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Come July, city to kick the butt
Chandigarh, May 22
Chandigarh will become the first city in the country to be declared smoke-free on July 1. A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the administration constituted specially for promoting the city as a smoke-free zone.

Another murder; Motive unknown; Killers absconding
CA knifed to death in Sector 42
Chandigarh, May 22
A 37-year-old charted accountant was allegedly stabbed to death by four unidentified persons at his Sector 42 office here this evening. The police said the motive behind the killing was yet to be ascertained.

                                             Rajesh Goel

Double Murder
Inquiry into car crash case
Chandigarh, May 22
The Chandigarh Police has ordered an inquiry into the accident of the Esteem car (TN-04-E-7020) which was damaged in a crash in Sector 18 on May 13.

SAD leader holds march despite ban
Mohali, May 22
The response to the call for a bandh by Akal Takht against the actions of the head of the Dera Sacha Sauda was total and peaceful, even as a group led by a SAD leader violated orders under Section 144 of the CrPc here today.

Akali leaders and supporters hold a march in 3B-1 in violation of Section144 of the CrPC in Mohali on Tuesday. — Tribune photo by Vicky Gharu

Two Lalru girls go missing
Lalru, May 22
Two young girls have gone missing from the Lalru area under mysterious circumstances. Acting on the complaints of their families, the police has booked four persons, including a woman tailor. However, no arrests have been made so far.

Happy End To Sad Tale Assamese girl reunited with kin Panchkula, May 22 The hapless girl found by the police in semi-nude condition on the Ramgarh-Barwala highway in October last year, came out of the shadows of anonymity today. For the first time since she landed in the city eight months back, Renu managed a fragile smile from the hospital bed. Her family arrived all the way from Assam to get back the daughter they had presumed dead after months of futile search. Renu with her father. — Photo by Malkiat Singh

The ISBT, Sector 17, Chandigarh, wears a deserted look on Tuesday. — A Tribune photograph

PU museum’s structural flaw
Prized paintings feel the heat
Chandigarh, May 22
At a time when the UT Administration is pursuing Chandigarh’s case for inclusion in the world heritage list, one of its best landmarks is crying for attention. Panjab University Fine Art Museum, rated among the best museums of modern art in India, is losing its sheen due to structural problems inherent in its design.

GCM turns down defence plea for adjournment
Chandigarh, May 22
Maj Dimple Singla, who is being tried by a general court martial (GCM) on charges of professional impropriety, today sought adjournment of the GCM proceedings on the grounds that the Punjab and Haryana High Court has summoned all records pertaining to the case.

COMMUNITY

Chandigarh, May 22 A DNA report by the local Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CSFL) has bailed Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, out of the baby-swapping controversy. In fact, the GMCH authorities had been at the receiving end of the allegations of the swapping of a baby boy with a baby girl. Shagufta Praveen of Mauli Jagran leveled the allegations. A jubilant Shagufta with her daughter Mehak in Chandigarh on Tuesday. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

MC to upgrade infrastructure in nine villages
Chandigarh, May 22
The Chandigarh municipal corporation has decided to upgrade the existing infrastructure in all nine villages that were recently transferred to the corporation by the UT administration.

Malba dumps altering city’s topography

Chandigarh, May 22 With “planned dumping” of malba at various low-lying areas in the city, the Chandigarh municipal corporation is fast changing the topography of the city that can have far-reaching consequences. Heaps of malba dumped at a low-lying area in Chandigarh. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Drug Abuse
Cops shrug off responsibility
Chandigarh, May 22
A day after the Chandigarh Tribune reported consumption of banned correction fluids by children of Bapu Dham, things have not changed much. For the addicted children, most of whom have been abandoned by their families, it was business as usual today.

Chemical plant fire claims life Rajpura, May 22 A worker of Siel Chemicals at Damanheri village, near here, was burnt to death and two others were injured in a fire this afternoon. According to sources, the fire broke out in the heap of bags of bleaching powder when about 25 workers were working in the plant. While the rest of the workers ran away three workers, Joga Singh, Baljinder Singh and Amir Singh, were seriously injured. One of the injured in the factory fire at Damanheri village, near Rajpura, on Tuesday. — Photo by J.S. Virdi

Youngsters enjoy a game of cricket during the Punjab bandh in Mohali on Tuesday. — Tribune photo by Vicky Gharu

ZP meeting on May 30
Panchkula, May 22
A meeting to discuss the no-confidence motion against Zila Parishad chief Varinder Singh will be held on May 30 at the district secretariat. Deputy commissioner Neerja Shekhar finalised the date of the meeting after receiving a representation by parishad members Umesh Kumar, Rajender Singh, Pankho Devi, Kamla Devi, Tripti Devi, Poonam Devi and Ram Singh.

