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Rallies mark day one of vacation
Teachers meet DPI (S); extra classes, summer workshops begin
Chandigarh, June 2
The summer vacation in government schools began with rallies and protests by government teachers, their negotiations with UT Education Department officials and the beginning of extra classes and summer workshops for students here today.

Members of the Government School Teachers Union take out a rally to protest against the holding of extra classes and summer workshops at the masjid ground in Sector 20; and right: an extra class in progress at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 33, Chandigarh, on Monday. — Photos Manoj Mahajan

Commercial sites’ sale terms to be revised
Chandigarh, June 2
The Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh has proposed to revise the general terms and conditions regarding the sale of commercial sites through open auction on freehold basis in the city.

Tension, traffic snarls over toll Dera Bassi, June 2 Commuters are being fleeced by employees of a private construction company, which has been collecting toll tax for the past few days from vehicles using roads along the Bhankharpur railway overbridge in violation of terms and conditions of the contract for the past couple of days. Employees of a private construction company argue with a truck driver coming from Mubarikpur village over toll near Dera Bassi on Monday. — Photo Pawan Sharma

Pak ‘spy’ in solitary confinement
Chandigarh, June 2
Pak national Abid Mehmood alias Nihal Chauhan, arrested by the UT police on the charges of spying, has been lodged in solitary confinement at the Burail Jail here while the other two accused, who are Indian nationals, are being kept in different wards along with other prisoners.

Amendment to Act: MC’s opinion sought
Chandigarh, June 2
The Central Government has sought the opinion of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh to suggest ways to amend the 74th Constitutional Amendment for improving the functioning of municipal bodies.

Hottest day of season Chandigarh, June 2 It’s time to stock up your refrigerator with colas, juices, ice-cream and to gear up to face the heat as the weatherman says the heat will not relent at least for the next couple of days. The mercury level would remain 4°C to 7°C, or even more, above the average temperature in Chandigarh and its surrounding areas, said an official of the Meteorological Department, Chandigarh.

COMMUNITY

Housefed to build 632 flats in Mohali

Chandigarh, June 2 The Punjab Housefed will construct 632 flats in SAS Nagar under the demand-survey scheme. This was announced here today by the Punjab Minister for Cooperatives, Mr Lal Singh, while presiding over a meeting to review the functioning of Housefed. Mrs H.K. Bahia, Managing Director, Housefed, presents a dividend cheque for Rs 72 lakh to Mr Lal Singh, Finance and Cooperation Minister, Punjab. Also seen in the picture are Dr B.C. Gupta, Financial Commissioner (Cooperation), and Mr A.R. Talwar, Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Punjab.

Action sought against erring sweepers
Chandigarh, June 2
All nine nominated councillors of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh here today demanded the arrest of those agitating sweepers who allegedly threatened Mr P.C. Sanghi of causing "physical harm” apart from dumping garbage in front of his house on May 31.

Sanitation contract move ‘discriminatory’
Chandigarh, June 2
The sanitation contract proposed by the Mayor, Mr Subhash Chawla, runs the risk of being viewed as discriminatory in the eyes of law as it includes house-to-house garbage collection charges in only a part of the city.

LEAF FROM HISTORY
Library with a glorious past
READERS of this column will recall the write-up on an old library in a new city that featured the Lal Chand Research Library housed in the DAV College, Sector 10, here. The library, shifted from Pakistan after partition, was re-established in Hoshiarpur and then shifted to Chandigarh. 

FAUJI BEAT
Territorial Army has proved its mettle

THE Territorial Army (TA) was raised in 1949 as a part time force to relieve the regular Army of its static duties during a national emergency. The concept of TA as formulated in the 1940s was that all TA personnel should have their own vocations or government jobs. From which, the personnel who are serving in the provincial infantry battalions were to be called up for 60-day annual training camps. An Army bugler in ceremonial dress.

SP to examine weekly-off system
Chandigarh, June 2
Amid policemen going berserk across the country due to denial of leaves and professional stress, Superintendent of Police Baldev Singh has been deputed to examine the system regarding weekly offs in police stations here.

SAS NAGAR DIARY
Participants get certificates
SAS Nagar, June 2
Over 90 participants of Camp Chardikala organised by the Dhan Pothohar, which ended in the township yesterday, were given away certificates of participation here today. Organised in collaboration with Sikh Missionary College Chandigarh, the workshop focussed on parents and how they ought to teach their teenage children and inculcate values in them.

DSP to lead team on Bhardwaj
Chandigarh, June 2
The Chandigarh Police today constituted a special investigation team headed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police to arrest Judicial Magistrate S.S Bhardwaj, who allegedly escaped from the CBI custody on May 10. A case under Section 224 of the IPC was registered at the Sector 17 police station.

Accident victims identified
SAS Nagar, June 2
Two persons, who died in a Tata Sumo-truck collision here on Sunday midnight, were identified by the police here today. One of them has been identified as Balwinder Singh, son of Avtar Singh, a resident of Sector 37, and the other as Bharat Bhushan, son of Bhagadar Singh, a resident of Bapu Dham Colony, Chandigarh.

