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TOP STORIES

Central pay scale for UT teachers to stay: CAT
Chandigarh, December 8
Coming down heavily on the Chandigarh administration, the Central Administrative Tribunal has restrained it from withdrawing the existing pay scale under the central pattern of the school teachers in UT. The administration was directed to pay school teachers according to the central pay scales than Punjab pay scales.

VIP brat booked for drunken driving
Rams into car and motorcyclist
Chandigarh, December 8
A “drunken” VIP brat created a scene on city roads this morning, hitting vehicles coming in his way and creating panic by pulling out a “pistol” on the road to shoo away the chasing police. The accused has been identified as Abhishek Tiwari, son of former ADGP, Punjab, BP Tiwari.

DAV staff issues dominate senate meet
Chandigarh, December 8
The proceedings of the Panjab University senate meeting today were dominated by the issues of leave encashment and provident fund of the employees of two local DAV colleges. The meeting lasted for eight hours.

Tepid response to mayors’ conference
Chandigarh, December 8
The two-day All-India Mayors’ Conference, which commenced here today, has received a tepid response with only 24 of the 114 mayors invited by the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation turning up for the conference.

Mayor’s Conference
Delegates for good local governance
Chandigarh, December 8
Three sessions were held at the All-India Mayors’ Conference here today. These included discussions on powers of urban local bodies, in which problems were highlighted by M. Ramchandran, secretary, ministry of urban development, Government of India.

COMMUNITY

Playback singer Sukhwinder performs at the ICL Twenty20 cricket tournament at Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Panchkula, on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Vinay Malik

Govt not focussed on anti-tobacco drive: Expert
Chandigarh, December 8
“The government was working in divergent directions while tackling tobacco use in the country, as with increasing the budget to Rs 450 crore in the 11th Five Year Plan from a meager Rs 8 crore in the 10th plan it extended an incentive of Rs 75 crore to the tobacco promotion board,” said Dr Shekhar Salkar, a cancer surgeon and general secretary of the National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication, here today.

Misuse Of Domestic LPG Cylinders
Oil cos to get tough with violators
Chandigarh, December 8
The rampant misuse of LPG cylinders meant for domestic use during the ongoing marriage season has prompted the oil companies to get tough with the unscrupulous consumers.

ASC celebrates 247th anniversary
Chandigarh, December 8
The Army Service Corps (ASC), the oldest logistic component of the Army, celebrated its 247th anniversary at the Headquarters Western Command in Chandimandir today.

Major-Gen G.S. Dhillon, head of Western Command’s ASC branch, lays a wreath at the Veer Smriti war memorial to mark the corp’s 247th anniversary in Chandimandir on Saturday. — A Tribune photograph

Navy gives ‘wings’ to a journalist
Chandigarh, December 7
The Indian Navy today awarded ‘wings’ to a journalist for completing a sky diving course at its training centre INS Dega near Vishakhapatam.

Panj Piaras take part in a Nagar Kirtan in connection with the Martyrdom Day of Guru Teg Bahadur in Chandigarh on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

Double Suicide
Bodies handed over to kin
Chandigarh, December 8
The police today handed over the bodies of 50-year-old Sarita and her 20-year-old daughter, who had committed suicide at their Sector-22 residence on Friday, to their family.

Young investigator award for ICMR scholar
Chandigarh, December 8
Anurag, a research fellow at the ICMR, was awarded the Young Investigator Award at the third International Conference on Polyphenols and Health (ICPH-2007) held at International Convention Centre, Kyoto, Japan, from November 25 to December 1.

Letters
Put up signboards
There is a lot of chaos on the road to Chandigarh since the construction of an overpass has started at Zirakpur. Going out of the city is not a big problem. But coming to the city is a herculean task. Confusion starts at Ambala as there is no legible signboard on the diversion to Chandigarh.

CRIME

Four vehicles stolen in city
Chandigarh, December 8
Four vehicles, including a mini truck, were stolen from the city, while a house was burgled in Sector 22. Jimmy Kansal of Sector 42 reported to the police that his Maruti car (CH 03 N 0622) was stolen from his residence last night.

BUSINESS

Biz Word
Chandigarh
INAUGURATED: Harjinder Kaur, mayor of the municipal corporation of Chandigarh today inaugurated a Batra Selections’ showroom in Sector 20-D. The showroom will have three brands - MTV clothing, Adidas and Weekender - under one roof. Harjinder Kaur hoped that the new store would go a long way in popularising fun shopping in the southern parts of the city.

