IT Chandigarh

Panchkula: ALMOST everyone was against their love. But they went ahead and got married. The much talked-about couple of Haryana, who got married despite both being from the same gotra some years ago, want a divorce now.

This young couple of Sector 25, Panchkula, Anju (22) and Praveen Hooda (24) saw the Khap Panchayat deciding against them but the High Court came to their rescue. But now, all they want is to stay away from each other.

Anju, from Sangi village in Rohtak, and Praveen Hooda from Karnal, got married two years ago. Now Anju has moved the court against her husband on the charges of domestic violence. She is also claiming that despite filing an FIR against her husband under non-bailable offences, the police haven’t taken any action.

“The person for whom I went against my parents and the entire society started torturing me eight days after we got married. Though I wanted to go back home, I could not do so as my parents had refused to accept me. I am repenting for going against the wishes of my parents,” said Anju Hooda.

Despite being a graduate, Anju now works as a maid in Sector 25, Panchkula. Her employers have provided her with a one-room accommodation. “I always wanted to move to the city after graduation. And I thought marrying Praveen would make my dreams come true,” she said.
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CHANDIGARH: UT Administration’s ambitious plans of making the city smoke-free met with only partial success on the first day of the ban.

The roadside vendors, engaged in selling cigarettes and tobacco, were still not aware about the implementation of ban on smoking in public places. And cigarettes were being sold to youngsters, below the age of 18, without any verification by vendors. This, despite the fact the administration pasted notices warning vendors not to sell tobacco and cigarettes to children.

RK Rao, UT’s deputy commissioner was hopeful that the ban would meet complete success. “We would try our best to make this campaign a success,” he said.

However, residents — particularly youngsters — did not seem to agree with Rao. Rohit Sharma, who smokes regularly, said, “Administration’s move would backfire in the manner in which the ban on sale of liquor in Haryana failed a decade ago.” Added Arun Kumar, “This move would not really help smokers quit smoking.”

One of the vendors at Sector 22 rued that while imposing the ban, the administration did not bother to plan alternative livelihood for those selling tobacco and cigarettes. Meanwhile, Chandigarh Police on Monday challaned 35 people for violating the Central Tobacco Control Act. Sub-inspectors of police and MC inspectors have also been empowered to fine defaulters.

Source: The Times of India

CHANDIGARH: One person died and a child suffered severe injuries when a three-wheeler collided with a scooter on Sunday night. The incident occurred at a turning in Dhanas.

A case has been registered against the accused, but he hasn’t been arrested.

The deceased, who was in his twenties, has been identified as Shakti Singh, a resident of Panipat district of Haryana.

He had gone to meet his relatives in Ambedkar colony of Dhanas on Sunday. After that, he along with his relative
Deepak and son Gopal (12) decided to meet other relatives in Bhaskar colony.

Shakti and Gopal were grievously injured and were rushed to PGI, where the former died. Gopal is still in PGI.
The driver of the three-wheeler has been identified as Prince Goldy, a resident of Dhanas.

Source: The Times of India

Chandigarh: Will Harry Potter die? No one is telling, least of all author J.K.Rowling who has spoken at length about ‘spoilers’ trying to ruin the end of the book for readers. But as the seventh and final volume in the Potter saga, ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’, hits the stands on July 21, the truth shall out!

The book’s end, interestingly, has fuelled speculations prompting the publishers to go into overdrive in order to prevent leakages. Right from the manuscript to the printing and distribution, only a handful of people know exactly what is happening. While this may be an amazing feat to pull off, especially since the book is slated for a simultaneous world-wide release, the distributors here, Penguin Group India, are taking no chances.

They are fighting a two-pronged battle, one that deals with security of the book till it falls into the hands of the book-sellers after which they can heave a sigh of relief and the other of piracy.

Penguin India and Bloomsbury have announced stringent measures to prevent the sale and distribution of pirated copies of the ‘Deathly Hallows’. With advance bookings of 240,000 copies for India alone (and the figure is expected to go up right through the week), a legal team has been commissioned to prevent copies of the new book being pirated on publication. Vigilance cells around the country and a 24-hour helpline number are some of the measures planned.

According to Akash Chittranshi, head ACA-law, the legal firm, “The success of this book is a foregone conclusion, which means that ‘pirates’ are waiting to cash in on its success.”
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14-year-old boy killed; three injured

Panchkula: One person was killed and three were injured when a tanker carrying molasses overturned at Majri Chowk in Sector 1 here today. The accident took place at 2 pm when the speeding tanker overturned while trying to negotiate a turn.

A 14-year-old boy died in the accident while Azad Colony residents Suresh, Mukesh and Amir Chand, walking along the road berm, received injuries. The boy’s body was extricated from under the tanker that was coming from Ramgarh and was headed towards Kalka. Suresh who hurt his right ankle, Mukesh whose right leg was fractured and Amir Chand whose right leg was severed, were rushed to hospital.

