Two killed in scrapyard explosion

PANCHKULA : Two teenagers were killed and five others injured in an explosion in a scrapyard at Bhudapur village near here, today evening. According to the police, the deceased boys were identified as Sonu, 12, and Charan Singh, 16.
A group of boys was sitting near a bonfire that was close to a scrap shop here. Some scrap material was also dumped outside the shop and we suspect that an old bomb shell might have exploded due to the heat," said a police official.
Five people four in early twenties and one who was 60 years old were injured. They were first taken to the civil hospital here. But four of them, who were serious, have been referred to the PGI in Chandigarh.
The bomb disposal squad of Haryana police reached the spot and cordoned off the entire area. There were some more shops of scrap dealers and the district administration has ordered them to close down till the police investigation is over.

Light to moderate showers in Punjab, Haryana

CHANDIGARH : There was light to moderate rainfall in various parts of Punjab, Haryana and their joint capital city Chandigarh Thursday morning. However, the mercury saw a marginal rise in this region and there was also respite from the fog. Met officials have predicted that similar conditions will prevail for the next 24 hours. Light to moderate rainfall has lashed most parts of Punjab and Haryana this morning. It is continuously raining in some parts of these states since yesterday night. Due to rains, weather has become clear and today we had respite from dense fog, said a Met official here.
He added We are expecting showers to continue at regular intervals for the next 24 hours. Our department has also recorded a marginal rise in the mercury as compared to the data of last one-week.
Punjab's holy city Amritsar recorded a minimum temperature of 10.2 degrees Celsius today morning. This was 7.2 degrees Celsius more than the temperature recorded yesterday. Patiala and Ludhiana cities recorded temperatures of 8.7 and 8.5 degrees Celsius respectively.
The centrally administered Chandigarh recorded a low of 10.4 degrees Celsius today that was nearly three notches more as compared to yesterday. Haryana was also warmer as compared to a last couple of days. Ambala, Hisar and Karnal cities in Haryana recorded minimum temperatures of 10.2, 11.1 and 12 degrees Celsius respectively today.

MCM HIGHLIGHT ACHIEVEMENTS

CHANDIGARH :An year of achievement and still there is hunger for more We are talking about MCM DAV College for Women where success is part of the curriculum. Winning is a tradition here as it rained awards at the Panjab University Zonal Youth and Heritage Festival where MCM won Fourteen First prizes, Nine Second and Twelve Third prizes in the categories of Music, Dramatics, Folk dance, Fine Arts and Home Sc. The
college surpassed the University Results by a huge margin. The brilliant students of MCM captured top positions in Panjab University Annual Examination. Another feathers in the cap of MCM was added by the 3 day international seminar on Scholars in Shakespeare a post modern scrutiny. A galaxy of academicians and scholars from all over the world satiated their intellectual yearning. International stalwarts in the area of Shakespearian studies came to the portals of MCM to deliberate. The two day science seminar on Global Environmental issues and climate change received a holy inauguration by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji. To initiate environment friendly approach towards life sessions of the seminar were taken out of the confines of the class room and papers were presented in the lap of nature. Young people from all over the nation cam to attend the one day national seminar on Youth Subculture which focused on the pertinent issues of the youth.
Nav Drishti MCM stall at the Chandigarh Carnival created history by winning the best stall trophy for two years in a row. It once again proved the college’s celebrated capability to combine fun with productive social development.
Kirti a first year students of MCM DAV won two gold medals in the national yoga championship and shall now move on the Pataya, Thiland for the Asian Yoga Championship. Another student of the final year Divya Gurnay “scaled greater higher” literally as she conquered the Rudugaira peak of the Himalayas 19090 ft high. MCM is the first women college to introduce the adventure sport rock climbing in the region. The rock installed for the purpose meets international standard. The college played host to national lead climbing competition in association with Indian Mountaineering federation, New Delhi which saw the participation of more than 100 participants from all over the nation. Lectures by scholars and subject expert, industrial visits, visits to old age home and orphanages, celebration of festivals, social service with the NSS and service of the nation with NCC, Inter College contest, Seminar and Conferences. All this and much more keeps the hands of the MCM team full. The Head of the institution, Principal Dr Puneet Bedi, a source of strength and dignity, inspired her team and students to make the most of their potential. This year proved to be a triumphant one and the college is geared up to set more milestone.

