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After being questioned, jail official dies
Chandigarh, February 7
A day after Assistant Superintendent of Burail Jail Charan Singh (44) was summoned by the operation cell of the police in connection with the January 21 jailbreak, he died following a heart attack this morning.

Human rights activists ‘falsely implicated’
Chandigarh, February 7
Members of the Punjab Human Rights Defenders Co-ordination have alleged that the Chandigarh and Punjab police is falsely implicating, detaining and torturing human rights activists who have no connection with the recent escape of Beant Singh’s murder undertrials from Burail jail.

Members of the Punjab Human Rights Defenders Coordination at the Punjab Raj Bhavan after handing over a memorandum to the Governor alleging torture in the Burail Jailbreak case, in Chandigarh on Saturday. — A Tribune photograph

Murmurs of dissent in Cong, BJP
Chandigarh, February 7
Dissensions are rife in a segment of the rank and file of both the BJP and the Congress despite claims of unanimity over candidature, at the local level, for the coming parliamentary elections.

Major fire in Mohali warehouse

Mohali, February 7 Property worth lakhs of rupees was destroyed in a big fire in a company warehouse in the Phase VIII Industrial Area here today. No loss of life was reported. A cloud of black smoke engulfed the area as cotton and polyester yarn went up in flames in a warehouse of a trading company, Fraternity Chemicals Specialities Pvt Ltd. Smoke billows from a warehouse where a fire broke out in Industrial Area, Phase VIII, Mohali, on Saturday. — Tribune photo Parvesh Chauhan

Welcome party for GOC-in-C
Chandigarh, February 7
An informal tea party was organised today at Chandimandir Military Station to welcome the new General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, Lieut-Gen J.J. Singh and his wife, Anupama. General Singh had taken over the reins of the Western Command on February 1.

COMMUNITY

Gear up for water supply, MC told
Chandigarh, February 7
The UT Administrator, Justice O.P.Verma, has asked the local municipal corporation to put the water supply infrastructure in place for the upcoming summer season. At a coordination meeting of senior officers of the Chandigarh Administration, the Administrator pointed out that as the summer was approaching, the municipal corporation should gear up for meeting the requirement of potable water supply to the city residents.

Cong reply sought on oil supply from Iraq
Chandigarh, February 7
The Congress needs to reply to allegations on getting a supply of one million barrels of oil from Iraq despite US sanctions, said Mr Prakash Javadekar, official spokesman of the BJP, while addressing a press conference here today. He said the BJP wants details on this He said such an act amounted to treachery with the Indian people.

Panelists reason causes of corruption
Mohali, February 7
Diverse opinions were expressed on the causes of corruption, with panelists unable to pinpoint the source, at an interaction during a Rotary conference, Aastha, held here today.

e-filing of TDS to cut costs
Chandigarh, February 7
The decision of the Centre Government to make it compulsory for companies to file tax deduction at source (TDS) returns through electronic data transfer is a revolutionary step in the Indian tax system and will cut down the transaction cost, besides reducing wastage of paper and time of the IT Department, said Mr Vijay Khanna, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, North West Region, while inaugurating a seminar on Tax Deduction at Source (TDS) here yesterday. 

Rotary conference gets under way

Mohali, February 7 Rotary International President’s Representative D.N. Padhi today said they wanted the donation level of the Rotary at $100 per member and also a world without polio. Mr Padhi was speaking at the opening session of the two-day Rotary District 3080 Conference, “Aastha — The Conference of Faith” here this morning. The Minister of State for Home Affairs, Mr I.D. Swami, inaugurates the Rotary conference in Mohali on Saturday. — A Tribune photograph

Need to restore old value system: judge
Mohali, February 7
Cohesiveness in society is on the decline, values are fading and it is time to restore the old value system. These views were ex pressed by Mr Justice Ashok Bhan of the Supreme Court while speaking on “Faith in work and values” at a session of a conference, Aastha, organised by Rotary International District 3080 here today.

• Cheema gets President’s Police Medal

• Market panel ex-chief dead

BUSINESS

No need to ape US companies, says expert 
Chandigarh, February 7
“There is no need for Indian companies to blindly follow US companies. Their sole emphasis is making profit ruthlessly, without concern for the interests of stake-holders like customers, employees or the community,” said Ms Anu Aga, Chairperson, Thermax Ltd, a Pune-based company.

City takes a peek at Wind 125 
Chandigarh, February 7
Bajaj Autos today organised a road show of its Bajaj World Bike - Wind 125 bikes in city. The bike has won the CNBC Autocar award – Two Wheeler of the Year and Business Standard Motoring’s Bike of the Year awards in the automotive field.

EDUCATION

City schools charge exorbitant fees
Chandigarh, February 7
As if the money paid to prepare their kids for interview at upmarket city schools was not enough, the parents are being forced to pay exorbitant fees. After securing a seat for their tiny tots at these schools for the new academic session beginning soon, the parents have to arrange the fees, varying anything between Rs 15,000 and Rs 40,000.

