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TOP STORIES

Police intensifies night patrolling
Chandigarh, December 16
With Christmas and New Year round the corner, the Chandigarh Police has intensified night patrolling from tonight.

Plans to go ‘underground’
Chandigarh, December 16
After establishing a hi-tech police control room on the fifth floor of the police headquarters at a cost of Rs 1.25 crore in September last year, the UT police has now mooted a proposal for setting up a sophisticated underground control room.

New Year Gift to Residents
Pay more, get less water
MC proposes 12 pc hike in tariff; 1-hr cut in supply
Chandigarh, December 16
Pay more for less water is the clear message for city residents following the UT administration’s decision to divert six million gallons per day (MGD) of water to Haryana from next year.

Mayoral Polls
Cong wary of cross voting
Chandigarh, December 16
Cross voting holds the key to the Mayoral elections scheduled for January 1, 2011. Even as it is a must-win situation for the ruling Congress, taking lessons from the 2007 Mayoral polls, the party is leaving no stone unturned to see its candidate through.

City’s oldest dispensary faces shortage of doctors
Chandigarh, December 16
The word “improvement” seems to have a different meaning for the UT Health Department. The oldest dispensary of the city, located in Sector 22, is left with no doctor at most of its departments even though it has been upgraded to a Community Health Centre (CHC) from a Polyclinic.

Traffic congestion on NH-22
Chandigarh, December 16 The Punjab and Haryana High Court today heard that unregulated developments and settlements in Pinjore-Kalka belt were causing traffic congestion on the National Highway-22. In a report, Anil Kumar Dahiya, project director, National Highway Authority of India, said on an average after every 20m, a street opened directly on the national highway cutting through Pinjore and Kalka.

COMMUNITY

MC rejects GMADA’s proposal to clean N-choe
Says it is the work of development authority
Mohali, December 16
Arguments over rehris parked illegally in various parts of the town, menace of stray dogs and purchase of items for the local fire brigade marked the meeting of the municipal council held here this afternoon even as work estimates worth about Rs 5 crore were cleared by the general house.

Protest against hike in petrol prices
Chandigarh, December 16
The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) on Thursday held a demonstration to protest against the hike in petrol prices. The activists gathered at the party office in Sector 33 and marched towards Sectors 20, 33 labour chowk.


Activists of the BJYM stage a protest at Sector 33 in Chandigarh on Thursday. A Tribune photograph

Jat Yamla...

Dharmendra with his wife Parkash Kaur at the Chandigarh airport on Thursday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Panj Takht tourist train to start from Jan 1
Mohali, December 16
“Panj Takht Tourist Train” for those interested in paying obeisance at five takhts will be flagged off from Amritsar on January 1 next year. This was stated by Hira Singh Gabria , Minister for Tourism, Culture and Jails, here yesterday. He said the Punjab government with the help of private sector would run the train for the benefit of NRIs and people of Punjab.

‘Cheated’ farmers to protest against bank
Mohali, December 16
Some farmers of nearby villages, whose land was acquired by the Punjab government, have threatened to organise a dharna against the indifferent attitude of bank officials and the police towards the misappropriation of money running into crores of rupees allegedly by bank employees. Addressing a press conference here today, Dashmesh Gill of Lakhnour said Kotak Mahindra Bank officials had approached farmers when their land was acquired.

EDUCATION

HEALING TOUCH

Members of the Commonwealth team interact with inmates of the Blind Institute in Sector 26, Chandigarh, on Thursday. Tribune photo: Parvesh Chauhan

PU signs MoU with hospitals
20 pc discount to staff on all medical facilities
Chandigarh, December 16
Fulfilling a long pending demand of the Panjab University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) and PU Non-Teaching Employees’ Association (PUSA), Panjab University has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indus Hospital and Silver Oaks Hospital, Mohali, and Mukat Hospital, Chandigarh, for providing concession in indoor and outdoor medical treatments to its employees and bonafide regular students. The MoU will provide 20 per cent discount on all medical facilities provided in the hospitals. The collaboration comes after a sub-committee constituted by the Vice-Chancellor and headed by Dr D Dhawan, chief medical officer (CMO), PU, Dr R Khullar, additional CMO, Dr RK Gupta (member, reimbursement committee), Dr Jaspal Kaur Kaang (president PUTA), and Ravinder Mohan Trikha (general secretary, PUSA) visited these hospitals to assess the infrastructure and available medical facilities.

From Schools
Foundation day
CHANDIGARH: The KVS regional incentive awards ceremony was held to commemorate the KVS foundation day at 3BRD, Chandigarh. Chief guest Air Commodore R Sharma and AFWAA president Sangita Sharma was welcomed by Assistant Commissioner MS Chauhan, KVS (CR). Fourteen teachers were given the incentive award for their valuable services. A token of gratitude was also given to ex-KVS officers for their valuable contribution to make KVS reach heights.

Students perform at the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan founder’s day celebrations in Chandigarh. A Tribune photograph

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Two held for taking bribe
Ambala, December 16
The vigilance bureau, Ambala, has nabbed two employees of the Regional Transport Authority, Ambala, for taking bribe of Rs 1,000 from a cloth merchant Ashwani Kumar.

‘PM should make farmers report public’
Fatehgarh Sahib, December 16
SAD general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra has demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should make the report of farmers’ group public.