EDUCATION

From Schools & Colleges
Students highlight falling standards of TV
Chandigarh, December 8
Aaghaaz, the Dramatics Club of DAV, organised the skit ‘Television Raping Public’ at the auditorium of DAV College-10 today. The skit won the first prize in the North Zone Inter-university Competitions held at Chattrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, recently. The group, under the able guidance of Ravinder Chaudhary, won the inter-college, inter-zone and also inter-university competitions this year.

WARM GESTURE: Representatives of Aryans Business School, Chandigarh, distribute winterwear among students of the Institute for the Blind, Sector 26, on Friday. Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

Brain development programme for kids
Chandigarh, December 8
After going through special programme ‘Brain Development Programme’, these kids have learnt to calculate tedious mathematical sums in no time. Imagine a child calculating 234 x 32 + 678 x 87 in a few seconds.

National conference on power reforms
Mohali, December 8
A one-day national conference on “Power reforms and its scenario in India” was organised by Shaheed Udham Singh College of Engineering and Technology (SUSCET), Tangori, here today.

Stone of school auditorium laid
Chandigarh, December 8
The foundation stone of the proposed school auditorium was laid by bishop of Shimla-Chandigarh diocese Rev Dr Gerald John Mathias at St Anne’s Convent School, Sector 32, here today.

The bishop of Shimla-Chandigarh diocese, Rev Dr Gerald John Mathias, unveils the foundation stone of the auditorium at St Anne’s Convent School, Sector 32, Chandigarh, on Saturday.

From Schools
Annual day celebrated
Zirakpur, December 8
The students of Mount View Public School, Baltana, Zirakpur, presented the cultural programme to celebrate their 8th annual function on Friday. The function started with mantra, followed with lighting of lamp by Chief Guest Capt Kanwaljit Singh, cooperation minister. This was followed by cultural programmes. A play on female foeticide and menace of NRI marriages was also staged by the students.

DAV employees stage silent protest
Chandigarh, December 8
Wearing black bands over their mouths, executive members of the MCM and DAV College Employees’ Union today staged a silent protest in front of the PU senate against the DAV management that continues to blatantly violate the statutes of the university.

COURTS

SGGSC-26 told to refund tuition fee
Chandigarh, December 8
The Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-I has directed the authorities of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College (SGGSC), Sector 26, to refund the tuition fee of Rs 27,000 to a student. They have also been told to pay Rs 2,500 in compensation along with Rs 1,100 as costs of litigation.

Arguments heard in custodial death case
Chandigarh, December 8
Arguments were heard before the framing of charges in the Mani Majra custodial death case at the district courts today.

717 cases disposed of at lok adalat
Chandigarh, December 8
The State Legal Services Authority, UT, organised a special lok adalat for disposal of traffic challan cases in the District Courts today.

CULTURE

‘I still can’t believe I have won’
Chandigarh, December 8
This one promises to be a star. But, we do not see any starry tantrums, no wading through the mob or making them wait for autographs nor do we see a new accent flaunted for that style sake. What we see is a 21-year-old blushing and smiling lad, every time the battery of journalists poses a question at him. Meet Madhu Sudan, the new Coca Cola ‘Voice of Punjab’ whose versatility in singing made him win the hearts of Punjabis.



Raman Gharu, director, Dancing Gods Motion Pictures, addresses a press conference at Chandigarh Press Club on Saturday, while Madhu Sudan (left), newly elected Voice of Punjab, looks on. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Theatre is ahead of times: Expert
Chandigarh, December 8
“A playwright or litterateur should define the country's national psyche symbolising the deepest desires and dreams of its people in his literary creations," opined former director of Doordarshan and acclaimed thespian, poet and writer Vilayet Jafri. A pioneer in the light and sound spectacle art form in the country, Jafri has authored nine books, 11 plays and 21 light and sound productions.

Vilayet Jafri addresses the audience at State Library in Sector 34, Chandigarh, on Saturday. — A Tribune photograph

SPORTS

Senior national kabaddi meet
Favouritism alleged in selection of player
Chandigarh, December 8
The Chandigarh Kabaddi Association, which allegedly fielded two outside players in the National Junior Kabaddi Championship at Hardwar last week, comes again under the scanner for selecting a favourite player for the forthcoming senior national championship at Amravati from December 12 to 16.

