C H A N D I G A R H

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Crowd swells as Test match progresses
SAS Nagar, December 5
“Yaar Sachin, tu out kyon ho gaya, mushkil nal tan VIP block da pass le ke andar ayayan” (Dear Sachin, why did you lose your wicket, I had managed to get a VIP block pass with difficulty in order to get in), uttered Jang Singh of Dera Bassi, who reached the venue in the post-lunch session.

• A date with their heroes

Indian supporters in varying moods on the third day of the first Test against England at the PCA Stadium, SAS Nagar, on Wednesday.
— Photos Pradeep Tewari

TRIBUNE VIGIL Works of art or heaps of garbage?

Chandigarh, December 5 It is very difficult to conceive of art being denigrated right under the nose of those meant to promote and preserve it. But just as many distasteful things happen simply because no one checks or prevents them, this one is happening too. Broken pieces of sculptures, created by students, are lying dumped in the backyard of Chandigarh’s Sector 10 Government College of Art campus.

City goes ‘dry’ from today
Chandigarh, December 5
Lovers of liquor will have to hold on to their tastes for a period of three days starting from Thursday as the city will go ‘dry’ for the ensuing municipal elections. Dry days mean no liquor will be available at the vends. Already all the main clubs in the city like the Chandigarh Club, Golf Club, Press Club and the Golf Range among other places have put up notices for their members saying no liquor will be served.

House of Giani’s son-in-law burgled
Chandigarh, December 5
Thieves reportedly broke into the house of former President of India late Giani Zail Singh's son-in-law, Mr Surinder Singh Virdi, in Sector 16 and took away items worth Rs 30,000 this afternoon.

YOUNG VOICE
A fabric freak
PLAYING with fabrics is what ticks with Ruchika Lamba, a textile designer in the offing. A final year student of the Textile Designing course from the National Institute of Fashion Designing, Ruchika aspires to be a successful designer.

BJP manifesto promises facilities

Chandigarh, December 5 The BJP today withdrew its five-year-old promise of “a municipal corporation without any tax” that resulted in the local body being deprived of funds to cater to the infrastructural needs of a city which is under pressure of population influx. Mr O.P. Kohli, national secretary of the BJP, releases the party manifesto for the Municipal Corporation elections in Chandigarh on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

Dhawan favours fiscal autonomy for MCC
Chandigarh, December 5
The Chandigarh Vikas Manch led by former Union Minister Harmohan Dhawan here today released a ‘’list of commitments’’ denouncing manifestoes of the parties and promises made in them which are kept unfulfilled.

Ballot boxes being carried to the various polling stations for the forthcoming municipal corporation elections in Chandigarh on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

EC issues directions before poll
Chandigarh, December 5
Vehicles going out of the city or entering it from December 6 evening will be subjected to intensive checking as per a direction of the Election Commission. The measure is being taken to prevent smuggling of arms, liquor and ‘’bad elements’’ who could disturb the December 8 municipal polls, an EC spokesman said.

‘I’m here to serve my people’
Chandigarh, December 5
“I am not a politician nor will I become one in my life time. I am in the fray for the Municipal Corporation elections to serve the people of my ward”, announced Mrs Neeru Amar Manchanda, who is contesting from Ward 2 comprising Sectors 12, 14 and 15.

‘Bansal did not utilise funds’
Chandigarh, December 5
Chief Minister of Uttaranchal Bhagat Singh Kushyari today appealed to the people of Chandigarh to vote for the BJP in the forthcoming Municipal Corporation elections. Addressing a gathering here, Mr Kushyari said the people of Uttaranchal had been voting for the BJP since 1991.

Hooda campaigns in city
Chandigarh, December 5
The Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee President, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, today campaigned for the party candidates in Mani Majra, Sector 29 and Ram Darbar.

COMMUNITY

A godman with a mission Chandigarh, December 5 “All India Movement for Seva” — an organisation that aims to provide drinking water, healthcare education, besides nutrition to children in the region, was officially launched at a programme held at the PGI auditorium here. The Advisor to the Administrator, Ms Neeru Nanda, was the chief guest on the occasion. The organisation, under the coordinator of the Swami Dayanand Saraswati, has been formed by the Acharya Sabha, and consists of the heads of Hindu “mutts”. Swami Dayanand speaks at the UT Guest House in Sector 6, Chandigarh, on Wednesday — A Tribune photograph

Website that offers memorabilia of stars
Chandigarh, December 5
A website — cafedreams.com — offering memorabilia of 250 Indian and international stars and celebrities on auction and a stock of 1,600 items was launched today. Part of the proceeds of every auction on the site benefits a charity, with the site benefiting a total of 61 charities.

