Jain made UT Home Secretary
CHANDIGARH, May 18 — Mr N.K. Jain, a Haryana-based IAS officer of the 1978 batch, has been appointed Home Secretary of the Union Territory of Chandigarh after the Union Ministry for Home Affairs found a via media to bypass the objections raised by the Election Commission of India to the transfer of the present incumbent, Mrs Anuradha Gupta, who is also the Chief Election Officer of the city.

Rakesh Singh recommended for Finance Secretary’s post
CHANDIGARH, May 18 — The Chandigarh Administration has recommended the name of Mr Rakesh Singh, an IAS officer of the 1978 batch and belonging to the Punjab cadre, for the post of Finance Secretary which has been lying vacant since the repatriation of Dr G. Vajralingam to his parent state of Punjab a couple of months ago.

Advocate alleges CID surveillance
CHANDIGARH, May 18 — A senior advocate of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mr Mohan Jain, whose residence here has been the meeting place of dissident MLAs of the ruling HVP of the Haryana for long, today found a head constable of the State CID, allegedly keeping his house under surveillance along with his colleagues.

Blasts in phone instruments PANCHKULA, May 18 — Residents of at least six houses in Sector 17 here had a rude shock in the wee hours of this morning when their telephone instruments suddenly melted, preceded by a blast. To the utter surprise of the residents, their telephone instruments melted after electricity wires in front of their houses reportedly came in contact with telephone cables. The current then passed in the telephone instruments resulting in blasts. One of the affected telephone subscribers, Mr Bawa, said the cables from which the telephone connections had been given ran almost parallel to the electricity cables.

The hanging telephone cables which came in contact with electricity wires, resulting in damage to telephone instruments in several houses in Sector 7, Panchkula, on Tuesday. — A Tribune photograph

Grant for 11 PU projects lapses
CHANDIGARH, May 18 — The grant allocated by the University Grants Commission for minor research projects to Panjab University has lapsed for 11 such projects.

Panchkula judicial complex ready PANCHKULA, May 18 — The local courts are expected to start its functioning from a newly constructed judicial complex in Sector 1 here by the first week of July. The two- storeyed judicial complex, which would be inaugurated by the Chief Minister on May 20 has been constructed in a record period of over 11 months.

A view of the newly constructed judicial complex in Sector 1, Panchkula.— A Tribune photograph

LPG trucks pose traffic hazard
LALRU, May 18 — Haphazard parking of trucks, loaded with liquefied petroleum gas cylinders, along the Chandigarh-Delhi National Highway, has become a traffic hazard and a threat to public life here.

No check on corridor encroachments
CHANDIGARH, May 18--In the absence of formulation of any clear- cut anti-encroachment policy by the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh, encroachments on public land are increasing rapidly with each passing day.

Rooms, staff shortage, plague city schools
CHANDIGARH, May 18 — Majority of ordinary government schools in the city are plagued with problems of shortage of staff, rooms and other infrastructure facilities like drinking water.

Rehabilitation project faces further delay
CHANDIGARH, May 18 — The rehabilitation of mechanics in the city by the Chandigarh Administraion will be delayed as the tenders for completing an abandoned complex in Sector 38 were finalised and floated yesterday.