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TOP STORIES

A village of changed fortunes, dreams 
After running for luxuries, villagers have realised that there is a need to educate their children
Jheorheri (Mohali), April 21
Eighteen-year-old Gumeet Kaur is flying high these days. Life has come a full circle for her ever since her parents allowed her to pursue her dream of becoming an airhostess.
Gurmeet Kaur of Jheorheri village wants to pursue an airhostess course. Tribune photo: Parvesh Chauhan

Rodrigues relents, but partially
Restores ACR-writing powers of Mehra; silent on MHA queries on quasi-judicial powers
Chandigarh, April 21
In restoring the annual confidential report (ACR) writing powers of Adviser Pradip Mehra, UT Administrator S.F. Rodrigues seems to have relented only partially indicating that the cold war between Chandigarh's two top functionaries is far from over. While the restoration of Mehra's powers to write ACRs of his subordinates is seen is as an attempt to mollify the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which had repeatedly directed Rodrigues to restore the powers “forthwith” the administrator is yet to respond to ministry's queries on the quasi-judicial powers of the Adviser.

3 of family hurt in slum fire
Max New York Life office gutted
Chandigarh, April 21
Three members of a family, including a 12-year-old boy, were seriously hurt while two goats and around 20 chickens were charred to death in a fire that broke out in a slum in front of Sector 25 Cremation Ground late last night. In another incident, the entire second floor of Max New York Life office in Sector 8 was gutted early this morning.
Huts that were damaged in a fire at Sector 25 Colony in Chandigarh on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph

Man trapped in ATM cabin
Asked to pay Rs 7,200 for causing damage
Chandigarh, April 21
For Raj Kumar Pardasani, a resident of Sector 11, Panchkula, also a heart patient, withdrawing money from an ATM proved to be a double trouble. He was trapped in an ATM cabin and when after a lot of toil he managed to come out by breaking open the door, he was detained by bank officials for damaging their property.





Raj Kumar Pardasani narrates his predicament at the ATM cabin in Sector 17 in Chandigarh on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

COMMUNITY

CIC asks UT to implement RTI Act fully
Chandigarh, April 21
In a decision that may bring transparency in the working of the Chandigarh Administration, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has issued directions to the administration to properly implement the Right to Information Act, 2005.

Round-up
Cong, BJP garner support
Chandigarh, April 21
The Congress and the BJP candidates from the Chandigarh Parliamentary seat - Pawan Bansal and Satya Pal Jain - today got support from different quarters.
BJP’s Satya Pal Jain with SAD leader Harjinder Kaur in Chandigarh on Tuesday; and (right) NCP’s Gurbachan Singh with Congress’ Pawan Kumar Bansal. Tribune photos: S. Chandan

Cong rally kicks up row
Panchkula, April 21
The rally organised by the Congress in a public park in Sector 4 here this evening has kicked up a row with the BJP and the INLD raising objections over it on the plea that it was held without the permission from the administration. The rally was addressed by Congress candidate and sitting MP Selja Kumari.

Poll-related violence in Mohali
Mohali, April 21
In the first election-related violent incident, at least 20 supporters of the SAD-BJP and Congress were booked in two separate incidents in Phase IX last night.

A debate that never was 
Chandigarh, April 21
With elections around the corner, the political parties never miss a chance to get publicity. Given even a small opportunity to sing praises for their leaders, the party workers jump at it.

Fire Safety Week ends with fire show
Chandigarh, April 21
With the number of fire incidents increasing each day in the city, the UT fire and emergency department organised a fire show marking the concluding day of the Fire Safety Week at the Sector 17 fire station today.





A fireman in action at the fire show in the Sector 17 fire station, Chandigarh, at the concluding day of fire safety week on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Interactive session marks PR day
Chandigarh, April 21
The Chandigarh Chapter of Public Relations Society organised an interactive session to mark the National PR Day today.




Adity Dua (second from left) attends an interactive session on the National PR Day in Chandigarh on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph

20 pc duty imposed on Chinese soda-ash
Chandigarh, April 21
Finding increased imports of soda ash into India from China responsible for causing market disruption in the domestic soda-ash industry, the government has decided to impose a “safeguard duty” of 20 per cent on imports from China.

