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Indiscriminate mining poses threat
to villages

Panchkula, January 14 Even as the district administration claims to have taken several steps to check illegal mining in the riverbeds, indiscriminate mining by the contractors in Raipur Rani have posed a danger to the existence of many villages. Trucks being loaded with sand and boulders at Khet Purali village in Panchkula. Tribune photo:  Vinay Malik

Lukewarm response to shopping at malls

Chandigarh, January 14 Despite having the highest per capita income in the country, Chandigarh is yet to wake up to the shopping mall culture. Vacant commercial space at one of the shopping malls in Chandigarh.

Rape Case
German girl to reach city today
Chandigarh, January 14
The 20-year-old German tourist, who was allegedly raped after being kidnapped by five youths from outside Taj Hotel at Sector 17 on September 28, is coming to the city tomorrow to depose before a local court for trial on January 16.

The Xylo car which was launched in Chandigarh on Tuesday. It will be available in four variants, at ex-showroom price ranging from Rs 6.27 lakh to 7.72 lakh. A Tribune photograph

MC under scanner for promoting ‘tainted’ official
Chandigarh, January 14
In what could prove to be a major embarrassment for the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, one of the Executive Engineers (XEN) on deputation, is under scanner for being “wrongfully” promoted while a vigilance inquiry is still pending against him.

Man robbed of Rs 2.8 lakh at gunpoint
Chandigarh, January 14
Three unidentified occupants of a Maruti Zen car robbed a telecom company distributor of Rs 2.8 lakh at gunpoint in Sector 9 today evening.

Canada wants illegal immigrant consultants out
Chandigarh, January 14
Unscrupulous and unauthorised immigration consultants, fraudulent means and counterfeit documents were the factors responsible for higher rate of rejection of applications for both short-term visas and permanent residency by the Chandigarh Consulate-General office.

COMMUNITY

Development Projects
Meet deadlines, says Rodrigues
Chandigarh, January 14
As a part of monitoring drive of the ongoing developmental projects, UT Administrator S.F. Rodrigues today inspected the progress work of the second phase of the Vocational Training Centre for Street Children at Maloya, Regional Institute for Mentally Handicapped, Sector 31, and the new OPD block of Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH) in Sector 16.

Accidents make dent in MC funds

Chandigarh, January 14 Road accidents are proving to be a headache for the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation and UT Administration, as they have to shell out thousands for the repair of roundabouts damaged during mishaps. One of the damaged roundabouts in Chandigarh. Tribune Photo: Manoj Mahajan

Consumer Court
MC asked to pay Rs 23,450
Chandigarh, January 14
All those whose vehicles have got damaged or misplaced while in the Municipal Corporation (MC) parking lot can knock the doors of the consumer courts. In a recent order passed by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has asked the contractor of the parking lot Sukhpal Singh to pay the money spent by the complainant after his misplaced two-wheeler was recovered in a damaged condition.

PGI’s professor is journal’s board member
Chandigarh, January 14
Dr Akshay Anand, assistant professor, the department of neurology, PGIMER, has joined the editorial board of reputed journal “Neuroepidemiology” that publish investigations and commentaries in the field of neurological disorders.

Passport Theft Case
Users in police net too
Chandigarh, January 14
After an arrest of over a dozen persons in the sensational passport theft case, including its alleged kingpin Gurjinder Singh Lucky, last year, users of the stolen passports are falling in the police net now.

DC ignores Home Secy orders
Retains ‘ineligible’ officer
Chandigarh, January 14
Fingers are being raised over the reappointment of Risal Singh Sangwan as the General Manager (GM) of Chandigarh State Cooperative Bank Ltd who is simultaneously holding the charge of Assistant Registrar (AR), Cooperative Societies, Chandigarh.

Deputed employee’s joining at UT power dept stayed
Chandigarh, January 14
The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has put a stay on the joining of Bharat Bhushan Madan, head draftsman at Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), as the head draftsman in UT electricity department after his appointment was challenged by Madan Lal, working as draftsman at the office of UT executive engineer.

Neglected artifacts get admn attention
New block to be built on the premises of the museum to preserve them
Chandigarh, January 14
At last, the Chandigarh Administration has woken up from its deep slumber to take cognizance of the thousands of ancient artifacts, worth crores of rupees in the international market, rotting in the basement of Sector 10, Government Museum and Art Gallery, here.