Admitted to the General Hospital, Sector 6, Suresh, said: “Me, Amir Chand and my brother were on our way to Kalka to visit an uncle. We had to board a bus to Kalka. There was a boy walking behind us. We were crossing the road when we saw the tanker turning towards us. Before we knew it, the tanker was falling on us. All I could manage was to push my brother away. We were under the tanker for 45 minutes.”

While the two brothers admitted to GH-6 and the PGI, Chandigarh are doing fine, doctors at the PGI said Amir Chand was critical but stable.

Eyewitness Avtar Singh said: “From the manner in which the tanker driver negotiated the turn, I suspected it would overturn. I even called out to the pedestrians to move over, but they didn’t hear me and the tanker fell on them, taking them by surprise. The boy died instantly.”
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The girls were last seen at the railway station

Chandigarh: The police is on its toes following the disappearance of two teenaged girl judokas.

The girls reportedly had supper at the residence of their friend, also a judoka, daughter of a woman head constable, at her Sector 17 residence on Sunday. After supper they requested that they be dropped at the railway Station at 9:30 pm. They have been missing since then, say their parents.

The police said Manisha of Sector 33 and Sapna of Sector 35 had left their home on Saturday morning with their friend Shelja, telling their parents they were to attend a coaching camp at Solan. They reportedly went to Patiala instead and stayed there on Saturday night before returning to the city on Sunday afternoon.

The parents of the girls received a call from them, saying they were in Haridwar and had no money to come home. They were crying bitterly.

The parents approached the police when they failed to trace the girls on their own.Two DDRs have been recorded in this connection in Sector 34 and 36 police stations. Manisha is a plus one student of Sector 34 Government Model School. Sapna and Shelja are students of Sector 21 Dev Samaj School.

The police today questioned Shelja who said the three went to Patiala on Saturday on her Honda Activa scooter (CH-04-8354).
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Chandigarh: The UT education department will hold a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the affiliation issue of Ryan International School, Sector 49. The final decision in the meeting will affect over 80 students of the affected school.

Though Central Board of Secondary has granted the school Education from April 1, 2007, the current class X batch may face problems as CBSE rules make it mandatory for the schools to obtain affiliation two years, before the first batch of students from the school take their board exams.

The earlier batch of students from the school faced a similar problem during the board exams this year. It was solved after arrangements were made to enable the students to appear for the boards as government school students.

Source: Express News Service

Chandigarh: An eight-week long ‘Aeronautics and Manufacturing Technology’ course has been developed by the Department of Aeronautical Engineering, Punjab Engineering College, for the orientation of management trainees of Hindustan Aeronautical Limited.

Head of the department, Dr S C Sharma, is the coordinator of the course which started on May 28.

The course was inaugurated by the Chairman of Board of Governors, Chandra Mohan.

Source: Express News Service

SAS Nagar: THE local bodies department has sent a letter to the Executive Officer of Mohali Municipal Council for his comments on the reply filed by president of the Mohali MC on the show-cause notice issued to him in June.

It is pertinent to note that the show-cause notice given to Rajinder Singh Rana was issued on the report of the executive officer, in which he said that the president is flouting the Municipal Act and has transferred some employees to his office. Secondly, the president postponed the sanitation tender for personal reasons on May 17.

According to the information, President of the Mohali MC, Rajinder Singh Rana, was given 21 days time for submitting his reply and in which he said that according to by-laws, he had full rights to transfer the employees.

He submitted the copy of by-laws with this. He said regarding sanitation tenders, his directions were manipulated while his motive was to bring more contractors by giving relaxations in terms and conditions and he was successful in this.

Now, the prinicipal secretary of the local bodies department has sent directions to the Executive Officer of Mohali MC, Jagir Singh Thind, along with the copy of the reply of the president, for giving his comments on the reply so that the case can be decided.

The EO confirmed that he has received written directions from the local bodies official and has prepared his comments for the same.

Source: Express News Service

Chandigarh: A Faculty member of the Department of Geology, Panjab University, Dr Arun Deep Ahluwalia, has prepared an action plan to create awareness of environmental issues in the university.

He said interactive film or slide shows will be held in the PU campus and the city regularly. Wall magazines in individual departments, hostels and schools will be started with the active involvement of students.

Students will also be motivated to collect garbage from university canteens, the student centre and PU market, said the professor.

Dr Ahluwalia said poster and declamation contests among students will also be organised in which winners will be awarded cash prizes.

The aim of the plan is to create volunteers in the university who will become part of a self-sustaining process of environmental conservation and informal education.

Dr Ahluwalia added that a campaign will be launched to motivate people to walk or cycle small distances ratherthan drive a car.

The use of electricity-saving bulbs and tubelights instead of normal bulbs will also be promoted. He said he planned to propagate the use of solar cookers, solar cells and fans and coolers rather than air-conditioners.

He added that volunteers should inculcate the habit of carrying a sack to pick up polythene and other non-perishable items littered around.

Source: Express News Service