Chandigarh, January 29
Film and television actor Mangal Dhillon visited Guru Gobind Singh College for Women, Sector 26, here today. Khalsa — a film on Sikh religions was screened for the students. Khalsa directed by Dhillon, depicts the life of Guru Gobind Singh.

Learning centre for children with disability
Chandigarh, January 29
Hansraj Public School, Sector 6, has set up a “Learning Centre” for children suffering from various learning disabilities. Children suffering from various forms of learning disability will be given training by a special educator, Ms Vandana Jakati.

Fun time at Euro Kids
Mohali, January 29
Euro Kids today celebrated health is wealth day with much enthusiasm. Students of playschool and nursery displayed tremendous energy by exhibiting races like transport modes in the form of cars, buses etc.

• Service for NET aspirants
• DAVOSA holds school fete

COURTS

MC chief files writ in HC
Panchkula, January 29
The Municipal Council, President, Mr Tarun Bhandari has filed a writ in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, against the Director, Urban Development, Haryana, Deputy Commissioner, Panchkula, and others for declaring the MC meeting of October 19, 2005, as null and void.

Electricity Dept ordered to pay compensation
Chandigarh, January 29
Upholding an order of the state Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission on overcharging a Sector 38 (West) resident for an electricity bill, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed the UT Electricity Department to pay Rs 50,000 as compensation to the consumer.