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Lock-in period to be cut
Reprieve for GPA-holders
Chandigarh, March 29
In a major relief to those holding the general power of attorney (GPA) of group housing societies, the Chandigarh administration proposes to reduce the mandatory five-year lock-in period for the sale of flats.

Chhat Bir waits for April cub

Chandigarh, March 29 The staff of the Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park at Chhat Bir is agog with excitement. Eight-year-old Shanti is expecting in mid-April, She is marked for special treatment. Shanti, the Royal Bengal tigress, is being bred in captivity.

Shanti at the Chhat Bir zoo. — Tribune photo Karam Singh

For UT, local talent is dispensable
Chandigarh, March 29
The engineering, medical and architecture branches of the Chandigarh administration are full of outsiders (read deputationists), with local talent finding little or no place. The administration blames it on the long tedious procedure involved in such appointments.

Deepika, Sangeeta top Class VIII exam
Chandigarh, March 29
The Education Department of Chandigarh declared the results of the Class VIII examination (2006-07) here today.

HC gives stay on dispossession
Chandigarh, March 29
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed the dispossession of laid some landowners of Kishangarh. The land was being acquired by the Chandigarh Administration for Phase III of the Information Technology Park.

Depression snuffs out two lives
Chandigarh, March 29
Two cases of suicide were reported in the city today. A man, said to be a drug addict, jumped from the fifth floor of the research block of the PGI. In the second incident, a 26-year-old housewife, Saroj, hanged herself to death at her parent’s residence in Sector 22.

Getting student visa to UK may become faster
Chandigarh, March 29
Getting a student visa to the UK or permanent residency there is expected to become faster. The British High Commission has now signed an MoU with Singapore-based IntegraScreen, for verification of visa applications, so as to speed up the processing work.

COMMUNITY

They return with fond memories

Mohali, March 29 A frail-looking Khalina stood up from the chair, took out a piece of paper, unfolded it and read out “Mujhe khuda ne janam Pakistan mein diya, zindagi Hindustan ne di. Hindustan zindabad, Pakistan zindabad”. Nine-year-old Khalina, a student of Class II, who was neatly dressed and wearing colourful bangles, was more than happy on being successfully operated upon. Pakistani children, who were operated upon for heart ailments at Fortis Hospital, in Mohali on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Vicky Gharu

Ghaggar bridge to be opened soon

Dera Bassi, March 29 The Ghaggar bridge near Bhankharpur village is likely to be opened to the heavy vehicular traffic soon. According to sources, the administration was toying with the idea of opening the bridge to heavy vehicular traffic, including buses and mini-buses. However, trucks would not be allowed on the bridge, the sources added. ENDLESS WAIT: Traffic zams are frequent on the old Ghaggar bridge near Nadha Sahib in Panchkula. — Tribune photo by Malkiat Singh

Admn Apathy
Nothing right with this Sector
Mohali, March 29
The Residents Welfare Association, Sector 67, has complained to the authorities concerned that sanitation is in a state of neglect there and the area lacks basic amenities.

“Tiny hands” on this tree have been attracting people in Mohali. — A Tribune photograph

Rules on MRP flouted
Who pays for wrong practices? YOU
Chandigarh, March 29
Check the maximum retail price (MRP) on the product before buying it, lest you pay a price for gullibility. Even departmental store owners in the city are charging you for your unwariness, asking you to pay over and above the MRP.

Bansal bats for Deep Complex
Chandigarh, March 29
Minister of state for finance Pawan Kumar Bansal has urged the UT Administrator to sympathetically view the problem of Deep Complex, Hallo Majra.

Workshop on child abuse
Chandigarh, March 29
President of the Indian Council of Social Welfare Jean Rodrigues today called for forming residents’ societies to check child sexual abuse.

Letters
‘Bloody’ signal
The report on cell phone “deaths’’ in Punjab needs greater research. For instance, you should have asked a knowledgeable software expert whether some prankster, familiar with mobile phone technology, can produce an electromagnetic wave matching the frequency of the operator’s signal by imposing an electric pulse on it.

City roads in state of disrepair
Chandigarh, March 29
Irrespective of whosoever is responsible for their maintenance and upkeep, most of the city roads offer potholes or at best a bumpy ride to motorists.

AG’s report tabled in Assembly
Chandigarh, March 29
The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (civil, revenue receipts and commercial) for the year ending March 31, 2006, containing audit comments and observations on the accounts and transactions pertaining to the activities of the Punjab government, was laid on the table of the state legislature today.

