NEIGHBOURHOOD

Murder case of two watchmen cracked, 3 held
Tribune News Service

Bassi Pathana, August 7
All the members of the Indian Medical Association in the town today suspended OPD in their clinics and nursing homes for two hours from 9 am to 11 am in protest against the failure of the police to arrest those responsible for the attack on doctors and their nursing homes at various parts of the state.

The doctors, led by Dr Mohinder Singla, IMA district president, submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner.

Dr Singla said state IMA had taken the decision to lodge peaceful protest and to urge the government to arrest the culprits.

He said all the doctors in Bassi Pathana, Sirhind, Mandi Gobindgarh, Amloh and Khamano towns of the district observed complete bandh for two hours.

He said through the memorandum they had urged the state government to issue
an ordinance on Andhra Pardesh pattern for the security of medicare professionals
and institutes.

Patiala, August 7
Department of Correspondence Courses, Punjabi University, has started four new job-oriented courses from the current academic session.

These courses include, Master of Science in Information Technology, PG Diploma in Computer Applications, Bachelor of Computer Applications and Certificate Course in Computer Applications.

This initiative aims at providing professional and technical education to those students, especially rural girls, who can’t afford to attend regular classes due to financial and social constraints.

According to Dr S M Verma, Head of the Department Correspondence Courses, “For these courses, students would be required to pay very less fees as compared to the private institutes.”

Students will be given study material in accordance with the course content. While the eligibility for M Sc (IT) and PG Diploma in Computer Applications will be graduation, for BCA and CCA it will be 12th pass, he added.

Patiala, August 7
Widespread rainfall in the region has come as a boon for both the power starved Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) and the people of Punjab as board authorities have now made it clear that there will be a drastic reduction in power cuts.

Y.S. Ratra, chairman, PSEB, said the demand of power had fallen from 1871 lakh units on July 30 to between 1550 lakh units and 1600 lakh units owing to good rainfall in major parts of Punjab, including Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Ferozepur, Ludhiana and Patiala districts.

Subsequently 10 to 15 hours of power supply are being given by the board to agriculture consumers. He further informed that presently only 30 to 90 minute power cuts were being imposed in the state.

Board has already started getting 24 lakh units of power from Madhya Pradesh after the matter was taken up with the managing director of Madhya Pradesh Power Trading Company. Besides, additional 19 lakh units have also been arranged from Rajasthan SLDC.

The chairman observed that despite the best efforts by PSEB to arrange power, there had been setbacks, as National Thermal Power Corporation had shut down one unit each of Unchahaar Thermal Plant (210MW) and Rihand Thermal Plant (500MW) for annual maintenance for one month.

Residents said the retaining wall of NH-22, opposite to the old Bawri, was getting deplorable and could collapse any time.

Mohali, August 7
Prevalent over-age problem in local cricket today marred the final match of the PCA Boost Cricket Cup for under 16 boys at the Yadavindra Public School, here today.

The teams, scheduled to meet in the title clash, were Yadavindra Public School and APJ, Kharar.

Though APJ, Kharar, had won the match by 10 runs, the YPS cricket management claimed that the disciplinary committee of the tournament would decide the status of the match after considering their complaint, which they had lodged even before its starting.

The YPS cricket management alleged that the rival team was fielding over-aged players in the match.

“To accommodate the over-aged players, the APJ’s coach tampered with the players’ list by using fluid. The team fielded four such players in the title clash to win it,” alleged Praveen Singh, manager, YPS team.

Meanwhile, APJ set target of 135, scoring 134 all out in rain-curtailed 32-over match. In reply, the YPS team gave up on 124 for seven in the allotted overs. APJ won the match by 10 runs.

“We have lodged a formal complaint to the organisers. The decision of the match is still pending,” Singh said.

Chandigarh, August 7
Thirtynine-year-old Amandeep Johl of Chandigarh, who has gone in for a change in his swing, was tied 33rd with a two-day par 142 score when an afternoon downpour forced officials to abandon play at 4.15 pm today in the $ 3,10,000 Worldwide Selangor Masters at Petailing Jaya in Malaysia.

Only 58 players could complete their second round. The remaining field would resume the round at 7.50 am tomorrow.

First round leader Chinnarat Phadungsil of Thailand, who shot a 64 yesterday, was amongst those affected by the adverse weather.

Another Chandigarh golfer, Harmeet Kahlon, who turns 38 on September 15, could not play a single hole because of the inclement weather.

He will tee off his second round play tomorrow morning. Harmeet had played a par 71 card on the opening day of the Asian Tour event.

Amandeep Johl, who is learning from his swing guru Donato di Pozanano regularly in Italy and gets tutelage from Jessie Grewal whenever he is in Chandigarh, fired an eagle on the 13th for an opening day score of two under par 69.

On the second day, he was going well with a two under par till the 11th hole. But then adverse weather conditions saw him bogey four times for a two over par 73 card. His two-day par score of 142 places him joint 33rd.

Gaganjeev Bhullar of Kapurthala double-bogeyed the second and lost a stroke on the third when he had to rush to the club house for shelter with a three over in three holes in the second round. His opening day score was two over par 73.

Hard-hitter Gurbaaz Mann, also of Chandigarh, was poorly placed after finishing second round with a miserable nine over par 151. He is unlikely to make the cut.

Two-time Asian Tour number one Thongchai Jadeewas is in irrepressible form as he rolled in an eagle and seven birdies and conceded one bogey for a two-day total of nine-under-par 133.

Malaysian Ben Leong, winner of the last two events on home soil in recent weeks, and compatriot Iain Steel are leading the chasing pack on 136 along with Australian Adam Blyth and Chawalit Plaphol of Thailand.

Chandigarh, August 7
Chandigarh Women Hockey Association (CWHA) has selected probables for coaching camp in preparation of the forthcoming national championship.

According to Chanchal Randhawa, president, Chandigarh Women Hockey Association, the camp starts from August 11.

The camp will be held at St Stephen’s -45. The final team will be selected for the 21st Sub-Junior Girls National Championship.

CRIME

Helmet saves the day for cop
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, August 7
Helmet saved the day for a policeman who escaped unhurt after he was hit in the head with a with log by a robbery accused here today.

While the helmet broke into two with the impact, head constable Ram Singh was lucky to escape injuries.

According to the police, the head constable was attacked when he had gone to the house of the accused in Sector 16 to investigate a case of robbery.

Two other policemen — assistant sub-inspector Krishan and constable Joginder — were also roughed up by the accused, alleged the police officials.

SHO of police station-5 Mukesh Kumar said Pintoo, a junk dealer from Budhanpur village, lodged a complaint with the police alleging that Rajinder and Rajiv, both residents of Sector 16, had snatched Rs 50,000 and a motor cycle from him when he had gone to the Sector 16 market today.

He had gone there to make a payment. Both accused were known to the junk dealer, said the SHO.

Following the complaint, a police party consisting of ASI Krishan, head constable Ram Singh and constable Joginder was sent to the house of one of the accused, who in turn attacked the policemen with a log as soon as they entered the house.

Incidentally, the head constable, who entered the house first, had not removed his helmet. The other policemen were also attacked when they came to rescue Ram Singh. Later, SHO Mukesh reached the scene along with backup staff and arrested the accused.