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Aspiring teachers counselled
Candidates have harrowing time
Chandigarh, July 29
Aspirants for B. Ed who are seeking counselling at Panjab University had to face a tough time on the second day of the counselling yesterday. The counselling which yesterday continued till 3.30 am today. Candidates kept waiting for their turn for long hours and parents who were accompanying them had a harrowing time. Nearly, 1,200 candidates received counselling yesterday.

SI Sunita Bakshi surrenders
Chandigarh, July 29
After dodging the police and the CBI for about two-and-a-half-month, Sunita Bakshi, a Sub-Inspector (SI) with the Chandigarh police, today surrendered before a local court.

Sub-Inspector Sunita Bakshi on her way to surrender before a court in Chandigarh on Friday. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Police backtracks again Drops murder charge against Dr Deepak Kaura Chandigarh, July 29 It is nothing but complete failure on part of the Chandigarh police to properly investigate criminal cases. Nearly two months after booking Dr Deepak Kaura on the allegations of being involved in the murder of his wife Dr Babita Kaura, the police today backtracked from its stand and said she had ended her life. It also announced the dropping of murder charge against Dr Deepak and said he would now be charge-sheeted for abetment to suicide. It also declared that Dr Deepak’s sister, Deepali Kohli, had nothing to do with the offence. As such, it would seek her discharge in the case. DSP, Mr Om Parkash, with the diary of Dr Deepak Kaura in Chandigarh on Friday. — A Tribune photograph

Dadu Majra to get garbage processing unit 

Nominated councillors wait for their turn to speak even as elected councillors trade charges at a meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh on Friday. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

Chandigarh, July 29 A walkout by the Opposition BJP and the Chandigarh Vikas Manch and protests by certain Congress councillors notwithstanding, the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh(MCC) today approved the setting up of a garbage processing unit at Dadu Majra here. However, the award of the Rs 15 crore project to M/s Jai Parkash Associate Limited (JPAL) by the Congress-dominated MCC kicked up a storm with two of its own councillors expressing doubts about transparency in the selection.

Passing Thru

COMMUNITY

Caught unawares by the rain, scooterists rush down a road in Chandigarh on Friday evening. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

Sectors 25, 26 plot holders to pay enhancement fee
Panchkula, July 29
Over 4,600 plot holders in Sector 25 and 26 now face paying an enhancement fee, following a directive by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. It is estimated that about Rs 20 crore will be collected from the plot holders as enhancement fee.

Fake affidavit case: RCS backtracks
Chandigarh, July 29
Almost three months after the Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCS) directed a cooperative housing society to cancel the flat of Mr Pawan Sharma, president of the District Congress Committee(Rural) and a close confident of the local MP, Mr Pawan Bansal, the Register seems to have gone soft on the Congress leader.

Police moots paid parking
Panchkula, July 29
Often accused of a lackadaisical approach to deal with traffic rule violations and parking blues, the Panchkula police has now come up with a proposal to introduce paid parking. The police said not only would this system regulate parking, but it would also curb vehicle thefts.

Stamp vendors operate from homes
Chandigarh, July 29
Persons visiting the complex behind the Deputy Commissioner office to buy non-judicial stamps have complained that the stationary is not available there. The licensed stamp vendors, who are supposed to put up their tables for the sale of the stationary, are operating from home, they alleged.

Man who started ‘Chhaya Geet’
Chandigarh, July 29
Overcoming the stammering of his childhood and adolescent years, Vijay Vashishth went onto become one of the best-loved announcers for All-India Radio (AIR). Fondly nicknamed ‘Voice of Chandigarh’ because of his long association with the city, Vashishth said in an interview: “I overcame my speech disability by copying the voice of my favourite announcers on Jalandhar AIR.”

Midnight parantha binge Chandigarh, July 28 If you are one of the “hot and peppery parantha” lovers and a nocturnal person, Bittu the paranthawala will gladly make your favourite paranthas for you between 8 pm and 4 am! Students impatiently await their turn for paranthas. — A Tribune photograph

Trust for  ex-personnel of IAF
Chandigarh, July 29
The Air Force Association (AFA) has formed a trust, with a corpus of Rs 2 crore, to provide for former IAF personnel or their dependents who are in need of monetary aid. The corpus has been formed out of the donation made by Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh last year.