Construct marriage palace in periphery: Admn to MC
Chandigarh, January 14
Once again, Chandigarh municipal corporation’s dream to have its own marriage palace in the city has been broken as the UT administration has suggested that the same should rather be constructed in some nearby villages.

Numbers for houses in suburbs
Chandigarh, January 14
Each house in the nine villages with the municipal corporation, Chandigarh, is set to get its own ‘identity’. Finally waking up to the need of identification for these houses, the MC will assign number to each one of it.

Sweeper found dead
Chandigarh, January 14
Basheshar, a 55-year-old sweeper, was found dead at his government accommodation in Sector 38, here, this morning. The police has ruled out any foul play behind the death and said the deceased was an alcoholic.

Violation of High Court orders
Admn allows parking along highway

Zirakpur, January 14 In violation of the Punjab and Haryana High Court orders in the traffic management and highway-widening case, the local administration is allowing vehicles to be parked all along the Zirakpur-Derabassi highway. With no place to park buses, a roadways bus picks passengers in a tow-away zone, marked by the Mohali police, at Zirakpur. A Tribune photograph

PGI doc honoured
Chandigarh, January 14
Dr Kanika Sahni, a doctor at the PGI, Chandigarh, won the MGM Medical College award for his paper during the recently concluded 37th annual conference of the Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists Dermacon 2009 at Bengaluru.

Four-day training programme begins
Chandigarh, January 14

A four-day residential training programme on development of community mobilisation skills for self-sustainability of the World Bank-assisted Punjab Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (PRWSS) Project has commenced today at Panjab University. PS Aujla, secretary, the Punjab’s rural water supply and sanitation department, inaugurated the programme. Delegates during the residential training programme at Panjab University on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

Anandpur Sahib leaders demand SAD ticket for Padiala
Mohali, January 14
Certain Akali leaders of the Anandpur Sahib constituency have demanded that the SAD party ticket should be given to Rajbir Singh Padiala in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Retired SE crushed to death under tractor-trolley Zirakpur, January 14 A retired Superintending Engineer of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) was killed after being crushed under a tractor-trolley in Zirakpur today.                                                                                Narinder Singh

White elephants not required
The Tribune has well taken up a billion-dollar question before the people of Chandigarh in the issue of Chandigarh Tribune on January 7. I am residing in Chandigarh since 1954. I have served the Punjab Government and retired as an officer from Chandigarh and settled here.

EDUCATION

Pvt schools not to burden parents more
Chandigarh, January 14
Representatives of almost 30 private schools got together today and decided to be “considerate” enough and not increase their fee beyond the fixed annual hike done every year.

Agitated PUSU members block road

Chandigarh, January 14 It seems that leaders and members of the Panjab University Student's Union (PUSU) only wake up to agitate for some students’ grievances and take credit for it when the authorities had already given a nod to readdress them. Members of the PUSU try to break speed breakers installed recently at Panjab University on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

PU ties up with Australian varsity
Chandigarh, January 14
The University of Western Australia (UWA) and the Panjab University have signed an MoU today for the teaching and research collaboration. University of Western Australia Deputy Vice-Chancellor Prof Doug and PU Vice-Chancellor RC Sobti signed the MoU.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Report on organic farming
Punjab farmers’ experiences ignored, says NGO
Ropar, January 14
The Punjab State Farmers’ Commission (PSFC) did not take Punjab’s farmers’ experiences into account while drafting a report on organic farming. The commission just took “feedback” of the other states and did not even bother to consult farmers who are already growing wheat and paddy with organic farming.

‘3 more cities to be included in health mission’
Ropar, January 14
Amritsar, Ludhiana and Jalandhar are being included under the National Urban Health Mission’s (NUHM) pilot project, health minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla said here recently.

A view of the damaged road near Kalori Gate in Patiala. A Tribune photograph

Punjab police to recruit 466 women
Ropar, January 14
In view of shortage of women staff in the Punjab police it has been decided to recruit 466 women cops in the force. The process of filling vacant posts has begun and applications are invited by prospective candidates. The applicants should be between 18 and 22 years of age and 10+2 pass.

No power cuts from March, says Brar
Patiala, January 14
Giving a ray of hope to power-shortage hit people of Punjab, the newly appointed Chairman of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), Harinder Singh Brar, has assured that the state would get rid of tormenting power cuts in March.