PUDA demolishes unauthorised structures

Mullanpur-Garibdas (Kharar), December 5 The Enforcement Wing of the Punjab Urban Development Authority today demolished unauthorised structures allegedly raised after November 3, the cut-off date fixed by the Punjab Government to regularise constructions at about a dozen places in the periphery of Chandigarh. The enforcement staff of PUDA carries out a demolition drive in Mullanpur-Garibdas and several other villages in the Union Territory of Chandigarh on Wednesday. — Photo Karam Singh

• Illegal structures removed

Dressing dream homes
Chandigarh, December 5
Something which started as a dream project of Sangeeta and Yuvraj Narain about 10 years ago is today spreading warmth in many households across five big cities in the country. Bandhini Home Store, Sector 9 is not just about commerce and profits.

Cable operators to launch stir
SAS Nagar, December 5
The newly formed Punjab Cable TV Network Association today announced that it would start an agitation by mid-December to protest against the enhancement of fees by TV channels.

WOMAN ENTREPRENEUR
A chain of stores  is her aim
Chandigarh
Till about four years ago, Kusum Vahi was content with a nine-to-five job in a marketing company. Then one day it dawned on her that she must do something on her own. With this realisation came the courage to give up the security of the job and plunge into the adventurous world of entrepreneurship.

Going the Big B way
FROM modeling to showbiz, this Marathi lass has come a long way. The latest rage, however, is her prime time talent show on the Star television, where she chats with the hottest of Bollywood stars and helps lift the spirit of participating children. ‘Kya Masti Kya Dhuum’ is running quite successfully and is keeping a good number on the small screen chart buster.

Tribune journalist bereaved
Chandigarh, December 5
Sadhu Singh Virdi, eldest brother of Mr Harbans Singh Virdi, Chief Sub Editor of The Tribune, died of a heart attack early this morning here.

CRIME

Injured by bullet from friend’s revolver
Chandigarh, December 5
An “accidentally” fired bullet from a “friends” .32-bore revolver and injured Amardeep Singh last evening here. According to information available, the victim was sitting in a Maruti Esteem car along with his two friends, Akashdeep Bhandari and Surjinder Singh, in Sector 37 and the bullet was fired from the licensed revolver of Akashdeep.

Watchman steals Rs 3,000
Panchkula, December 5
Ram Singh, a watchman in a house is alleged to have stolen Rs 3,000 from the shirt of a police guard posted at the residence of the ADGP (Vigilance). According to the police, the complainant, constable Balram had reportedly hung his shirt in the security tent outside the house of the ADGP.

EDUCATION

Query time for quiz master
Chandigarh, December 5
It was assessment and query time for the quiz master himself with Derek O’Brien answering questions posed by parents of children enrolled with his course of ``Knowledge Quotient’’ in two schools of the city this afternoon.

Test for teacher’s posts
Chandigarh, December 5
The Education Department is all set to declare the results of the recently concluded written test for recruitment of 119 school teachers while a blueprint for the next examination for 324 additional posts is also ready for execution.

COURTS

HIGH COURT
Pay 18 pc interest on delayed retiral dues
Chandigarh, December 5
Mr Justice Mehtab Singh Gill of the High Court on Wednesday directed the state of Haryana and other respondents to pay simple interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum to a retired headmaster belonging to Yamunanagar district from the date of his retirement till the payment of retirement benefits.

DISTRICT COURT
Defamation case against Riar adjourned
Chandigarh, December 5
A local court today adjourned the defamation case filed against the president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Local Unit, Mr Gurpartap Singh Riar, for March 6.The complainant, Ms Harjinder Kaur, Mayor, had filed a case before the court on November 19, 1999, under Section 500 of the IPC.

HEALTH

Doctors hold protest rally
Chandigarh, December 5
Doctors working in General Hospital, Sector 16, and allied dispensaries remained on an hour-long strike from 9 am to 10 am today to protest against the alleged wrong repatriation of a doctor to his parent state by the UT Administration.

Anti-smoking steps commended
Chandigarh, December 5
A seminar held on the IDS premises in Sector 26 here yesterday highlighted the lethal effects of smoking tobacco. The participants included former smokers, executive officers, medical men and pharmaceutical representatives.

Workshop on ‘barrier’ nursing
Chandigarh, December 5
A 10-day workshop on “barrier nursing” started at the PGI here today. Funded by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the workshop will be attended by the nursing staff of the PGI.

SPORTS

SD College-32, PU campus win judo titles
Chandigarh, December 5
GGD SD College, Sector 32, Chandigarh, and Panjab University Campus, Chandigarh were declared overall winners in the men and women section, respectively, of the Panjab University Judo tournament played here today on the PU campus.

ADMINISTRATION

New house allotment rules for GMCH staff
Chandigarh, December 5
The Chandigarh Administration has made some amendments to the rules for allotment of houses to doctors and employees of the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32. This will simplify the entitlement rules under various categories.