Librarian’s role discussed
Chandigarh, February 7
A UGC sponsored refresher course in Library and Information Science on the “New Frontiers in Management of Academic Libraries” was inaugurated by Prof S.L. Sharma, Dean, Faculty of Arts, at the library here on Thursday.

Conference lays stress on role of HR professionals
Chandigarh, February 7
“The role of human resource (HR) professionals is to bridge the strategic gap between Indian companies and world class companies by increasing productivity and quality. Product innovation and customer orientation are other areas in which Indian companies need to work upon,” said Mr Arvind Aggarwal, HR President of the RPG group.

Day of fun, frolic for YPS kids Mohali, February 7 It was a day of fun and frolic for students of Yadavindra Public School (YPS) on the opening day of a two-day fete here today. Excited children, many of them with their faces painted, were seen enjoying themselves at a variety of games at “YPS Extravaganza”. Children take part in a fun game at a fete organised at Yadavindra Public School, Sector 51, Mohali, on Saturday. — A Tribune photograph

‘Parveshika’  training camp
Chandigarh, February 7, 2004
A four-day “Parveshika” training camp of Hindustan Scouts and Guides began at Maharshi Dayanand Public School, Daria village, here today. The camp was inaugurated by the Mayor, Ms Kamlesh.

COURTS

• Lawyers to boycott CJM’s court

• 17 PNB cases settled

CULTURE

Punjabi music body to form anti-piracy cell
Chandigarh, February 7
The Association of Punjabi Television, Cinema and Music Industries (APTEC) Minds today announced music awards in the world of Punjabi music. At a media interaction, organised to discuss issues critical to Punjabi music, cinema and television industry, Mr Arvinder Singh, president of the association also announced the formation of an anti-piracy cell to be headed by a police official who would look into discrepancies rampant in the field.

Film Review
Bold theme, poor screen play

Mehul Kumar’s hard-edged realism is back again in “Jaago” after “Krantiveer” and “Tiranga”. This time it is based on a true life incident of the rape of a 10-year-old school girl in a train in Mumbai. Shruti (Hansika Motwani) is the daughter of Srikant (Sanjay Kapoor) and Shraddha (Raveena Tandon). Raveena Tandon , Hansika Motwani and Sanjay Kapoor in “Jaago”.

Western Film Review
A movie made in dream

CHANDIGARH: Only a Hollywood director can do it. Go to sleep and make a film in his dream. Incredulous ? Lawrence Kasdan has done it by creating “Dreamcatcher” (Kiran). At first, it seems to have the makings of a psychological thriller — four young friends, Thomas Jane, Jason Lee, Damian Lewis and Timothy Olyphant — gaining uncanny powers in return for performing a heroic act.

A scene from “Dreamcatcher”

LIFESTYLE

Discard “expired” beauty products
Make-up kits and beauty products available in the market often do not mention the expiry date. In fact, cosmetics are not required to specify the “best before” date. But products can still go bad. No doubt about it. And if you think “expired” products will merely fail to produce the desired result, you are mistaken. They can irritate skin, result in allergies, even cause eye infection — this is what the dermatologists in the city believe.

Plasma TV launched 
Decibels India, today launched Fujitsu Plasma TV in the city, during the Electro Expo- 2004. Mr Sunit Mathur, Managing-Director of Decibels (India), which has all-India distribution/marketing rights of international electronic majors like Fujitsu, Denon and Jamo, launched the television.

HEALTH

Experts get together to make eye TB rare
Chandigarh, February 7
Tuberculosis could be something virtually unheard of in the western world, but an increasing number of patients in India stand the risk of losing their vision as a result of its infection in the eye.

Verma opens transit camp for patients
Chandigarh, February 7
The Punjab Governor and UT Administrator, Justice O.P. Verma (retd), today stressed the need for evolving an organised system to provide medical care to all patients in various city hospitals.

SPORTS

Tennis qualifying rounds begin

Chandigarh, February 7 Local lad Gursher Singh Harika improved his chances of qualifying for the main draw in the boys singles in the ITF Junior Grade 3 Tennis Tournament, the qualifying rounds of which began here today at the CLTA tennis stadium, Sector 10. Narinder of Chandigarh in action on the opening day of qualifying rounds of ITF Tennis (Junior) meet on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

Saupin’s School holds sports day

Chandigarh, February 7 It was a day of fun for students of Saupin’s School, Sector 32, as they took part in their annual sports day at Sports Complex, Sector 46. Schoolchildren in various age groups took part in the sports day. Students of Saupin’s School take part in a 200-metre race at the Sports Complex, Sector 46, Chandigarh, on Saturday. — A Tribune photograph

Chandigarh eves drub HP in kabaddi
Chandigarh, February 7
Chandigarh eves sailed past Himachal Pradesh 25-19 on the second day of the 16th Senior National Circle Kabaddi Tournament being organised by the Chandigarh Amateur Circle Kabaddi Association here today.