Punjab to start municipal infrastructure development fund :Manoranjan Kalia

CHANDIGARH : The Punjab govt will introduce a municipal infrastructure development fund to ensure overall development of civic amenities in the state, a state minister said here today.
We are all set to introduce state municipal infrastructure development fund for the overall development of urban areas and civic amenities. We will issue an ordinance in this regard after getting an approval from the Punjab governor, Punjab's Industry and Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia told reporters here today.
After the approval of this fund, we would release Rs. 1,100 crore in January 2011. Of this, Rs. 500 crore will be spent only on municipal corporations, he said.
Kalia also criticised the Amarinder Singh led Congress govt that was in power in the state from March 2002 to March 2007 for neglecting civic amenities.
During its five-year tenure, the Congress government released only Rs. 1,558.71 crore for the urban development and civic amenities. But we have released Rs.2,432.80crore in less than four years, said Kalia.
They also had not sent the detailed project reports about the two major central schemes and it resulted in loss of funds that were being allocated from the central govt. However, we pursued the matter and managed to get nearly Rs.365.22 crore under those schemes, he pointed out.The Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance is in power since March 2007.

Cops suspended as Santa goes up in smoke in Chandigarh

CHANDIGARH : Two Chandigarh Police officers were today suspended for negligence after a 35-feet-high Santa Claus was set ablaze at Sukhna Lake, police said.
The dummy, prepared by students of the Government College of Art, was almost completely damaged after some miscreants set it on fire last late nite.
Senior police officials today suspended police control room constables Harminder Singh and Anand Singh. Both have been transferred to the police lines.
Both were deployed at the said place for the protection of the Santa Claus. They have been suspended for negligence on duty, a police spokesman said.
The incident happened in a high-security zone of the city, just 50 metres from the Haryana governor's house.
The Santa Claus, in its traditional red-coloured outfit, had been put up at the Sukhna Lake, the most popular tourist spot in the city, last week by the administration. The lake area attracts hundreds of visitors every day.
The authorities had claimed that the Santa Claus was the biggest one in the country.
In October, a eight-feet-tall fibre-glass replica of the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games (CWG) mascot Shera was stolen from right under the nose of the Chandigarh Police, which has a police post at the lake complex, by miscreants believed to be drug addicts.
The mascot replica was found after nearly one week, dumped in Mohali town in Punjab, 10 km from here.

Fog, overcast skies in Punjab, Haryana

CHANDIGARH : Dense fog and overcast skies prevailed in most parts of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh Today, disrupting rail, road and air traffic in the region. Besides, cold winds swept through this part of northern India, keeping the mercury below its normal level. Met officials predicted chilly weather and thick fog in the mornings and evenings would continue for the next three to four days.
Amritsar city, in Punjab, recorded a minimum temperature of 1.8 degrees Celsius the lowest temperature this season.
Ludhiana recorded a minimum temperature of 1.5 degrees Celsius, which was five degrees below average, while Patiala registered a low of 4.5 degrees Celsius, a notch below average.
Chandigarh shivered at 4 degrees Celsius, three degrees below average. In Haryana, Ambala city recorded a low of 3.9 degrees Celsius, three degrees below average, while Hisar and Karnal cities recorded minimum temperatures of 4 and 5.4 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Due to fog, there was almost zero visibility level in various cities of Punjab and Haryana, including Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Jalandhar, Hisar, Karnal, Rohtak and Bhiwani. Road traffic was badly affected and many trains are running behind schedule, an official said. Air traffic was also badly disrupted.
Only six flights, out of 11, operated today. However, it was better than yesterday's four flights, Chandigarh airport director H.S. Toor told

Punjab, Haryana face fog chaos

CHANDIGARH : A thick blanket of fog engulfed most parts of Punjab and Haryana today, disrupting both rail and road traffic. Met officials have predicted similar conditions to prevail in this region in the coming days.
The fog enveloped different cities like Ambala, Bhiwani, Karnal, Hisar, Rohtak, Patiala, Ludhiana and Amritsar.
We expect foggy conditions to continue during early mornings and late evenings in the next couple of days. The fog brought down visibility level, reducing road traffic movement to a snail's pace at various places. Trains were also running late,a weather official said today.
He added that the cold waves sweeping most parts of Punjab and Haryana today brought down the mercury level below the normal.
In a fog-related accident, three members of a family were killed when their car collided with a truck due to poor visibility on the Hisar-Delhi national highway last evening.
Haryana's Narnaul city was coldest in the region with a minimum temperature of 1.5 degrees Celsius five degrees below normal.
Ambala recorded 3 degrees, four notches below average, whereas Hisar saw 4.8, one degree below normal.
Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, recorded a minimum temperature of 5.3 degrees Celsius, one degree less than the normal.
In Punjab, Amritsar was the coldest today at 2.4 degrees Celsius, two notches below normal, while Ludhiana and Patiala registered 2.6 and 4.5 degrees, respectively.