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It was a day of bogus voting, rigging, scuffles
Panchkula, January 19
Democracy was lost in the first ever elections for Municipal Council today. The enthusiasm of the voters in this civic body elections notwithstanding, the high and mighty candidates — from both the Indian National Lok Dal and Bhartiya Janata Party — had their own way.

A BJP supporter pleads with the police to stop casting of fake votes in ward no. 13. — Tribune photo Pankaj Sharma

• MC POLL RESULTS

• ELECTIONS PEACEFUL: ADMN

• BARRICADES CREATE CHAOS

GMCH ignores ‘sick’ computer network
Patients, hospital staff bear the brunt
Chandigarh, January 19
Not that it would cost more than a few thousand rupees, but only if the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) authorities were serious enough to get the computer network of the Registration and Medical Record Department restored that has been out of order for the past two months.

Crime-specific patrolling on anvil
Chandigarh, January 19
Owing to the changing pattern of crime in the city, the Chandigarh Police has decided to opt for crime-policing. It is learnt that a more flexible to tackle incidents of snatching, burglary auto-lifting and robbery is being worked out.

Burglars strike at Sec 44 photo studio
Chandigarh, January 19
Burglars broke into a single-storeyed shop, Simla Digital Studio, in Sector 44 here and took away expensive photographic items worth Rs 1.75 lakh, including Rs 9200 cash, in the wee hours today. The side locks of the front shutter of the shop were found broken.

CHANDIGARH CALLING Thanks to the fog, the city witnessed a lot of activity during the past week. Even as the newspaper offices remained flooded with calls to enquire which government has gone in for which line of control to counter problems arising from fog. Schoolchildren had a hard time guessing (and praying) how long would the holidays last. Enclosed finally! Water harvesting Enforcement business Blood shortage Night patrolling Soggy helmets “Slip” road

COMMUNITY

Capt Kanwaljit flays ban on constructions
Zirakpur, January 19
By imposing a ban on construction activities within the Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat limits, the ruling Congress party has again hung the sword of Damocles over the heads of thousands of residents of this town. Soon after coming to power not only the Congress but senior officers in various government departments also started indulging in corruption and imposing a ban on constructions in Zirakpur area is an example of this.

Kashmiri pandits observe ‘Holocaust Day’
Chandigarh, January 19
Kashmiri pandits, 600 of whom live in the city, Panchkula and SAS Nagar, have not yet been “properly” rehabilitated in the city, 12 years after they were, driven out of Jammu and Kashmir on this day which is observed as ‘Holocaust Day’.

Pandits reiterate homeland demand
Chandigarh, January 19
The Panun Kashmir Movement (PKM), Chandigarh unit, organised a seminar to observe holocaust day at Kashmir Bhavan here today. Mr Ashwini Kumar Chrungoo, president, PKM, said it was on this day in 1990 radical Muslim campaign to drive out Pandits from the valley peaked.

Howrah-Kalka Mail late by 7 hours
Chandigarh, January 19
Chandigarh-bound trains continued to be late today, with the Howrah-Kalka Mail, which arrives here in the morning, being seven hours behind schedule. The 2011 Delhi - Chandigarh Shatabdi Express, whose scheduled arrival here is 11.02 am, was reported to be three hours late.

Woman finds jewellery, returns it to bank SAS Nagar, January 19 Jewellery worth more than Rs 1 lakh that was found in the locker room of a bank here was returned to the bank authorities by a woman customer yesterday. Ms Narpinder Kaur, a resident of Phase IIIA, had gone to operate her locker in the Phase I branch of UCO Bank.

Residents’ body to hold rallies
Chandigarh, January 19
The Chandigarh Housing Board Residents Welfare Associations Federation here today decided to launch sector-wise rallies to press for regularisation of need-based changes in buildings, stoppage of demolition drive and drastic reduction in conversion rates from lease hold to free hold.

Sector 38 (West) streetlights out of order
Chandigarh, January 19
A large part of Sector 38 (West) remains engulfed in darkness due to non-functional streetlights. According to several residents, the matter has been brought to the notice of the authorities concerned time and again but no steps have been taken to address the issue. In one area of the HIG (Lower) flats, not a single streetlight is functional.

Dr Vatsyayan nominated to CCRAS
Chandigarh, January 19
Noted ayurveda scholar, writer and physician, Dr R. Vatsyayan, has been nominated to the governing body of the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Sidha (CCRAS).

Valmiki Sabha

CRIME

10 held in search operation
Chandigarh, January 19
The Sector 34 police arrested 10 persons, including three women, under various sections of the law during a special search and combing operation here this evening. Besides, 28 other persons were also rounded up but were let off after identification.

