BIS norms for sale of meat products
Chandigarh, March 17
The Municipal Corporation has kicked off a new controversy on hygienic conditions essential for sale of meat for human consumption. It comes in the wake of last week’s raids on meat shops in the city, leading to seizure of ‘unstamped’ meat that was probably prohibited for human consumption as per the existing meat by-laws.

Dangling bridge collapses
TOKA (Panchkula), March 17
A key bridge across a seasonal choe near this non-descript village, linking Panchkula through Mattanwala with Naraingarh and beyond, has sagged in the middle after dangling dangerously for over one year.

Labourers employed by the Marketing Board, Haryana, repair a vital bridge over Toka Choe, near Barwala, after its two spans collapsed. 
— photo Pankaj Sharma

Parents’ body exposes admn claims
Chandigarh, March 17
Criticising the functioning of the Registration and Licensing Branch of the Chandigarh Administration, the Chandigarh Parents Association said today that the cumbersome procedure adopted for the registration of vehicles and obtaining new driving licences was causing inconvenience and harassment to visitors.

Patent rights for circus sought
Panchkula, March 17
Circus industry, unlike any other entertainment industry in the country, enjoys no government patronage. This has brought the circus industry on the brink of extinction.

Land acquisition: BJP hits back at Cong
Chandigarh, March 17
Hitting back at the Congress for demanding the resignation of the BJP councillor, Ms Kamla Sharma, on the acquisition of the Darshani Bagh land, the BJP today sought resignations of MP Pawan Bansal, Mayor Subhash Chawla and Congress councillors for allegedly misleading the people on the issue.

Check sale of liquor to minors, cops told
Chandigarh, March 17
The Chandigarh Police has been advised to issue directions to check sale of liquor to persons below 21 years of age, close discotheques at 10 pm instead of 12 pm and launch a special drive from tomorrow against their use of mobile phones while driving.

FAUJI BEAT
Armoured Corps hit by promotion scheme
THE Army officers will be promoted on pro rata basis. The percentage of promotions in each arm and service from Colonel to Lieut-General will be based on the total number of officers in that particular arm of service.

Cabinet panels defer decisions
Chandigarh, March 17
As a prelude to the countdown to the budget presentation on March 24, the Cabinet subcommittees that were scheduled to meet here today deferred discussion-making on all items. Only the tourism policy was taken up but for want of more inputs and information no final decision could be taken, say sources. 

Holi bonanza
Chandigarh, March 17
Funcity, one of the pioneers in leisure industry, is all set to offer a bonanza to the visitors on Holi. At a press conference organised to give information about the forthcoming events, the organisers said that a host of Punjabi singers had been roped in to make the Holi bash a success.

Tribune employee bereaved

Imposter arrested
Panchkula, March 17
The police arrested a person on charges of appearing for the Jail Warden examination being conducted by the Short Service Commission here, in another person’s name. Vikas Gupta, was appearing for the examination at Jainedra Public School here yesterday, in the name of Suresh Kumar of Chattarpur village in Jind district. He has been sent to judicial remand.

Snatchers’ gang busted
Chandigarh, March 17
The police today claimed to have busted a gang involved in incidents of snatching in the city with the arrest of five persons. 

2 held with porno CDs

Beopar Mandal seeks probe
Chandigarh, March 17
The Chandigarh Beopar Mandal here today sought to impute motives to the Administration’s decision to withdraw the Rent Control Act by demanding a high-level inquiry into the income of commercial property owners, the before notification purchases made by them and the role of property dealers.

Prize distribution function held
Chandigarh, March 17
The Department of Correspondence Studies, Panjab University, organised its annual prize distribution function here today. The Additional Deputy Commissioner, Chandigarh, Mr Inderjit Singh Sandhu was the chief guest on the occasion.

Nitin awarded Gian Devi running trophy
Chandigarh, March 17
Nitin Sharma, an outstanding sportsman of DAV College, Sector 10, was awarded Smt Gian Devi running trophy at a prize distribution function held on the college premises here today. The trophy has been instituted by the college Principal, Mr S.Marriya, in memory of his mother.


Students of DAV College, Sector 10, at their annual prize distribution function held on the college premises in Chandigarh on Monday. 
— A Tribune photograph

Teachers defer agitation
Chandigarh, March 17
Members of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union have deferred their agitation following a meeting with the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh today. The members had planned to court arrest on March 20 in support of their demands.

Students take joy ride
Chandigarh, March 17
It was altogether a different experience for students of Sector 8 Little Kingdom riding on “Hop on hop off” bus.

COURTS

DISTRICT COURTS
Badal appears in case against Amarinder
Chandigarh, March 17
The SAD President, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today appeared in a local court in a criminal complaint filed by him against the Chief Minister of Punjab, Capt Amarinder Singh, for evidence. Mr Badal had filed the complaint against Capt Amarinder Singh alleging that he had been involved in spreading and publishing false reports about his assets and properties.

Lawyers to abstain from work today

Book on Bhaskarbua Bakhle released
Chandigarh, March 17
The only other thing that competes with music on the scale of eternity is time. Melodies, like fresh breezes of spring, have filled the hearts of admirers with a strange sense of gratification for ages. 


Renowned poet and art critic Ashok Vajpeyi releases Ms Shaila Dattar’s book on the life and works of Gyanacharya Bhaskarbua Bakhle at Pracheen Kala Kendra, Sector 35, on Monday.

Prof Yashpal delights audience
Chandigarh, March 17
Every now and then, we keep waking up to the power of music. Irrespective of the place of origin, the style of presentation, the language, the tradition and the technique, music, in every form, manages to put the seething senses to peace. Only four days back, the world was treated to a hearty news that said “ Bryan Adam’s music brings a patient out of coma”.

HEALTH

Add salt only in cooked food: expert
Chandigarh, March 17
Cooks look out! Do not add salt in the food articles before cooking. As much as 23 to 38 per cent of iodine in the salt is lost in the process. The salt should be added only after food is cooked.

Anhad, Amitesh play brilliant knocks
Chandigarh, March 17
Anhad Gill and Amitesh Sidhu played unbeaten knocks of 49 and 29 runs, respectively, thus enabling St John’s High School, Sector 26, to defeat St Joseph’s, Kolkata, by eight wickets in the fifth Blessed Edmund Rice Cricket Tournament for the under-15 section here today.

Bottoms Up Golf a big draw
Chandigarh, March 17
Golf enthusiasts surprised everyone at the picturesque Forest Hill Golf Country Club when 52 of them turned up well before the stipulated tee-off time for the exciting Bottoms Up Golf Tournament marking the start of the Holi celebrations.

ADMINISTRATION

Notices served on 27 hotels
Chandigarh, March 17
In its drive against encroachments, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has served separate notices on 27 hotels of Sector-35 B & C on charges of leakage of water from their water tanks leading to water logging, creating unhygienic environment and damaging the road of the back-lane.