Conference
Ambala: MM Engineering College, Mullana, is organising “Hydro-2010”, a three-day national conference on hydraulics, water resources, coastal and environmental engineering. The conference, which is being organised under the aegis of Indian Society for Hydraulics, Pune, and International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research, Spain, will conclude on December 18.

From Colleges
Chrysanthemum show
Patiala: The second edition of chrysanthemum show at Punjabi University witnessed a huge turnout. A number of varieties were displayed during the show. The university authorities have decided to set up a flower valley on the campus covering an area of 10 acres around the university guest house, Waris Bhawan and university observatory.

Vijay Diwas: Black Elephant Division salutes martyrs
Patiala, December 16
The Black Elephant Division commemorated the 39th anniversary of Vijay Diwas with a solemn wreath laying ceremony at the Cenotaph War Memorial, here today. Vijay Diwas is observed on December 16 to mark India’s decisive military victory over Pakistan on December 16, 1971, and resulting in the formation of Bangladesh.


Army personnel pay homage to martyrs at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Patiala on Thursday. Tribune photos: Rajesh Sachar

Girl, father killed in accident
Fatehgarh Sahib, December 16
A one-year-old girl and her father were killed in an accident, near Jakhwali village, here this evening. The mother of the girl was critical and was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Patiala.

COURTS

NRI’s deportation
HC summons MHA official
Chandigarh, December 16
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has found fault with the Centre’s claim of reconsidering an NRI’s case against deportation; and has summoned an officer not below the deputy secretary’s rank from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Rape on Wheels
Doctor’s statements recorded
Fails to identify victim’s clothes
Chandigarh, December 16
The statements of the doctor in the eight-year-old gangrape case involving former UT Home Secretary NK Jain as the accused were recorded in the court today. Dr Avneet Kaur, the doctor who medically examined the victim, failed to identify the clothes of the victim.

4 get life term for murder
Chandigarh, December 16
The Court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, GC Garg, awarded life term to four youths in a murder case. The accused, Rajinder, alias Bhura of Maloya, along with his accomplices Mandeep, alias Gaggi, Avtar and Gurpreet, alias Babbu, all residents of Saini Majra village, Mohali, had murdered 25-year-old Navin John in Maloya last year.

Quark’s petition on toxic ash disposed of
Chandigarh, December 16
Nearly a decade ago, the state of Punjab announced its decision of making Mohali a knowledge city; and promised state-of-the-art facilities to multinational giants setting up their businesses. But, after coming to the city, they found pollution and even “ash in the air”.

Defamation case against Gadkari
Chandigarh, December 16
Chandigarh Congress councillor Chandermukhi Sharma has filed a defamation suit against BJP national president Nitin Gadkari under Sections 499/500 of the IPC today.

CRIME

Excise Dept Exam
5 booked for cheating, breach of trust
Chandigarh, December 16
The police has booked five persons, including Haryana Additional Excise and Taxation Commissioner in connection with the leakage of question papers of the Haryana excise department exam for the promotion of inspectors.

20-kg poppy husk seized, 2 held
Chandigarh, December 16
Two persons were arrested with 20 kg of poppy husk in a Punjab Roadways bus here today. The bus driver and conductor caught them, who then handed them to the police.

Hit-and-run cases
Notice of motion to admn, Home Secy, IGP
Chandigarh, December 16
A Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court comprising Chief Justice Mukul Moudgil and Justice Ranjan Gogoi today issued notice of motion to the Chandigarh Administration, Home Secretary and Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on a public interest litigation by Advocate HC Arora seeking immediate action in hit and run cases.

Motel worker booked for stealing jewellery
Zirakpur, December 16
The Zirakpur police has booked Deva, who was working in Satyam Motel situated on Pabhat road on charges of criminal breach of trust. The case has been registered on the complaint of Gurcharan Kaur, a resident of Shimla, Himachal Pardesh.

6 rounded up for drinking publically
Chandigarh, December 16
The UT Police rounded up six youths, including two girls, for drinking in a car at the parking lot near the Chandigarh Club tonight. The police control room van while on patrolling spotted the youths drinking in a car at the parking lot of the Chandigarh Club and handed them over to the Sector 3 police station.

SPORTS

Smriti clinches 7th leg by one stroke
Saaniya fires eagle on last day
Chandigarh, December 16
Seasoned Smriti Mehra from Kolkata survived a brace of double bogeys on the last two holes to clinch the seventh leg of Hero Honda Women’s Professional Golf Tour on the par-72 greens of Chandigarh Golf Club here today.

Basketball Association Dispute
Higher authorities’ intervention sought
Chandigarh, December 16
An acrimonious dispute appears to have arisen in the Chandigarh Basketball Association (CBA), with its 17 member units having sought the intervention of top sports authorities to conduct the much delayed elections of the association.

AITA Tennis Meet
Paramveer, Udyan to clash in final
Chandigarh, December 16
Paramveer Singh Bajwa and Udyan Bhakar set up the title clash in the boys’ under-12 category in the AITA Talent Series Tennis Tournament for U-12 and U-16 boys and girls at the CLTA, Sector 10, here today.

Players in action during a tennis match at the CLTA Complex in Chandigarh on Thursday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

PU book berth in semis
Chandigarh, December 16
A superb unbeaten ton (107 runs off 167 balls) by Kunal Mahajan steered Panjab University (PU) team to register five-wicket win over Kurukshetra University (KU) in the ongoing North Zone Inter-Varsity Cricket Tournament at Kanpur today.