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UGC gives Rs 5 cr to PU
Chandigarh, April 1
The University Grants Commission has sanctioned and released an initial grant of Rs 5 crore to Panjab University for developing a ‘Centre of Potential in biomedical sciences’. This has been conveyed to Prof K.N. Pathak, Vice-Chancellor, Panjab University, by Dr Pankaj Mittal, Joint Secretary, UGC, in a communication two days ago.

Liquor licence rules amended
Chandigarh, April 1
The Chandigarh Administration today issued a notification to amend the Punjab Liquor Licence Rules, 1932, in force in the Union Territory, Chandigarh. This is to incorporate the recently introduced changes in the liquor policy of the U.T.

Pranksters caught them unawares Chandigarh, April 1 “For just Rs 1, I will reveal the secret of becoming a multi-millionaire,” screamed a college student in front of a CITCO stall near Arts College in Sector 10. As another student paid him the amount, the announcer whispered, “Do the same thing.... Anyway, do not mind, today is All Fools’ Day”.

25 illegal structures removed
Panchkula, April 1
The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) today resumed its anti-encroachment drive, which was launched in December last year in the Housing Board colonies in Sector 18, 15 and Sector 11. More than 25 illegal structures were removed in various sectors of the township today.

Accident leaves trail of sorrow for victims’ kin

Panchkula, April 1 The place should have been bubbling with activity after a brief spring vacation today. Instead an eerie silence greeted the visitors to Springdale Public School in Sector 12 here. A notice outside the school reads that the school will now remain closed till April 7.
Archana Rangra, Shaurya Sharma and Shashi Kashyap who were killed in a school bus accident near Barotiwala on Sunday. — A Tribune photograph

Need for dam on Ghaggar: Jacob
Chandigarh, April 1
The Ghaggar river needs to tapped and a dam needs to be built on it near Panchkula as it is an immediate necessity. This will help tide over the drinking water problem of Chandigarh and its surrounding areas, said the UT Administrator, Lieut Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd), while speaking at a meeting of the National Water Resources Council in Delhi today.

COMMUNITY

Four lions sent to Gujarat Chhat Bir, April 1 To tackle the problem of excess lion population, the Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park today started its animal exchange programme by giving two pairs of lions to Gujarat. A pair of sulphur crested cockatoos — an Australian bird — was received by the zoo authorities. Being a hybrid ones, no other zoo was coming forward to take the animals.

A pair of lion cubs that were gifted by the Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park authorities to Gujarat and (right) a pair of sulphur - crested cockatoos — an Australian bird — the zoo gets from the Vadodra Zoo in exchange of a pair of Himalayan black bears on Monday. — Tribune photos Parvesh Chauhan

FAUJI BEAT
Army-media understanding essential for war coverage
DURING our Army’s deployment for Operation Parakram in December-January last, some of the newspersons started giving out operational moves of formations and units which was objected to by the Army authorities. The result was that strict instructions were issued in the Army not to disclose anything concerning operations to the media.

• Diplomacy and soldiering

• Adopt buddy system
  
  

Girls perform dance at the Jagan Nath Temple, Sector 31, Chandigarh, on the occasion of Orissa Day on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

‘Steps against corruption a positive sign’
Chandigarh, April 1
Members of the People’s Action Front (PAF) and the Association for Social Action (ASA) at a joint meeting held here today appreciated the recent steps taken by the Punjab Government in cleansing the state administration of corrupt practices through prompt and bold action against the highly placed public men.

'No indication of new petrol prices’
Chandigarh, April 1
Petrol and diesel prices in the region will remain static even as the Administered Price Mechanism (APM) was dismantled and new pricing regime was enforced across the country from today. Mr T.S. Sahni of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited said: “There is no indication of new prices.”

Scientist on peace mission

Chandigarh, April 1 An employee of a Kolkata’s premier scientific institute has undertaken an all-India cycle expedition to spread the message of peace. Mr Shyamal Das, who left Kolkata in January, plans to cover all 39 laboratories of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) laboratories to take the message to the scientific fraternity in the country as well as improve relationship between laboratories.

Shyamal Das at the Central Scientific Instruments Organisation in Chandigarh on Monday. He is on an all-India expedition to promote peace among the fraternity of scientists.

Student ends life
Chandigarh, April 1
Failure in Class VIII examinations reportedly led to a 14-year-old Palsora resident committing suicide in the afternoon today. Sonia, who consumed poison after learning that she had not been able to make it in the examinations, died at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research at about 5.10 pm.

God can be realised, says Vilayat Rai
Chandigarh, April 1
“We read, recite and chant hymns of holy scriptures but forget that the great masters and prophets who wrote them sought the world to follow and act upon them,” said Vilayat Rai, a learned scholar of Sant Nirankari Mission, while addressing a congregation.

Teenager dies in hospital
Dera Bassi, April 1
Mystery shrouds the death of a teenager who died at the Civil Hospital, Ambala, yesterday. Police sources said the deceased, Chaman Lal (19), a resident of Meera Mali Mohalla was admitted to a local hospital when his health deteriorated suddenly.

MC employee detained in car
Chandigarh, April 1
An enraged visitor to the Empire Store parking lot in Sector 17 here today held a Municipal Corporation employee captive in his car for a little while.