Water tariff hike cleared
Mohali, July 29
The local municipal council today cleared the proposal to hike water and sewerage rates in the town after keeping it pending for three times earlier. Some councillors of the Opposition group opposed the move saying that the civic body should not put financial burden on residents. If the government wanted to implement the new rates, it could do it at its own level.

Power bill payment machine
Mohali, July 29
An electronic bill payment machine, “sewak,” was made functional at the Shakti Sadan complex of the Punjab State Electricity Board here today. The machine was inaugurated by the Chairman of the board, Mr Y.S. Ratra.

Readers write
Ban loud music after 11 pm, please
The celebration started at 10 pm with the full beat of Punjabi and Hindi songs. At 1 am, the beat is still at the same pitch. Instead of requesting the organisers (perhaps, it was a birthday party) as they were dead drunk and asking them to stop the music since it was so late and let the people have rest, I rang up the police station concerned (Sector 34) to come to our rescue

CRIME

Nayagaon rape case: 3 more held
Mohali, July 29
The Mohali police has arrested three more persons in a rape case registered at Nayagaon in 2003. Six persons, including a former SHO of the Nayagaon police station and a woman, have already been arrested.

Men pose as cops, take away car
Chandigarh, July 29
A city resident, Vikas Ahuja, had to part with his Honda City car after he gave lift to two persons in police uniform on July 24 in Sector 26. The police today registered a case under the provisions of the Arms Act and said investigations in the matter were on. 

BUSINESS

2 juice brands launched
Chandigarh, July 29
Mamta Agro Foods, a sister concern of Mamta Drinks and Industries Ltd , has launched two juice brands `Jooz’ and ‘Madrid’ in Chandigarh . the company also launched ‘safed musli’ based energy drink blended with apple.

EDUCATION

Students of Small Wonders School plant saplings as part of vanamahotsava celebrations, in Mohali on Friday. — A Tribune photograph NCC Group Commander Manjit Singh hands over the scholarship cheque to cadet Megha Sharma for outstanding performance in academics. Four cadets of senior division Saurabh Kumar, Yogesh Sharma, Shaleen Chauhan and Richa Marwah have been awarded Rs 12,000 each, while Samardeep Singh, Nitish Nandwani, Sahil Chauhan, Richa Arya, Megha Sharma and Dheera Chaudhary of junior division have been awarded Rs 6,000 each by the Sahara Group of Companies.

Crime branch to probe answerbook tampering case
Chandigarh, July 29
An year-old case of tampering with an answering book in the regional office of the CBSE has been handed over to the Crime branch of Chandigarh Police. The investigations by the police would be independent of the disciplinary inquiry for major penalty initiated by the board against two assistants of the board for their alleged involvement in a case of tampering with the answer book (AB). Sources in the board said that Chairman of the board had referred the matter to the police after a preliminary inquiry had indicated the involvement of certain employees of the board. Recently, the board had initiated departmental inquiry against the two assistants.

National Foundation of India announces fellowships
Chandigarh, July 29
In order to facilitate a more informed development policy dialogue and to encourage publication of well researched articles on development issues, the National Foundation for India has announced seven fellowships of Rs 1 lakh each under its National Media Fellowship Programme. The National Media Fellowship Programme is open for young mid-career journalists, who are interested to take time off from their routine beats to research and publish articles on a wide range of issues that have to do with ordinary Indians striving for a better life. This includes the problems of deprived people, environmental matters and other major social problems, especially with respect to issues of gender inequality.

CIIS students design gas-powered scooters Mohali, July 29 Students of the Canadian Institute of International Studies (CIIS) here have designed a prototype of gas-powered scooters as a part of the automotive manufacturing program of the institute. Six teams of four students each designed prototypes of tiny gas-powered two wheelers as per specifications outlined by their course instructors. The six prototypes were demonstrated today at the CIIS compound by their creators. Students demonstrate prototypes of gas-powered scooters as part of the automotive manufacturing program at the Canadian Institute of International Studies in Mohali on Friday. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

Campus Notes
PU to follow PEC on laptops
Chandigarh, July 29
Following the footsteps of Punjab Engineering College, Panjab University is all set to promote laptops on its campus. Whereas PEC has made laptops mandatory for its first year students, Panjab University has not made it compulsory for students. It is entirely up to students whether to go for it or not.

