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2 injured in fire at factory
Machinery, chemical worth crores destroyed
Dera Bassi, April 18
Two persons sustained burns and machinery, including chemicals, worth crores was damaged in a major fire that broke out at a factory of Punjab Chemical and Crop Protection Limited here in the wee hours of today.

Smoke billows out from a factory that caught fire at Dera Bassi on Saturday. A Tribune photograph

• Liquor vend gutted

Corporal Punishment
When guru turns monster
Chandigarh, April 18
Is corporal punishment for “under achievers” at schools justified? Rules say “no”, but some feel that “fear” is necessary as it induced a child to study, regardless of the fact that the trauma suffered in school affects a child throughout his life.

Bansal’s assets stand at Rs 3.52 cr
Chandigarh, April 18
The assets of the Congress candidate and MP, Pawan Kumar Bansal, have more than doubled in the past five years. As per the affidavit filed by him along with his nomination papers here today, his assets, including property, jewellery, cash, share, bonds and debenture stand at Rs 3.52 crore.

COMMUNITY

Candidates file nomination papers
Chandigarh, April 18
Four nominations papers were filed on the second day by the candidates of various political parties and independent candidates with four covering candidates.

Anwar’s assets Rs 2 crore
Chandigarh, April 18
Accompanied by party president, Ravinder Kishan and thousands of his supporters, RJD candidate Haffiz Anwar-Ul-Haq, filed his nomination papers for the Chandigarh parliamentary seat with great fanfare and on the beat of drums.

IPL fever: Parties may rejig their campaign
Chandigarh, April 18
Soaring temperature and the IPL fever may force the parties to rejig their election campaigns. After pushing the campaigning in the early morning and late evening hours due to the rise in the day temperature, now the parties are planning to make necessary changes in the timings keeping in mind the second season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches, which began today.

BJP, Cong activists join BSP
Chandigarh, April 18
While BSP candidate Harmohan Dhawan promised better living conditions for the housing societies, Congress candidate Pawan Bansal stressed on the need for providing “affordable houses.”

Goyal promises better sports facilities
Chandigarh, April 18
Ajay Goyal, an independent candidate, has promised to make the Chandigarh a sports city of India. Being an active sportsman he is contesting for the Lok Sabha elections from here.

‘Curb misuse of technology to avoid disasters’
Chandigarh, April 18
Observing that technology has to be used not only for early warning of disasters but also to manage relief operations at the fastest pace, Lt Gen Ashok Agarwal (retd), president of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE), said misuse of technology should be curbed to avoid disasters.

Smouldering Tinderbox-III
An apology for fire safety
Chandigarh, April 18
A visit to the sub-city centre comprising Sector 34 showrooms exposes major violations in buildings with fire-fighting equipment in a shocking state and hardly any safety measures having been adopted.

Fire extinguishers lying in the storeroom of a Sector 34 showroom in Chandigarh. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

City lacks effective trauma care: Doctors
Chandigarh, April 18
The healthcare in city hospitals may have progressed by leaps and bounds, yet areas like emergency care for critically ill patients still lag behind. According to a PGI doctor, the lack of trained paramedics, hotline facility and ambulances often leads to more deaths.

Plot allottees protest against GMADA
Mohali, April 18
Members of the Plot Allotment Sangharsh Committee of Sectors 76-80 staged a dharna here today in protest against the failure of the GMADA authorities for holding a draw of lots for the remaining plots and also demanded the suspension of the GMADA Estate Officer (EO) for allegedly delaying the work of handing over allotment letters to plot owners.

Constable injured as pistol goes off
Panchkula, April 18
A constable of CID, Haryana, was injured with a gunshot under mysterious circumstances at the residence of a Punjab MLA in Sector 4 here today. Rajesh Kumar, the injured constable, however, said the bullet passed through touching his temple after his pistol went off accidentally. He was cleaning the pistol when it went off, resulting in the injury to him at the residence of MLA Rana Gurmeet Singh, he said.