Tribune employee bereaved
Chandigarh, April 21
Lekh Raj, father of Raghubir Singh, employed in The Tribune as a Fitter at Bathinda, died here yesterday. He was cremated at his native village Jaswantgarh (Panchkula), today. He is survived by wife, two sons and two daughters. — TNS

EDUCATION

Kabir lad wins Abacus trophy
Chandigarh, April 21
Panchkula boy Tushaar Batheja won the national champion trophy at the 11th National Abacus competition held in New Delhi on Sunday.

PU alumnus is Additional Director, CBI
New Delhi, April 21
Balwinder Singh, an IPS officer of 1976-batch of the Andhra Pradesh cadre, has taken over as Additional Director in the Central Bureau of Investigation.

PU sets up hotel mgmt institute
Chandigarh, April 21
Panjab University has set up a new institute, the University Institute of Hotel Management and Tourism (UIHMT), to start two new courses i.e. BSc in hospitality and hotel administration and BSc in tourism from the academic session 2009-10.

Punjab teachers stage dharna
Chandigarh, April 21
Members of the Government Teachers’ Union, Punjab, today staged a dharna outside the office of the Director Public Instructions (DPI) (Secondary), Punjab, in Sector 17 here in support of their demands.


Members of the Government Teachers’ Union, Punjab, raise slogans outside the office of the DPI (Secondary), Punjab, in support of their demands in Sector 17, Chandigarh, on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Parvesh Chauhan

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Two run over by train
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 21
Two men were crushed under a speeding train in two separate incidents. The bodies of the deceased have been kept in the mortuary of the civil hospital for identification.

It’s one-man show at Fatehgarh Sahib fire station 
Lone officer performs jobs of driver, fire fighter, rescuer
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 21
It may sound bizarre, but it’s true that the district fire office in Fatehgarh Sahib, which is supposed to cater to 82 villages, answers distress calls of only those who are “personally” known to the fire officer. To a layman, this may seem as if fire tenders are sent to douse flames only on ‘sifarish’, but the truth is that the fire station has no direct telephone line or 101 facility.

Man commits suicide, 5 booked
Rajpura, April 21
The local police had booked five people today after a resident of Rajpura committed suicide by jumping into a river. In her complaint to the police, Usha Rani, wife of the deceased, Satish Kumar, alleged that Jeewan Kumar, Subhash Kumar and three others had been threatening her husband and were not returning the money they had taken from him.

SAD playing with kin’s sentiments: Bhattal
Ropar, April 21
The state government had suddenly woken up to woes of families of farmers who had committed suicide. This was a mere poll plank the SAD-BJP government was playing to ensure victory in the forthcoming elections, said Congress leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal.

COURTS

HC directs registry to furnish details
Chandigarh, April 21
The Punjab and Haryana High Court wants proactive approach to be adopted while dealing with cases involving the interests of minor- maintenance and property sale matters included.

HC issues notice to Haryana
Chandigarh, April 21
Taking up a petition on the sale of gold coins and pendants by Shri Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board, Justices Jagdish Singh Khehar and Uma Nath Singh of the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued notice of motion for July 13 to the State of Haryana and other respondents.

Man gets 10-yr RI for possessing charas
Chandigarh, April 21
Additional District and Sessions Judge R.S. Attri has sentenced a Jalandhar resident, Navin Kumar Uppal, to 10-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) for possessing charas.

CRIME

One killed, 4 injured in road mishaps
Chandigarh, April 21
Shiv Raj Vohra, a 61-year-old Panchkula resident, was crushed to death by an unidentified speeding vehicle near Kalagram, here this morning. Besides, four two-wheeler riders were injured in the past 48 hours in different road accidents.

Woman hangs herself to death
Mohali, April 21
A 30-year-old married woman allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself in her house in Sector 69 here today. The deceased, Pooja Sandhu, was found hanging from the ceiling fan by her hudband, Vipin Sandhu.

Woman accuses kin of stealing car
Chandigarh, April 21
Savita Rani, a resident of Sector 10, alleged that her brother-in-law Manjinder Singh forcibly took away her Honda City car (CH-03-N 5731) today.

SPORTS

NPS outclass Baptist school
Chandigarh, April 21
Host New Public School (NPS), Sector 18, cagers outclassed Chandigarh Baptist School by 31-17 in the girls’ section on the second day of the Youth State Basketball Championship being held on their premises, here today.

Kappv fashions MCA win
Mohali, April 21
A fine unbeaten knock of 54 runs and magnificent bowling of Kappv (five for 58) enabled MCA team to beat APJ team by seven wickets during the CCA Under-13 Cup 30 overs A-side Tournament held at MCA ground here today.