COURTS

Notice of motion on plea for order review
Chandigarh, July 29
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion for August 19 on two applications filed by Directors of the controversial Chandigarh Law Institute Private Limited and the Chandigarh Administration seeking review of the judgement of a Division Bench in the case regarding alleged irregularities in the allotment of prime land to the company.

Senior advocate dead
Chandigarh, July 29
Senior Punjab and Haryana High Court advocate S.P. Gupta died here today. Mr Gupta had been ailing for some time. Mr Gupta remained a member of the Bar Council of India, the Press Council of India, and the Chairman and member of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana for many years.

LEISURE

Museum gets epigraphy section
The Government Museum added another component to its structure in Chandigarh on Friday. Christened Epigraphy and Numismatics Section, it is rich with a representative collection of Indian coins starting from punch-marked coins.

Glimpses of the epigraphy section that opened at the Government Museum in Chandigarh. — Tribune photos by Vinay Malik

Punjabi singers regale audience at Kalagram
WELL-KNOWN Punjabi pop stars regaled at a musical extravaganza ‘Monsoon Bhangra Live’ organised by Punjabi TV Channels Etc and Zee Punjabi in association with the NZCC at the Kalagram complex today.

Towards mysticism
Celebrated filmmaker Pankuj Parashar is ready to share his magnum opus with the world audience. Picking up threads of Indian spiritualism and weaving them into brilliant cinematic patterns, the man behind sizzling hits like “ChaalBaaz”” has lately been walking the mystical path. His journey has just about ended at the ghats of Benaras — a city which sits at the heart of his latest production “Banaras: A Mystical Love Story”. Parashar was in town to promote the film.

HEALTH

Helpline for angioplasty patients 
Chandigarh, July 29
Concerned about the rising use of illegal stents in intervention cardiology, PRAHAR (Public Response Against Helplessness and Action for Redressal), today launched a multi-city campaign titled, “Making cardiac care fair”. The objective is to bring the issue to the forefront and ensure stringent laws are passed in this regard.

Clinic raided, sealed
Panchkula, July 29
The health authorities today raided a clinic at Bhainsa Tibba village this evening and sealed it after a matriculate was found prescribing allopathic medicines. A team of officials, including District Health Officer, Lalit Virmani and Drug Inspector, Kamaldeep Dhawan, conducted the raid after they received numerous complaints that a “quack” was operating in the area and prescribing allopathic medicines.

SPORTS

SAI coaches go on leave
Chandigarh, July 29
Most of the coaches working with the Sports Authority of India have opted to go on leave, as they were not adjusted at the new centres. They have joined the new coaching centres after the transfer orders were issued earlier this month.

DAV-8 boys trounce GTB School-15
Chandigarh, July 29
DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, boys continued with winning spree when they routed boys of Guru Teg Bahadur School (GTB), Sector 15, by five goals to nil to advance into the semifinals of the ongoing Pre-Subroto Soccer Tournament in the under-17 category here today. In another match of the day, Government Model School, Sector 42, team comprising mostly boys of the Chandigarh Football Academy, trounced St Xavier’s School, Sector 44, by 6-0.

Meghna, Mayank, Ravi emerge winners in TT tourney

Chandigarh, July 29 Meghna of Sacred Heart School today defeated Kalayani of Tender Heart School in the cadet (girls) category 11-8, 11-9, 10-12, 11-6 on the opening day of DAV Public School Open Table Tennis Tournament held at Table Tennis Hall, Sector 23, here.

The match in progress between Meghna (left) and Kalyani at the indoor table tennis hall, Sector 23, Chandigarh, on Friday. — A Tribune photograph

Naveen leads in chess
Chandigarh, July 29
Naveen Bansal, Sanjeev Biswas and Nitin with four points each were leading at the end of the fourth round of the 16th Chandigarh Chess Championship-2005 being played here at Jawahar Navodya Vidyalaya, Sector 25. The points position at the end of the fourth round are: 4 pts: Sanjiv Biswas, Naveen Bansal and Nitin;

Carrom tourney at St Stephens
Chandigarh, July 29
The XV Chandigarh State Carrom Tournament will commence at St. Stephen’s School, Sector 45, here, from tomorrow. In this four-day tournament, 251 players from Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali will take part.