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Private schools safer
Chandigarh, February 2
When it comes to complying with fire safety norms, private city schools are better placed than their government counterparts. A visit to some of the private schools revealed that newly constructed school buildings in Sectors 26 and 46 had a proper fire-fighting system with automatic sprinklers and detectors. However, the old buildings only have fire extinguishers, but there is a plan to switch over soon.

Partial reprieve for Kalka residents 
SC stays demolition for time being 
Kalka, February 2
Hundreds of shopkeepers and residents got a temporary reprieve with the Supreme Court today granting a stay on demolition along the national highway here.
Shopkeepers and residents remove encroachments at Kalka on Monday. Tribune photo: S Chandan

CBI likely to take up Saji Mohan case
Chandigarh, February 2
The police has booked Saji Mohan, former zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Chandigarh, who has been arrested by the Mumbai police on the charges of drug trafficking. The CBI is likely to probe the case and has asked the NCB to hand over the complaint to it.

Actor Preity Zinta with schoolchildren at PCA Stadium in Mohali on Monday. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

Drug Racket
UT police seeks info on cops’ role
IGP writes to Anti-Terrorist Squad of Maharashtra police for interrogation report of Saji Mohan 
Chandigarh, February 2
The Inspector General of Police, SK Jain, today forwarded a communication to the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra police, seeking a report of the interrogation of Saji Mohan to find out if any officer of the Chandigarh police was also involved in the racket.

Now, Fiza alleges threat to life
Mohali, February 2
Fiza alias Anuradha Bali, second wife of Haryana deputy Chief Minister Chand Mohammad alias Chander Mohan, today alleged that she was continuously receiving threatening SMSes on her cell phone from close associates of her husband’s kin.

COMMUNITY

Gurdwara Clash
Finally, MC calls Baba its employee
Chandigarh, February 2
After initial reluctance, municipal corporation officials today accepted that Baba Swaroop Singh, chairman of Santsar gurdwara, Sector 38 West, was indeed its employee.

Encroachment
Stick to law, Guv tells officials
Chandigarh, February 2
Noting that rules were paramount, UT Administrator SF Rodrigues today told senior officers during a public hearing session to adhere to the provisions of law and not condone any kind of violation in respect of encroachment of government land.

Guv assurance to Sec-17 traders
Chandigarh, February 2
UT administrator SF Rodrigues has assured a delegation of the Progressive Traders’ Welfare Association of speedy development work in Sector 17 following a report in The Tribune today regarding the neglected and poorly maintained area of Sector 17. The delegation was led by association president Varinder Guleria. The members thanked the administrator for the same. — TNS

An acre to cost govt over Rs 1.05 crore
Mohali, February 2
Acquiring land for public purpose in the periphery of Chandigarh has become a costly proposition for the Punjab Government.

Zirakpur MC launches anti-encroachment drive
Zirakpur, February 2
The Zirakpur MC today launched a drive to remove encroachments on both sides of the Baltana-Panchkula road.







Shopkeepers stop an MC worker from taking away a board from a shop’s premises at Baltana on Monday. A Tribune photograph

Admn modifies terms for operators
Chandigarh, February 2
The monopoly of AC radio cabs is set to be broken with the Chandigarh administration today modifying the terms and conditions for prospective non-AC taxi operators.

Pulse Polio: Rotary International impressed
Mohali, February 2
Moved on seeing the way migrants lived in Madanpur village, members of the Rotary International who toured the area here today, along with health officials, in connection with the pulse polio campaign said the poverty here was unbelievable.



Members of the Rotary International with Dr Raju Dhir, nodal officer for the Pulse Polio campaign, at Madanpur village on Monday. A Tribune photograph

Beopar Mandal for warehousing project 
Chandigarh, February 2
The annual general meeting of the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal, presided over by its president Charanjiv Singh, was held here yesterday.

Contest winners awarded
Chandigarh, February 2
The valedictory function of the oil and gas conservation fortnight-2009 was organised here on Saturday.

ewild wild web
Blog bug bites celebrities
The blog bug has bitten Indian political leaders, movie stars and journalists. Sakshi Didwani writes on the Reuter blogs: “Obama aka ‘the digital candidate’ reached out to voters by making himself accessible online. He used Web 2.0 with a passion, engaging and interacting with them on social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter and also used new platforms like podcasts, online video and text messages to get his message across.

Letters
Frequent transfers not done

EDUCATION

Fire safety
PU yet to wake up
Chandigarh, February 2
A year after the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) asked Panjab University to tone up its fire fighting system, the university continues to turn a blind eye to civic body’s directive, apparently endangering lives of students and faculty.