Injured police constable at a holspital in Panchkula on Saturday. A Tribune photograph

Give peace a chance
Chandigarh, April 18
“We can move the world from culture of war to a culture of peace,” the followers of Bharat Soka Gakkai (BSG) carried the message today through photographic panels at the UN-supported exhibition.


Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University RC Sobti interacts with a volunteer at an exhibition in Chandigarh on Saturday. A Tribune photograph

Guard’s Murder
Kin to undergo lie detecting test
Panchkula, April 18
Finding no headway in the murder case of Harjinder Singh, security guard of the main post office, who was murdered by unidentified persons on January 4, the police has decided to conduct a lie detecting test on the family members of the deceased.

Atta dal scheme to woo voters
Mohali, April 18
After cashing on its populist ‘atta dal scheme’ by printing a message ‘Koi ghar Na Rahae Rukha, koi Ghar Na Sonve Pukha’ on ration cards distributed recently, the slogans are now seen on roadside hoardings across the city.

Peacock makes cops panicky
Chandigarh, April 18
A peacock, which injured itself by repeatedly putting its neck in an exhaust fan, created panic on the premises of the Punjab Police Headquarters in Sector-9 today. The peacock was spotted at around 10 am in the election cell office at ground floor.

A peacock which created panic at Punjab Police Headquarters in Sector 9, Chandigarh, on Saturday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Kingfisher starts direct flight to Jammu
Chandigarh, April 18
Kingfisher Airlines today started a direct flight from Chandigarh to Jammu and Srinagar thereby making access to the Vaishnodevi Shrine for the city residents easier.

BSNL launches special schemes for broadband users
Chandigarh, April 18
BSNL has launched a special scheme for the broadband users. It will offer discounts to those using broadband beyond their free limit.

EDUCATION

PU: Free education for visually impaired
Chandigarh, April 18
In a major decision taken during the Syndicate meeting, Panjab University is all set to provide free education to its visually impaired students.

Tips given to adolescents on health
Chandigarh, April 18
Under an adolescent education programme (AEP), a one-hour workshop for girls of classes VI, VII and VIII was organised at KB DAV School, Sector 7, here today.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Mud-slinging scores over core issues
Anandpur Sahib, April 18
Busy with mud-slinging and calling each other names, candidates contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the Anandpur Sahib constituency have forgotten the core issues.

LS Poll
Double ballot units likely to be used at Patiala
Observers descend on constituency
Patiala, April 18
The Election Commission will have to place double ballot units (DBUs) with each EVM at all 1,558 polling booths as 34 candidates have filed their nomination papers till today for the Patiala Parliamentary constituency, a centre of prestige for both the ruling SAD-BJP combine and the Congress.

Desertion by party men setback for Preneet
Patiala, April 18
Desertions by two senior leaders of the Congress who left the party to join the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has caused a dent in the vote bank of Preneet Kaur, Congress candidate from the Patiala parliamentary seat.

Same old issues at Fatehgarh Sahib
Politicians fail to meet long-pending demands
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 18
Nothing has changed much in areas under the Fatehgarh Sahib constituency since last elections. Voters continue to reel under same age-old problems. Even candidates contesting from this seat admit that they are listening to same old demands of the people - construction of a flyover on Lalheri road in Khanna, solution to sewerage problem in Sirhind, reduction in high levels of pollution and an under-bridge in Mandi Gobindgarh.

Railway link roads cry for repair
Kalka, April 18
Various link roads of the department of Railways has been turned into deplorable state for last more than two years, due to the apathetic attitude of the inspection of works (IOW) department.

Karamchari Dal extends support to sacked teachers
Bassi Pathana, April 18
The Punjab State Karamchari Dal has extended support to the teachers of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College, Fatehgarh Sahib, who are on strike.

