Chandigarh: SC orders bar on razing of any construction which has come up till May 21. In an immediate relief for those facing demolition of their buildings/ constructions in the Sukhna catchment area, the Supreme Court today ordered a stay on the demolition orders. Making it clear that the Administration authorities will not demolish any construction which has come up till May 21, a division bench of the Apex Court today also ruled that no further construction will be allowed to come up in the catchment area till further orders.

Chandigarh: A senior official of the Chandigarh Administration on Monday urged the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to draft an industrial policy for the city. Stating that the Draft Industrial Policy 2009 had become old, Home Secretary-cum-Industries Secretary Anil Kumar further said that the time was ripe for a fresh policy draft. “ Let us focus on a few key areas and draft a policy to give vision and guidance to the industry in Chandigarh.

Diesel to be cheaper by Re 1. Despite the finance department’s reservations, the Punjab government is all set to abolish octroi on petrol and diesel in the state. While this will reduce the rate of petrol by Rs 2 per litre and diesel by Re 1 per litre, the move will lead to a revenue loss of Rs 100 crore to the various local bodies in the state.

Entrance will have display board with info on vacant slots; number of vehicles to be restricted. The proposal for full automation of parking lots in Sector 17 would entail installation of equipment wherein parking slips would be generated electronically. Sensors would be installed and display boards at entry points would indicate vacant slots. With the aim of regulating parking in the sector, the Municipal Corporation (MC) is in the process of preparing the proposal.

The Haryana Government has decided to suspend granting of licences to stone-crushers in the three districts of Faribadad, Gurgaon and Mewat to check sporadic complaints of “illegal mining and illegal transportation of minerals” in this belt. Though no time frame for new approvals has been set, sources said the directions would be applicable “for the time being”.

Representatives of People For Animals (PFA) on Tuesday conducted a raid at Sacred Heart School, Sector 26, and recovered prohibited animals, including turtles, cobra, frogs and lizards, from the biology lab of the school. PFA wildlife officer Saurav Gupta told Chandigarh Newsline the raid was conducted after a tip-off was received by their organisation regarding the possession of these prohibited animals by the school.

In what seems an attempt to save the UT Administration from the ire of the High Court, the Municipal Corporation (MC) has started construction of pedestrian pathways in parking lots in Sector 17. The pathways being constructed in three parking lots would cut across the parking lot connecting one side to the other. The basic purpose of the pathway is, however, defeated as there would be provision for vehicles to go over these.

- Tata township scores on water & power; lags behind in healthcare, roads. Jamshedpur, take a bow. You stand second to Chandigarh among five tier-II cities in the Quality of Life 2012 survey, surging ahead of Bhubaneswar, Pune and Vizag. But the applause will have to be muted, because the steel city that scores high in terms of water and power services lags miserably behind in healthcare and highways, said the survey by AC Nielsen-ORG-MARG survey on behalf of utility major Jusco in Jamshedpur on Wednesday.

Doctors attribute the growing cases of obesity to a sedentary lifestyle and intake of high calorie processed food. On World Health Day (April 7), doctors stressed on incorporating simple tips in one's daily lifestyle in order to keep various ailments related to obesity at bay. Obesity is a growing problem in India owing to the sedentary lives that people lead. Plus, the problem is compounded as most of the people who suffer from it are in the age group of 20-40 years.