Sant Samaj: Centre must ban dera
Chandigarh, May 22
The All-India Sikh Students Federation and the Sant Samaj today praised the Hindu community for its contribution towards making Punjab bandh a success today.

Nothing amiss in IPL, claims official
Chandigarh, May 22 Reacting to a news-item, "CBI sleuths swoop down on stockist of Indian Potash Ltd", carried in these columns on October 19, 2006, the Senior Regional Manager of Indian Potash Limited has asserted that the inferences drawn in the news report have been found to be baseless.

• Letters

CRIME

Chain-snatching
ASI nabs 5 women after long chase
Panchkula, May 22
The police today claimed to have solved at least 10 cases of chain snatching with the arrest of five women of a gang active in the area. The arrests came following a 10-km chase by the Barwala police post in charge ASI Narinder.

BUSINESS

Another radio taxi service
Chandigarh, May 22
The City Beautiful will soon get another player in the radio taxi service. V-Link Taxis, a leading fleet management company, will soon launch its services in Chandigarh.

EDUCATION

PU CET result before May 26
Chandigarh, May 22
Panjab University will declare the result of the Common Entrance Test (CET) 2007 before May 26. The test was held on May 20. Stating this here today, the vice-chancellor said the results of all other examinations conducted by the university would be declared by mid-June.

Firm hired to clean school water tanks

Chandigarh, May 22 Taking a serious note of contaminated water which schoolchildren, especially those studying in government schools, are compelled to drink, the Chandigarh administration has engaged the services of a Mumbai-based water tank-cleaning company, Tanclean. DPI (S) S.K. Setia at a demonstration by a water tank-cleaning company at GMSSS-16, Chandigarh, on Tuesday. — Tribune photo by Vinay Malik

Errant teachers to face the music
Chandigarh, May 22
Teachers beware! If you are caught doing any activity other than taking class during the period, you will be taken to task. For, the education department has formed special teams to take notice of it.

A rendezvous with nature
Chandigarh, May 22
“Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” a young student asked UT director environment Ishwar Singh and his answer summed up today’s relevance. “If we have the answer to that one, we will master nature,” he smiled.

PU to observe ‘No Vehicle Day’
Chandigarh, May 22
Members of Yuvsatta hailed the decision of PU vice-chancellor professor R.C. Sobti to observe the coming World Environment Day as ‘No Vehicle Day’ on the university campus.

• From Schools . . .
• . . . & From Colleges

HEALTH

131,072 given polio drops
Chandigarh, May 22
As many as 131,072 children in the age group of 0-5 years were administered two additional drops of polio vaccine in Chandigarh during the three-day pulse polio campaign which concluded today.

SPORTS

Chandigarh trounce Bathinda Mohali, May 22 On the second day of the final match’s 1st innings, Chandigarh’s wreckers-in chief Anshul Tripathi and Gurinder helped the team to clean sweep the Bathinda team during the Punjab state inter-district u-17 tournament for the M.L. Markan Trophy 2007-2008. A Bathinda batsman plays a shot during a match with Chandigarh at the PCA stadium, Mohali, on Tuesday. — A Tribune photograph

Cricket tourney postponed
Mohali, May 22
Keeping in view the current situation in Punjab, the inter-district u-13 tournament, scheduled to begun from May 25, has been postponed till further communication.

Farheen strikes hat-trick

Chandigarh, May 22 Farheen of St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, Chandigarh, completed hat trick by winning the women’s, girls’ junior and girls’ sub-junior title in the 10th St Stephen’s Carrom Ranking Tournament that concluded at the school in Sector 45 today. A carrom match in progress during the finals of 10th St Stephen’s Carrom Ranking Tournament at the school in Sector 45, Chandigarh, on Tuesday. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

Hot weather meet kicks off today
Chandigarh, May 22
The Chandigarh Hot Weather Cricket Tournament, being organised by the Chandigarh sports department, will commence tomorrow with a pool D second-round match between DAV Public School-15 B and Sector 16 Cricket Stadium XI at the stadium in Sector 16 here.

ADMINISTRATION

DA of UT pensioners raised
Chandigarh, May 22
The Chandigarh administration has enhanced the rates of dearness relief being given to pensioners or family pensioners of the Union Territory from the existing 29 per cent to 35 per cent with effect from January 1, an official press note said today.

NGOs invited for grant-in-aid
Chandigarh, May 22
To promote social welfare activities, the Chandigarh administration has invited applications from registered non-government and voluntary organisations for grant-in-aid.