Bhiwani resident held for theft
Chandigarh, March 29
The local police today arrested a Bhiwani resident on charge of stealing Rs 1 lakh from his employer’s shop on March 28.

CRIME

Car, motor cycle stolen
Mohali, March 29
A car and a motor cycle were stolen from the town. Rajbir Singh, a resident of Phase I, complained to the police that he had parked his Maruti car outside his house last night but the vehicle was found missing this morning. The police has registered a case under Section 379 of the IPC.

IT Habitat not allotted land yet
Chandigarh, March 29
The Chandigarh Housing Board has not been able to give around 1.25 acres of land to the private developer of the IT Habitat, a residential and commercial area being developed near the Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park (RGCTP).

BUSINESS

Mall Game
4 in race to catch buyers
Chandigarh, March 29
After the race for “location” to set up a mall in the city, the next race for time has begun. The four malls coming up in the city are now vying with each other to get the “first person advantage” by opening their doors first.

Coming to Khadi Gram Udyog’s aid
Mohali, March 29
Panja durries, designed by an assistant professor, were exhibited at the Northern India Institute of Fashion Technology (NIIFT) here today.

RBI directive to banks
Extend working hours to meet closing rush
Chandigarh, March 29
As the financial year draws to a close, all public and private sector banks conducting government business have been asked to extend their working hours.

EDUCATION

388 awarded degrees

Chandigarh, March 29 The 29th annual convocation of Guru Gobind Singh College for Women, Sector 26, was held at the college multipurpose hall today. Krishan Mohan, home-cum-education secretary, UT, was the chief guest. As many as 388 students were awarded degrees. Jubilant students of SGGS College for Women, Sector 26, Chandigarh, with their degrees after the annual convocation on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Seminar on social exclusion
Chandigarh, March 29
A two-day national seminar on ‘Social Exclusion, State and Globalisation’ organised by the Ambedkar Study Centre, Panjab University, began with a welcome address of Kehar Singh, fellow, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

Skills programme now for Classes VI, IX
Chandigarh, March 29
After the success of C-TOSS programme in colleges and government schools of the UT, the Chandigarh administration has decided to extend it to class VI and IX students.

Prof Dilgir dead
Chandigarh, March 29
A renowned educationist and former chairman of the department of mass communication, Panjab University, Prof H.S. Dilgir, left for heavenly abode today after a brief illness leaving behind the entire PR fraternity in shock.

No ‘contemporary’ books on Indian architecture
Chandigarh, March 29
“It’s the lack of historians and critics that the gap between those who can understand the realms of architecture and others is ever increasing,” said Dr Vikram Prakash, a renowned scholar and professor of architecture at University of Washington, Seattle, who delivered a lecture on year zero at Chandigarh College of Architecture.

COURTS

Major-General denies variations in affidavit
Chandigarh, March 29
The Judge Advocate General at Army Headquarters, Maj Gen Nilendra Kumar, has denied that there were variations in the contents of an affidavit submitted by him before the Delhi High Court and statements made by a representative of the Army Headquarters as was reported in these columns on March 13.

CULTURE

Poets enthral audience at Indo-Pak mushaira
Panchkula, March 29
As many as 15 leading poets from North India and Pakistan participated at an Indo-Pak mushaira organised by the Haryana Urdu Akademi in association with the district administration at the newly built Inderdhanush Auditorium, here.
A participant recites poetry at an Indo-Pak Mushaira organised by the Haryana Urdu Akademi at Inderdhanush Auditorium, Panchkula, on Wednesday.

HEALTH

Haemophilia
Backup for parents must, says expert
Chandigarh, March 29
“Haemophilia is a hereditary disease characterised by deficient activity of blood clotting factors of VIII and IX and there is a need to provide necessary backup support to the affected parents to enable them to cope with the tremendous psychological stress.”

TB Control
City ahead of national target
Chandigarh, March 29
The city is ahead in achieving the set national target of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) and the healthcare facilities being provided in the union territory are of international quality. This was stated by Krishna Mohan, home secretary-cum-secretary medical education and research, Chandigarh administration, here yesterday.

PGI employees get warm send-off 
Chandigarh, March 29
The PGI Medical Technologists Association organised a farewell for its three members who are retiring from services here today. Prof Vinay Sakhuja, dean, PGI, lauding the sincere and unblemished services of the retiring members, namely Sudha Relhan, Sant Lal Sharma and Neelam Chopra, presented mementos to them on behalf of the association.