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FR probe focuses on conversion policy
CBI interrogates MC officials
Chandigarh, February 23
In the multi-crore scam involving sanctioning of wrong building plans of Fun Republic, Mani Majra, the CBI investigations seem to be heading towards the conversion policy of multiplexes, introduced in 2001. Probing on the lines of policy, sleuths of the CBI today quizzed officials in the Municipal Corporation regarding the details of the conversion policy since its introduction.

Kidnapped NRI released
Says she was forced to sign property papers
Panchkula, February 23
A 30-year-old NRI from London was allegedly kidnapped from her house in Sector 25 here on February 18. She has alleged that her abductors forced her to sign some property papers before they let her off this evening. The victim, Harjit Kaur, has now approached the Sector 25 police and sought registration of a case against her abductors.

Floral fiesta off to a rollicking start
Chandigarh, February 23
The Rose Festival got off to a colourful start this morning. Punjab Governor-cum-UT administrator Gen S.F. Rodrigues (retd) and first lady Jean Rodrigues reached the venue to inaugurate the three-day event.

BLOOMING FACES AND BLOSSOMING FLOWERS: Artistes perform on the inaugural day of the 35th Rose Festival in Chandigarh on Friday. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

Hoardings violate SC directions
Panchkula, February 23
With the Congress government completing two "successful" years in power in the state, hoardings listing out its achievements and propagating its policies and programmes have come up along every single road and at every roundabout.
Hoardings have cropped up all over the city and along national and state highways to mark completion of two years of the Congress government in the state. The picture was taken at the Sector 17-18 roundabout in Panchkula on Friday. — Tribune photo by Malkiat Singh

CHB in no mood to please middle class
Chandigarh, February 23
It appears that the desire of the middle-income group to get cheap houses in the city will remain unfulfilled. The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) is no mood to allot the proposed 10,000 houses for the middle-income group on a no-profit, no-loss basis.

Army to promote B-school training for retirees
Chandigarh, February 23
The Army is planning to increase the number of officers undergoing training in various business schools for post-retirement career opportunities.
Himachal Governor V.S. Kokje (centre) along with chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission Lieut-Gen B.S.Thakur (retd) (left) and Director-General, Resettlement at Army Headquarters, Maj-Gen Harwant Krishan at a seminar on “Employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for armed forces personnel”, in Chandigarh on Friday. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

Online help for retired Sikhs
Chandigarh, February 23
Retired Sikhs across the world are doing things they had never imagined they would. They are overcoming depression, sharing ideas and retracing lives. This change has come about fast, thanks to Chandigarh-based Amritpal Singh’s “online” intervention, which assures the elderly a life beyond sunset years.

Amritpal Singh from Mohali who has created a website for retired Sikhs.

COMMUNITY

Ashita blooms at Rose Festival
Chandigarh, February 23
The Chandigarh Administration today announced the results of flower arrangements and other competitions. Dr Ashita Singh of Sector 43 has bagged seven positions in the "open to all" flower arrangement category.


The Rose Festival got off to a traditional start with artistes performing live in Chandigarh on Friday. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

City Beautiful becomes more beautiful
Chandigarh, February 23
Developed in about 6.25 acre in Sector 11, Poinsettia and Ixora Garden was today inaugurated by Punjab Governor-cum-UT Administrator (retd) S.F. Rodrigues. The garden is equipped with 1000 plants of poinsettia in 17 beds and 600 plants of ixora in 13 beds.

Spring Fest from March 10
Panchkula, February 23
The annual Spring Fest held at Yavnika in Sector 5 will be organised on March 10 and 11. Confirming the dates of the fest, an official said that the gardens of the city were being spruced up.

Panel for women empowerment
Chandigarh, February 23
Municipal Corporation Mayor Harjinder Kaur constituted a co-ordination committee for women's activities at a special meeting of women councillors at her residence "Camp Office" in Sector 24, here, today. Nominated women councillors and those of other parties attended the meeting while women councillors of the Congress boycotted it.

Encroachments removed
Chandigarh, February 23
The Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, today carried out a special anti-encroachment drive to remove encroachments from Sector 45, Kabari Market, Chandigarh.

IT Dept conducts surveys
Chandigarh, February 23
The Income Tax Department yesterday conducted surveys on the premises of the distributors of a prominent flour maker in the notified area committee in Mani Majra here.

Sector 43 ISBT set for revamp
Chandigarh, February 23
The Sector 43 Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) is all set for a major revamp. The UT’s Engineering Department is racing against time to complete the new portion of the bus stand by this summer.

The new structure of the Sector 43 Inter-State Bus Terminus which is nearing completion in Chandigarh. — Tribune photo by Vinay Malik

Goods worth lakhs gutted
Dera Bassi, February 23
Property worth several lakhs of rupees was gutted in a fire on the premises of a spinning mill at Saidpura village, near here, yesterday.

Auditions for Antakshari
Chandigarh, February 23
To become the pride of North Zone, the auditions for Star-One TV programme Antakshari (Anu Kapoor fame), will be held at Bal Bhawa n, Sector 23B, Chandigarh from 10 am to 6 pm on Sunday, 25th February, 2007.

Over 5 lakh insured persons under ESIC
Chandigarh, February 23
There are over 5 lakh insured persons under the Employees State Insurance Scheme in Punjab and Chandigarh.