Janata Dal (U) alleges ST evasion
Chandigarh, June 2
The local unit of the Janata Dal (U) has alleged that the evasion of sales tax and excise duty to the tune of crores of rupees is taking place due to smuggling of liquor from Chandigarh to adjoining states of Punjab and Haryana.

Beopar mandal threatens indefinite stir

CRIME

Bid to outrage modesty
SAS Nagar, June 2
A woman of Pashupati Colony, Industrial Area, Phase VII, here today alleged that a former pradhan of the colony, Vir Bahadur Singh, had tried to molest her. According to the police, the complainant has, in a written statement, alleged that Vir Bahadur had tried to molest her last Tuesday night and she was saved only after the intervention of the colony residents when she raised an alarm.

Man roughs up cop
Chandigarh, June 2
An 18-year-old son of Sector 35 hotelier residing in Sector 21, Jai Raj Singh, allegedly roughed up and tore the uniform of a traffic police constable, Jagbir Singh, near the traffic light points on the road dividing Sectors 21 22 here this morning.

BUSINESS

Withdraw TCS on scrap: Chamber
Chandigarh, June 2
The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) has urged the Central Government to withdraw tax collection at source (TCS) on scrap immediately. In case the government is averse to the withdrawal of the TCS in total, it should consider to reduce the TCS rate from 10 per cent on scrap to 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent, as suggested by the PHDCCI.

Association’s plea on SCFs
Chandigarh, June 2
The Market Shopkeepers Association, Sector 18-C,has said permission should be given to cover courtyards on the first and second floors of shop-cum-flats(SCFs) in the city for residential purposes also.

MARKET PULSE
Dirt-free ceramic tiles in market
Chandigarh, June 2
Nitco, manufacturer and exporter of building material, has launched India’s first dirt-free ceramic tiles under the name INVIZA. The salient features of these tiles are invisible joints, no size variation and chamfered top and bottom edges.

EDUCATION

PEC-TBRL MoU on joint research
Chandigarh, June 2
To stimulate the development of indigenous high-end technology and broad base research activities, the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), a Chandigarh-based establishment under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Punjab Engineering College (PEC) for executing a joint advanced scientific research programme.

Focus on quality education: Verma
Chandigarh, June 2
The Punjab Governor and UT Administrator, Justice O.P. Verma (retd), today underlined the need for focusing on qualitative education rather than on quantitative education.

Serving kids of a lesser God Chandigarh, June 2 Godwin Education Society (GES), a local NGO, is engaged in carving out a bright future for children of labourers in colony No. 4, the biggest slum in the city. So far, 40 children have matriculated with the help of the society. Slum children sit in a classroom of a private school run by the Godwin Education Society at colony No. 4 in Chandigarh. — A Tribune photograph

20-day workshop for children

Chandigarh, June 2 It is a summer workshop with difference. Inaugurated at Pioneers’ Nursery School in Sector 23, the workshop, organised by Rainbowz, promises to teach children not only the art of mural and pot making but also painting and sketching. The organisers also promise to enhance child’s personality. Children participate in a workshop inaugurated in Sector 23, Chandigarh, on Monday.

SCHOOL WORLD
Geography: About Bahrain
LOCATED in the Middle East, Bahrain is a group of 33 islands in the Persian Gulf, about 40 kilometres off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia. The Qatar peninsula lies to its south-east. The two main islands of this country are Bahrain and Muharraq.

DAV foundation day celebrated

Chandigarh, June 2 DAV Movement Foundation Day was celebrated at DAV College, Sector 10, with great pomp and show. Principals, chairpersons, managers and faculty members of all DAV institutions of Chandigarh, SAS Nagar and Panchkula attended the function. Justice A.L. Bahri presents a memento to Secretary, DAV College Managing Committee, New Delhi, Mr Poonam Suri.

Clothes’ exhibition by students ends
Chandigarh, June 2
A week-long exhibition and sale by students of dress designing course concluded at Government Senior Secondary School at Mani Majra . The DPI (S), Mr D.S. Mangat had inaugurated the exhibition and applauded the efforts of school, students, their parents and the school staff.

PU students hold dharna

SPORTS

UT teams getting ready for netball meet
Chandigarh, June 2
The holding of the ninth National Sub-Junior Netball Championship in the under-16 age group, to begin on June 4 at DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, will give the desired impetus to sports. UT teams are already undergoing a preparatory camp, with the girls section at Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 27, and the boys’ section at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 19.

Talwar re-elected CFA president
Chandigarh, June 2
Mr Ravinder Talwar and Mr Rakesh Bakshi were re-elected president and secretary, respectively, of the Chandigarh Football Association (CFA) unanimously at its annual general body meeting at DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, here today. Mr C.P. Malik was re-elected treasurer of the CFA.

ADMINISTRATION

PROPERTY TAX HIKE
Administration seeks MC’s opinion
Chandigarh, June 2
The Chandigarh Administration has asked the Municipal Corporation’s opinion on the notification hiking property tax from two per cent passed by the general house to 5 per cent notified earlier.

Police measures to check thefts
Chandigarh, June 2
The police has planned several steps to prevent incidents of burglary and theft in unoccupied houses during the ongoing summer vacations. The police will prepare a list of persons who were arrested during the past five years for burglaries and thefts.