One dead as truck hits scooter
Chandigarh, January 19
One person was killed and another injured when the scooter on which they were riding was hit by a truck near Kishangarh this evening. According to information, Kashmiri Lal of Marriwala town in Mani Majra was declared brought dead at the PGI. The pillion-rider, Mehar, has been admitted to the PGI with serious injuries,

Car, Sumo collide

Zirakpur, January 19 Three occupants of two vehicles, an Esteem car and a Tata Sumo, had a narrow escape when the vehicles collided head-on on the Chandigarh-Ambala highway, near here, last night due to dense fog. The mangled remains of a car that collided with a Tata Sumo (HR-37-0809) on the Chandigarh-Ambala highway, near Zirakpur, on Sunday. — A Tribune photograph

BUSINESS

Inter-connectivity tussle leaves subscribers at sea
Chandigarh, January19
The ongoing tussle between the cellular and WiLL telecom service providers over the issue of inter-connectivity has made the life of lakhs of cellular and WiLL subscribers miserable. While the cellular and WiLL operators are flexing their muscles over the inter-connectivity issue, phones of lakhs of consumers in the region have become dead.

City ‘suits’ NRIs for real estate investment
Chandigarh, January 19
Chandigarh appears to be one of the best places in the country to draw foreign and NRI investment in real estate with the government decision to offer dual citizenship to persons of Indian origin.

Urea prices cut

EDUCATION

HAMARA SCHOOL
ST.JOSEPH’S SR. SECONDARY SCHOOL
Teaching through love & compassion 

ST. Joseph's High School came into being in 1981, under the chairmanship of Mr. R. S. Grewal. The school made a modest beginning with 14 teachers and a strength of 400 students. Initially, it was housed in a residential building and had classes upto the VI standard. Students of St. Joseph’s march for the morning assembly.

• ‘Schools should introduce vocational training’

• My school

• Poems by students

Students design ethnic village
Chandigarh, January 19
In a short time from now, the famous Ethnic India Complex developed and promoted by the Haryana Tourism at Rai (near Sonepat) will house an ethnic village designed by students of the local Chandigarh College of Architecture (CCA).

CAMPUS NOTES
Self-financing courses on the decline
Tribune News Service
Self-financing courses, particularly the Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Computer Application, launched with much fanfare by Panjab University are facing a slow but sure decline in the affiliated colleges.

Schools return to regular timings
Chandigarh, January 19
Private schools in Chandigarh will return to their regular schedules from tomorrow school timings had been changed due to extreme cold and foggy conditions in the region last week.

PCCTU memo to minister
Chandigarh, January 19
Members of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union have in a memorandum to the Punjab Education Minister, decried the “antagonistic” attitude of the Finance Department in not allowing the UGC package for teachers to be implemented in spite of accepting Rs 70 crore central assistance for granting benefits.

North India Vidya Bharti quiz
SAS Nagar, January 19
Teams from various Vidya Bharti educational institutions of North India participated in an inter-school quiz competition organised at Sarvhitkari Vidya Mandir Model High School, Sector 71, here today.

PEC holds contest for hostel cooks
Chandigarh, January 19
A competition for cooks of Punjab Engineering College (PEC) hostels was organised here today under a scheme being adopted by the college to improve the quality of food being served in the hostels.

CET put off

CULTURE

Malik launches Haryanavi album
Chandigarh, January 19
Haryanavi pop album? The words may sound a little misplaced in the context of popular music, but the fact is that Mumbai-based Harvinder Malik has been able to produce his third pop album in Haryanavi, with a backing of success earned from the earlier two.

Navy band to perform at Sukhna
Chandigarh, January 19
The Navy band will visit the city next month and play before the public on February 15 and 16. The venues will be the Sukhna Lake and Sector 17 Plaza. Besides, a special function will also be organised where the band will play exclusively for school students and NCC cadets.

HEALTH

Jacob inaugurates blood donation camp
Chandigarh, January 19
The Punjab Governor and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh, Lieut-General J.F.R. Jacob (retd.), today called upon voluntary bodies to launch a concerted drive to help the suffering humanity.

Joint pain relief camp
Panchkula, January 19
An obesity and joint pain relief camp was organised by the VLCC for people suffering from problems like cervical spondylitis, arthritis, back ache, depression, sleeping disorders and knee pain, here today.

SPORTS

Avnit, Lalit emerge winners
Chandigarh, January 19
Avnit Sidhu of Dashmesh Girls College, Badal (Muktsar), bagged gold medal in the women’s 10 metre air rifle event, while Lalit Sharma of DAV College, Chandigarh, emerged winner in the men’s section in both air rifle and air pistol events in the Panjab University Inter-College Air Weapons Meet at shooting range, SAS Nagar, here today.

ADMINISTRATION

Admn, MC to clean road berms
Chandigarh, January 19
The Chandigarh Administration and Municipal Corporation have taken up a joint exercise to clean road berms and kerb channels of wild growth, malba and other items. During the exercise road berms will also be levelled.