Five booked for fraud
Lalru, April 18
The local police registered a case of fraud against an NRI husband, including four persons, on the complaint of resident of Sarsini village Hakam Singh Sarwara today. The accused has been identified as resident of Sector 46, Chandigarh, Davinder Singh Mavi, resident of UK Kulbir Singh, advocate Notary Public State, Sector 17, Chandigarh, Naresh Kumar, resident of Dharamgarh village, Mohali, Gyan Singh and Ranjit Singh. The accused are still absconding, the police said.

Amarinder expresses concern over plight of Pak Sikhs
Patiala, April 18
Expressing concern over the plight of Sikhs putting up in tribal areas near Peshawar in North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan, former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has said he would strive to do whatever possible for the Pak Sikhs and would also apprise Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about problems being faced by them.

Independent candidate files nomination
Ropar, April 18
Daljit Singh, an independent candidate from Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha constituency, filed his nomination papers here today.

Senior secondary status for Lajpat school
Bassi Pathana, April 18
Conceding a pending demand of the area, Punjab School Education Board has given the status of Senior Secondary School to Lajpat Rai High School.

Parents urge authorities to settle issue
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 18
A section of parents of students studying in Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College today met the college authorities and urged them to resolve the ongoing tiff between the college staff and trust.

Talk on drug research
Banur, April 18
A conference on ‘Advances in Pharmaceutical Technology and Drug Research’ by the faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swami Vivekanand College of Pharmacy, was inaugurated on its Central Campus today.

Annual fest at polytechnic
Banur, April 18
The annual function of SUS Polytechnic College, Tangori, was celebrated here today on the college campus.

COURTS

Attempt to sodomise boy, man gets 5-yr jail
Chandigarh, April 18
Additional District and Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Sondhi today sentenced Ram Darshan, a resident of Nehru Colony, to five years in prison for attempting to sodomise a child. He has been convicted under Sections 377 read with 511, 366, 367 and 323 of the IPC.

Graft Case: CBI to send voice samples to forensic lab
Chandigarh, April 18
Special CBI court of Jagdeep Jain today allowed the CBI to take the voice samples of suspended Sub Inspector Sanjeev Kumar and president of Sector-17 Subash Kataria, who was arrested in a graft case from the Neelam police post last year.

CRIME

One booked for impersonation
Chandigarh, April 18
Sumit Dhaiya has been arrested from DAV College, Sector 10, for allegedly attempting a BA Part III paper in place of Kuldeep Singh. The superintendent of examination centre in the college on detecting the deception, called the police and lodged a complaint against Sumit Dhaiya. A case under Sections 419 and 420 of the IPC was registered against the accused at Sector 3 police station today.

Auto driver killed in accident
Zirakpur, April 18
A driver of an autorickshaw was killed in a head-on collision between an autorickshaw and a truck on the Zirkapur-Patiala road here late this evening.

SPORTS

Bhullar shoots 97 birdies
Chandigarh, April 18
Gaganjeet Bhullar, who finished in the top-10 in the last three Asian Tour events, has emerged as the birdie leader after playing in six tournaments of the Asian Tour.

Golf coaching camp from May 5
Chandigarh, April 18
With the summer vacation ahead, the Chandigarh Golf Club will open its greens for non-members for a junior coaching programme starting on May 5.

CCA prevail over APJ
Chandigarh, April 18
An opening wicket stand of 132 runs by Vineet Dhaka and Arjit Singh ensured an easy win of Chandigarh Cricket Academy (CCA) over APJ Cricket Academy by 10 wickets in a league match of the CCA U-13 Cup at the Guru Nanak Public School here today.

A batsman plays a shot during a cricket match in Chandigarh on Saturday. Tribune photo: S.Chandan

Joginder, Pratibha win half-marathon
Panchkula, April 18
Joginder Singh of DAV College, Chandigarh, and Pratibha of Guru Nanak College, Yamunanagar, emerged winners in the state-level half marathon of 21 km in men’s and women’s category, respectively, organised and sponsored by Swami Devi Dyal Group of Professional Institutions, Barwala, here today.