Sabrina, Vibhuti storm into final
Mohali, December 8
Sabrina and Vibhuti Khullar will meet each other in the final of under-12 girls’ section in the 2nd Tri-City MDLTA-STELLENT Lawn Tennis Championship that commenced at the courts of State Institute of Health and Family Welfare Complex, Phase-VI, here today.

Vibhuti in action during the MDLTA tourney at Punjab Health Corporation Systems, Phase VI, Mohali. — Tribune photo by Vicky Gharu

Balraj, Amanjot clinch gold
Chandigarh, December 8
Balraj Singh of GGD SD College, Hariana, won gold in 110m hurdle event for men during the Panjab University Inter-College Annual Athletics Meet at PU grounds, here today.

Chotu fashions NCA win
Chandigarh, December 8
An all-round performance by Chotu Singh (31 runs and 3 for 21) helped National Cricket Academy beat Twenty20 Cricket Association of Haryana by 34 runs in the Triangular Twenty20 Cricket Cup 2007 at Vivek High School, Sector 38 B, here.

Tamil Nadu coach gets Dilip Bose award
Chandigarh, December 8
Tamil Nadu tennis coach T.S. Chander Shekhar received the Dilip Bose Award for Lifetime Achievement during a function organised after the culmination of a two-day workshop for tennis coaches at Lake Club here today.

Gujarat struggle at 61 for 3
Chandigarh, December 8
Madhya Pradesh bowlers scalped three Gujarat wickets on a curtailed opening day of a four-day match of the All-India Under-19 (Plate group) for the Cooch-Bihar Trophy at DAV Senior Secondary School Sector 8, here today.

NFC register win in softball
Chandigarh, December 8
NFC beat Unique Club 9-0 in the 20th Sub-Junior State Softball Championship at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 23, here today. Also, Striker Club beat Youth Club (Junior) 3-1 in the 21st Senior Chandigarh Amateur State Softball Championship (men and women).

ADMINISTRATION

Surprise check by SSP
Chandigarh, December 8
UT SSP S.S. Srivastva carried out a surprise check on all station house officers and in-charge of police posts here late last night.

Six buses impounded
Chandigarh, December 8
The Chandigarh traffic police today impounded six roadways buses for allegedly picking up passengers from unauthorised places.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Pinjore Heritage Festival

Chaos reigns supreme Panchkula, December 8 Even as the Pinjore heritage festival entered the second day today, a massive traffic jam on the Panchkula-Pinjore highway played spoilsport with hundreds of revelers, bound for the historic Mughal gardens, stuck on the road for several hours.

Music captivates audience Pinjore, December 8 The ambience at the historical Pinjore gardens echoed with folk musical arts and a captivating ‘Qawwali Muqabla’ which enraptured the audience at the garden complex. The well-known Gulam Sabar Nizami brothers and the Qawwali Queen Chanchal Bharti swayed the audience with mollified version of Urdu and Sufiana Kalams.

Men in khakhi feel overworked
Kharar, December 8
Every fortnight, one of busiest roads of the area, suddenly becomes wider. After every kilometer or so one finds cops stationed on nakas at Kharar-Kurali road. It is an unusual sight for this narrow road that connects Punjab with UT. Courtesy, the Punjab Governor's passion for touring and fishing in Nangal and Bhakra areas.

5 injured in road mishap
Rajpura, December 8
Five members of a family today met with a serious road accident near Jangpur village when a PRTC bus overturned on the car in which they were traveling.

Body exhumed, sent to Patiala
Dera Bassi, December 7
Nineteen-year-old Akbar Ali’s body was exhumed today morning in presence of his parents, police, duty magistrate Tarsem Mittal, naib tehsildar, Dera Bassi, and other people from the Muslim community.

Convicted cop ‘killed’
Banur, December 8
The death of 34-year-old former cop Gulab Singh, who collapsed at the glass door of a local wedding palace here today, has left the police baffled as they were unable to ascertain as to what caused the death. Though the deceased's father Ajaib Singh said his son had been shot dead, the police said only a postmortem examination could ascertain the real cause of death.

Child’s body found
Ambala, December 8
The body of a 5-year-old child, Kartik, was recovered from a pond near Babiyal village close to Ambala Cantt today morning. The child, a resident of Babiyal village was missing since November 30. The parents of the child had lodged a report in the Maheshnagar police station.