CRIME

Youth dies in mishap
Panchkula, February 23
Twenty-five-year-old Balbir, a resident of Punjab's Kheri Gatta village, died on the Barwala-Panchkula road after being hit by an unidentified vehicle late last night.

BUSINESS

Infringement of Copyright Act
Restaurants may face music
Chandigarh, February 23
Restaurant and bar owners, shopkeepers, event managers and organisers of reception ceremonies may soon face the music for playing recorded music without obtaining permission from the “owner of the musical work”.
                                                                             Rakesh Nigam

Best of Season’s Expo begins
Chandigarh, February 23
A three-day annual consumer goods exhibition organised by Innovative Group at Parade Grounds started with much fanfare today.

EDUCATION

DAV-8 gets first woman principal
Chandigarh, February 23
Close on the heels of the entry of girls to the local DAV Senior Secondary School(Lahore), Sector 8, last year, the educational institution today got its first-ever woman Principal in Dr Vibha Ray. Dr Ray, was a lecturer in English at the school for over 11 years. She succeeds Mr Ravinder Talwar, who served as principal for over 21 years.

DAV College teachers to intensify struggle
Chandigarh, February 23
DAV College teachers unit in its meeting today unanimously decided to boycott the college annual functions and intensify their struggle for its genuine demand of encashment of earned leave as provided by the Panjab University and UT Administration rules.

Chitkara invests in SUN Microsystems
Chandigarh, February 23
Sun Microsystems delivered an innovative and simplified computing infrastructure to connect users and desktop applications at the Chitkara Institute of Engineering Technology (CIET). Sun claims that their system is delivering better performance, enhanced security, and greater uptime based on the Sun Ray architecture solutions.

MBA (biotech), MA (police admn) get PU syndicate nod
Chandigarh, February 23
Panjab University will introduce courses in MBA (biotechnology) and MA (police administration) from the forthcoming session. This was decided during the syndicate meeting held here this evening.

UIPS granted status of CAS
Chandigarh, February 23
The University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS) of Panjab University has been granted the status of Centre for Advanced Studies (CAS) in Pharmaceutical Sciences by the University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi.

Diet counselling session for children
Chandigarh, February 23
A Diet nutrition counselling session for the parents was conducted at Government Model High School, sector20 D, here, today.

Think Day celebrated
Chandigarh, February 23
The birth anniversary of ‘Lord Baden Powel’, Founder of Scouts and Guides movement, was celebrated as Thinking day at Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2, 3 BRD Air Force Station, here, today. An ‘All Faith Prayer’ was held by scouts and guides. Principal Ranjana Bassi blessed the children and encouraged them to enrol themselves in this movement to become good citizens. At the end, sweets were distributed among students.

MSc students given farewell
Chandigarh, February 23
Students of the postgraduate Department of Mathematics, DAV College, Sector 10, organised a farewell function for the students of MSc II. Inaugurating the function, principal S. Marriya congratulated the students and wished them a very bright future. The students presented a variety programme, including a fashion show, songs, dances, etc.

COURTS

Organiser files suit against EO
Chandigarh, February 23
Lack of communication between the district magistrate and the UT’s Tourism Department over allowing stalls and swings during the three-day Rose Festival to an organiser, M/s Three Star Exhibitor, has became a source of embarrassment for the Chandigarh Administration.

Court to hear divider case on February 26
Panchkula, February 23
Even as the debate to open or close entry points between sectors rages, Sessions Judge JR Chauhan has set aside the court order directing the opening of entry points while asking the same court to hear both the parties afresh.

A girl tries to cross over from the divider to avoid a longer route due to closure of entry points on the road dividing Sectors 7 and 8 in Panchkula on Friday. — Tribune Photo by Malkiat Singh

CULTURE

Vinod Sehgal enthrals
Chandigarh, February 23
The delectable strains of mixed musical melodies wafted across the rosy and fragrant ambience of Rose Garden as acclaimed ghazal maestro and playback singer Vinod Sehgal presented his choicest compositions in Sham-e-Ghazal today.


Vinod Sehgal performs at a ghazal evening during the Rose Festival on Friday. A Tribune photograph

In the footsteps of Pt Birju Maharaj
Chandigarh, February 23
Madhukar Anand has a difficult legacy to keep. This disciple of Pt Birju Maharaj has imbibed the best of Lucknow kathak and is now on his way to mastering the nuances of the form. A dance professor at the Department of Dance, Punjabi University, Patiala, Anand was in Chandigarh today for a kathak presentation.
                                                                                          Madhukar Anand

HEALTH

Cardiovascular anaesthesiologists conference begins
Chandigarh, February 23
Dr A.R. Kidwai, The Haryana governor Dr AR Kidwai inaugurated the 10th annual conference of the Indian Society of Cardiovascular Thoracic Anaesthesiologists (IACTA) being hosted by the department of anaesthesia and intensive care, PGI, Chandigarh, here today.

Lecture on joint replacement
Chandigarh, February 23
Early surgery is a must for the prevention of deformities in rheumatoid hand, said Dr Yoshitaka, a professor with the department of hand surgery and sports medicine, Tokyo, Japan. Dr Yoshitaka was in the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), sector 32, he delivered a lecture on joint replacement and surgery of rheumatoid hand, here today.

SPORTS

Inter-media cricket tourney final to be telecast live
Chandigarh, February 23
Siti Cable will telecast live the final one-day cricket match of the Airtel-Chandigarh Press Club Inter-Media Cricket Trophy to be held at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium on February 25.