Rajindra hospital staff demand filling of posts
Patiala, January 14
The Punjab Nursing Association, in association with Class IV employees of the Government Rajindra Hospital, held a rally today and urged the government to fill vacant posts so that work of the hospital should not suffer.

Sarin is member of PPSC
Patiala, January 14
Anil Sarin, an advocate, today took charge of his new assignment as a member of the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) at Patiala.

Doaba group to sign MoU with CSIO
Kharar, January 14
Doaba Group of Colleges (DGC) and Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO), Chandigarh have reached an understanding to sign an MoU for taking engineering students of the DGC for six months industrial training in CSIO, where they get an opportunity to play a vital role in undergoing research programmes of CSIO.

Punjabi varsity professor bags honour
Patiala, January 14
A horse reared by Prof Sumrinder Singh of Punjabi University, Patiala, was declared the best brood mare in the Punjab Raj Pashu Dhan Championship -2009, which concluded at Muktsar during the Maghi mela.

Health camp gets underway
Bassi Pathana, January 14
The local Mehar Baba Charitable Trust (MBCT) is going to start a new special check up camp for women "Brest cancer and mammography” as more women are being affected by this dreaded disease, said HS Mejie, patron MBCT, while inaugurating diabetes, blood pressure awareness and women empowerment camp at nearby Abdulapur village today.

Hoardings on NH 21 removed

Kharar, January 14 A joint team of the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA), Public Works Department (PWD) and the Kharar Municipal Council today removed hoardings from the National Highway-21. PUDA workers remove hoardings and billboards at Phase VI in Mohali on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

11 challaned, 9 fined for smoking in public
Ropar, January 14

As many as 11 persons were challaned and nine were fined for smoking in public place and violating the Anti-Tobacco Act. A joint team of the Chandigarh and Ropar Health Departments conducted surprise checks after three months of the enforcement of the Act. Health officials from Chandigarh and Ropar fine people for consuming tobacco at public places. A Tribune photograph

One held with pirated CDs
Sohana, January 14
The local police has seized over 595 pirated CDs and arrested one person after a tip-off from the officials of the company.

One killed in accident
Fatehgarh Sahib, January 14
One person was killed in an accident late last night in the Sirhind area of Fatehgarh Sahib.

COURTS

High Court
Health ministry
Chandigarh, January 14
Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur and Justice Hement Gupta issued notice of motion to Union Ministry of Health and others on dilapidated conditions of hospitals and dispensaries in Punjab.

Baltana Shootout
Accused sent to judicial custody
Zirakpur, January 14
The local court yesterday sent Naveen, an accused in a two-month old shootout at Baltana, here, to 14-day judicial remand after three days’ police remand. The local police arrested him on January 10 near a hotel located on Zirakpur-Panchkula highway.

CRIME

Couple arrested, 2 booked in fraud cases
Chandigarh, January 14
The police arrested a couple for breach of trust while booked a bank accountant and a Patiala resident for cheating in two separate cases.

Man held for abduction
Chandigarh, January 14
The police has arrested Ajay Singh, a resident of Dhanas, for allegedly abducting a 17-year-old girl of the same locality in January 12.

One booked for throwing acid
Mohali, January 14
Mam Chand, a resident of Manoli, received serious burn injuries on his face and other parts of the body, when Charanjit Singh, a resident of the same village, allegedly threw acid on him.

In-laws booked for harassing, demanding dowry
Mohali, January 14
Anu Kiran, a resident of Faridkot, has lodged a complaint against her husband Karanvir Kalia and in-laws alleging harassment and demand of more dowry by them. She was allegedly harassed and beaten by her in-laws.

SPORTS

Basketball Championship PU, Kerala to lock horns in final Chandigarh, January 14 Hosts Panjab University, Chandigarh, and Kerala University, Trivendrum, will vie for the top honours in the All-India Inter-Zonal Inter-University Basketball Championship for Men, here tomorrow, on PU campus. Earlier both the teams won their semifinal match. In the first semifinal, PU got the better of Pune University, 80-54. Yatin (20 points), Gurbaz Singh (20 points) and Dilawar Singh (19 points) played pivotal role in the win. Cadgers of Panjab University and Pune University in action during a basketball match on the PU campus. Tribune photo: Vinay Malik