(left) Fire extinguishers with expiry date of April 2008 at the administrative block of Panjab University in Chandigarh.(right) A corridor at a private school with adequate fire extinguishers. Photos: Manoj Mahajan 

Student injured in group clash
Chandigarh, February 2
Dinkar of Panchkula was injured when a group of boys assaulted him with roads and sharp edged weapons outside SD College in Sector 32, here, this afternoon.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

HR summit at Rayat 
Kharar, February 2
Rayat and Bahra group will organise a one-day human resources summit to discuss challenges in the global era of meltdown and economic downturn.

School for Deaf and Dumb gets new building
Patiala, February 2
The School for Deaf and Dumb has been shifted to a modern, spacious and state-of-the-art building at Saifdipur village behind the Punjabi University campus here.

Inculcate reading habit, says Pbi varsity VC
Patiala, February 2 The vice-chancellor of Punjabi University Dr Jaspal Singh, today called upon all Punjabis to adopt the habit of book reading and should have book shelve in their living room instead switching on to the televisions.

Forum seeks more cut in fuel prices 
Bassi Pathana, February 2
In its meeting, the local consumer forum has appreciated the fall in the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG gas cylinders.

Ex-servicemen to contest Lok Sabha elections 
Fatehgarh Sahib, February 2
The State Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association (SEWA) today decided to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from various seats in Punjab.





Members of the Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association seek redress of their problems at Fatehgarh Sahib on Monday. A Tribune photograph

Police clueless in murder case
Ambala, February 2
The police could not achieve any clue in the murder of a middle-aged woman whose body was found in a drain near motor market near Ambala City yesterday. The body was wrapped in a cloth and badly decomposed.

PWD aid for maintenance
Kalka, February 2
The PWD department is going to spend crores on the construction and maintenance of the roads and new bridges in the Pinjore Block, informed former secretary of the state Congress Vijay Bansal.

COURTS

Lawyers divided on amendments to CrPC
Chandigarh, February 2
Taking a cue from protests at other courts across the country against recent amendments made by the government to the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC), the district courts here has also aligned with the protests.

CRIME

Man assaulted, threatened
Chandigarh, February 2
The police registered a case on the complaint filed by Nand Lal of Colony No. 4 alleging that Raju, Babbu, Kapil, Santosh, Teera and Rinku of same colony have beaten and threatened him and his friend Mitlesh, here yesterday. Mitlesh was injured and admitted in the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32.

SPORTS

Pbi varsity emerge winners
Patiala, February 2
Punjabi University boys secured overall position in All-India Inter-University Fencing Championship that was held recently in Kannur University, Kannur (Kerala), from 24 to 27 January, 2009.

Kabaddi: GGDSD rattle SPN College
Chandigarh, February 2
Lala Jagat Narayan Education College, Jalalabad (Ferozepur), outclassed GHG Khalsa College of Education, Gurusar Sadhar (Ludhina), 44 -19 during the Panjab University Inter-College Kabaddi (PS) Tournament for Evening and Education Colleges being played on the PU grounds, here today.


A kabaddi match in progress in Chandigarh on Monday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

PCA Colts lift Kings XI Punjab Cup
Mohali, February 2
Taruvar Kohli, who played a fast knock of 41 runs off 40 balls, ensured the win of PCA Colts over PCA XI by six wickets in a final encounter to win the first Kings XI Punjab Cup that concluded at the PCA stadium, here today.



A jubilant PCA Colts team after winning the Kings XI Championship at PCA Stadium in Mohali on Monday. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

Free entry for hockey buffs
Chandigarh, February 2
Seeing the enthusiasm of the hockey lovers for the four-nation Punjab Gold Cup Hockey Tournament being played on the astroturf of the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium, the Punjab sports department has decided to allow the crowds free entry to  witness the remaining matches.

Book on hockey released
Chandigarh, February 2
The lost glory of hockey might revive with the emergence of a tournament like the ongoing Four-Nation Hockey Tournament, national selector and former Olympian Aslam Sher Khan said.


The author and publisher of Hockey Year Book 2008, K. Arumugam, hands over the book to national hockey coach Harendra Singh in Chandigarh on Monday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan. 

10 city golfers in fray
Chandigarh, February 2
Fresh from his triumph in Dhaka, Harendra P Gupta will lead the Chandigarh challenge along with nine city golfers in the Rs 30 lakh prize money PGTI Players Championship that gets underway at the Tollygunge Golf Club in Kolkata tomorrow.