• Decision hailed

• Four Tribune employees retire

• Tribune employee bereaved
  

CRIME

Another accused in fake currency racket held
Chandigarh, April 1
The Chandigarh Police today arrested a third person reportedly involved in a fake currency racket unearthed in the city yesterday. The accused, 25-year-old Rashid, alias Guddu, was brought here from Sarsawa near Saharanpur by a special team of the Operations Cell this evening.

Man crushed under road-roller
Panchkula, April 1
A person was killed while two others sustained injuries in two separate accidents in the district in the past 24 hours.

BUSINESS

Industrialists welcome Exim policy
Chandigarh, April 1
The recently announced 5-year export import policy will provide a major boost to the exports in the country, feel the industrialists here.

EDUCATION

Parents queue up for St. Anne’s School forms

Chandigarh, April 1 The decision of the management committee of St. Anne’s School, Sector 32, to add new sections in four classes drew an overwhelming response from the parents who gathered in large number at the school today. Parents queue up to buy admission forms at St Anne’s School in Sector 32, in Chandigarh on Monday. — Tribune photo Manoj Mahajan

Session starts, few students show up

Chandigarh, April 1 The first day of the new academic session in both the government and private schools drew a lukewarm response from students. Poor attendance was expected in most of the private schools which dedicate the first few days of the new session to orientation programmes for teachers. Friends greet each other on the opening day of the new academic session at a school in Chandigarh on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

3 college lecturers get increments
Chandigarh, April 1
The UT Education Department has started the process of granting advance increments to government college lecturers for possessing research degrees at the time of appointment as per the UGC guidelines on January 1, 1986.

• Varsity staff mourn death of colleagues
  

Policy on encroachment soon: counsel
Chandigarh, April 1
In a statement before a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, comprising Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Mr Justice M.M. Kumar, in the Chandigarh Club case, counsel for the Chandigarh Administration today stated that a policy for dealing with encroachments and illegal construction in the entire city was being framed.

DISTRICT COURTS
S.P Kansal’s remand extended
Chandigarh, April 1
The UT Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, S.P. Kansal, who was arrested by the CBI on charges of misuse of official position and possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, was today further remanded in judicial custody till April 15 by a local court. The court had already adjourned the hearing of the bail plea moved by the accused for April 8.

27 in fray for Bar association poll
Chandigarh, April 1
As many as 27 advocates are in fray for the various posts of District Bar Association, election for which will be held on April 12 as no candidate withdrew nomination on last day of withdrawal today.

HC issues notice to pollution board
Chandigarh, April 1
Taking a serious note of a news item published in a local daily regarding the pollution being caused by a paper mill at Fatehpur Sialba, near Kurali, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notices to the Punjab Pollution Control Board and the state of Punjab for April 21.

• Lok Adalat for labour disputes
  

CULTURE

Capturing splendour of Himalayas

Chandigarh, April 1 The treasure of the Himalayas that is closely related to Hindu mythology came alive in a series of photographs taken by Ram Verma displayed at the art gallery of the Kala Gram in Mani Majra, here today. Ram Verma has captured the splendour of the Himalayas through his lens. His work is on display at the Kala Gram Art Gallery in Chandigarh. — A Tribune photograph

SPORTS

Karate champ visits Panchkula
Chandigarh, April 1
A 12-year-old karate player from Kolkata, Karuna Gautam, today visited Panchkula to meet her maternal uncle and maternal grandparents. Karuna has been selected for the World Profi Kick Boxing Championship to be held in Greece next month. Last year she took part in the 10th International Martial Art Championships in kata and point sparring held in Sydney.

• Volleyball meet

• Cricket meet
  

PUDA fails to comply with orders
SAS Nagar, April 1
Even as the Punjab Housing and Urban Development Minister has announced review of administrative decisions, including certain absorptions done during the previous regime, the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) is refusing to comply with the orders.

Admn keen on retaining repatriated power officials
Chandigarh, April 1
Fearing that a vacuum will be created in power management and its distribution in the city, the Chandigarh Administration is keen on retaining two of its senior engineers who have recently been repatriated to their parent cadre of Punjab.

SI suspended
Chandigarh, April 1
The police post in charge of Palsora, Baldev Singh, SI, was suspended today by the SSP, Mr Parag Jain, for his failure to register a case of kidnapping. Palsora resident Bhagat Singh had reported that his minor daughter had been kidnapped a few days back. She, however, managed to escape from kidnappers’ clutches. Mr Bhagat Singh today met the SSP in this regard.

MC asks depts to send expenditure needs
Chandigarh, April 1
The Municipal Corporation has asked its departmental heads to send by April 3 expenditure accounts of the money needed for 2001-2002. The department heads have been asked to send back the money left unspent by a cheque in the name of the Municipal Commissioner, Chandigarh.

MC panel chiefs asked to call meetings
Chandigarh, April 1
The Mayor, Ms Lalit Joshi, has asked chairmen of 10 committees of the Municipal Corporation to immediately call meetings of their respective committees as their agendas have been pending for two years.

Recovery case to come up today
Chandigarh, April 1
The Municipal Corporation’s recent notice notwithstanding, cable operators still owe the corporation around Rs 23 lakh.

MC forms panel for complaints
Chandigarh, April 1
The Municipal Corporation here today formed a committee under the chairmanship of the Additional Commissioner, Mr Ashok Vashishth, to look into the complaints of sexual harassment.