R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
EYE CAMP: A two-week eye check-up camp is being organised at Adlakha Hospital here from Monday. The check-up will be done free of cost.

GRAIN MANDI: Mr Rattan Singh Ajnala, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, inaugurated a grain mandi at Chak Sikandar village.

SCHOOL BUILDING: Mr Jagir Singh, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, inaugurated a school building at the border village of Dhun. Dr Mohan Singh had collected Rs 4 lakh for the school building.

JAGRAON
BOON FOR BOOTLEGGERS: Non-auction of the liquor vends of this area has resulted in closure of all the vends and has made the Excise and Taxation Cell to run government owned liquor vend. Thus it is proving to be a boon for bootleggers who have become all-time active to supply illicit liquor on their vehicles at the door step. Since all the excise force is busy in control , supervision and sale of the country liquor, the police has to be more vigilent to check illicit distillation and its supply. Mr Jaspal Singh, ASI , in charge police post Galib Kalan, arrested Harpreet Singh of Madepur in the area of Galib Kalan and recovered 15180ml of illicit liquor.

RALLY HELD: The AITUE and Punjab Roadways workers held a rally against the Central and state government for their repressive policies of privatising the public sector units and blamed them for selling them at throwaway prices, for adoption of such labour laws which were suitable and favourable to the private concerns and multinational companies and creating unemployment by reducing the vacancies. Speaking on the occasion Mr Gurdip Moti, Convenor of the Punjab Roadways Action Committee, said corruption prevails at all levels. He demanded introduction of 300 new buses as agreed, reinstatement of suspended employees and service to the dependents of the dead employees. Mr Ramji Das, General Secretary of Trade Union Council, Mr Baljinder Singh, Vice-President, Punjab and other leaders also participated. They also presented memorandum to the SDM.

LUDHIANA
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Punjab State Co-operative Inspector Grade-I Association (PSIA): state president — Mr Bhupinder Singh Walia; general secretary — Mr Karamjit Singh Chattha; senior vice-presidents — Mr Nirmal Singh and Mr Kaur Singh; organising secretary — Mr Shamshad Ali; and vice-presidents — Mr Nirvair Singh, Mr Jaswant Singh Dhillon and Mr Kaur Singh.

FOUNDATION STONE LAID: “The SAD (B)-BJP government was observing this year as the Development Year and the development works, which could not be taken up during the last four years, would be definitely completed during the current year,” said Mr Hakam Singh Giaspura, area councillor, while addressing a function after laying the foundation stone of a park being developed in Giaspura locality at an estimated cost of Rs 16.54 lakh. The function was organised by the Naujawan Sabha and Gurdwara Committee. Mr Harminder Singh, President of the Naujawan Sabha, expressed the gratitude of the residents of the locality for construction of metalled road and providing streetlights from Giaspura to Lohara, Daba, Dhandari, Kanganwal, Dhandari Puli and Jaspal Bangar. The councillor was also felicitated for extension of sewerage facilities in all the streets of localities like Hargobind Nagar, Shanti Nagar, Baba Mukand Singh Nagar. Giaspura, Daba and area opposite Power House. The residents urged that sewerage lines be laid in the colonies like New Giaspura, Samrat Colony, Makkar Colony, Indra Colony, Ambedkar Nagar and Atam Singh Nagar.

MOGA
GRANTS: The Punjab Education Minister, Mr Tota Singh, announced a grant of Rs 1 lakh for a school building at Kokari Kalan village on Sunday. He also announced Rs 50,000 for Harijan dharamshala, Rs 50,000 for village water works, Rs 50,000 for village sports club and Rs 50,000 for the development of the village.

MANDI GOBINDGARH
ELECTED: The following were elected office-bearers of the Lions Club, Mandi Gobindgarh, at a meeting chaired by Dr Manmohan Kaushal here. President — Mr Surinder Singhi; Secretary — Mr Sant Kumar Puri; and Treasurer — Mr Subhash Dhingra for the year 2001-2002, and the president was authorised to nominate the remaining office-bearers and to constitute Board of Directors of the club. Mr Surinder Singh is also working as the President of the Steel Chamber and many other social organisations of the town.

NOMINATED: The Punjab government has nominated Mr Anil Sooraj as member of the Sales Tax Advisory Committee of the Fatehgarh Sahib district.

MANSA
SEMINAR: A seminar was organised on Sunday by the Women and Children Development and Welfare Department at Lakhiwala village in the district. The Women and Children Development and Welfare Project officer, Ms Arvinder Kaur, explained the Kanya Jyoti, Bal Samriti, old-age pension and Mahila Shaktikaran schemes of the government and advised women to get benefits from these schemes.

INAUGURATED: Mr R.P. S. Pawar, Administrative Secretary, Home, Jails and Judicial, inaugurated Greenland Day Boarding Public School at Bareta in the district on Sunday. A team of Panjab University staged a play “Bal Bhagwan”.

SCHOLARSHIPS: Mr Balraj Josh, president of the Democratic Teachers Front, disclosed on Sunday that out of 1,267 students who had appeared in the scholarship examination, 65 got positions at the district and block levels. He said scholarships of Rs 700, Rs 500 and Rs 300 would be given to the students who scored the first, second and third positions, respectively, at the district level, while Rs 300, Rs 200 and Rs 100 to the students who scored the first, second and third positions, respectively at the block level in the district.

JAWAHAR YOJNA: Ms Raji P. Shrivastava, Deputy Commissioner, said on Sunday that under the Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana, Rs 1.28 crore were released during the last financial year to the gram panchayats of the district on the basis of their population in their respective areas as per the guidelines of the scheme and annual action plan approved by the gram sabha.

PATIALA
TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION: The Punjab Government College Teachers Association (GCTA) has alleged that the Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University had made the situation complicated on the university campus by not accepting the demands of the teachers about CAS promotions, student evaluation scheme and allotment of houses. Issuing a press note association president, Mr Jaipal Singh, and the secretary, Mr Balwinder Singh, said the actions of the VC were degrading the university.

PHILLAUR
DOCTOR DEAD: Dr Kuldip Singh, a former president of the Indian Medical Association, Phagwara, died at Tagore Hospital due to heart failure on Monday. He was 56. He is survived by his wife and two sons. The Indian Medical Association, Phagwara, condoled the death of Dr Kuldip Singh.

HARYANA

AMBALA
ASIMA office-bearers: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Ambala Scientific Instruments Manufacturers Association (ASIMA) for the year 2001-2002: president — Dr Anil Jain; senior vice-president — Mr K.L. Verma; vice-president — Mr Bhushan Gupta; general secretary — Mr Ramesh Nagpal; secretary — Mr Jagat Bansal; joint secretary — Mr Ashwani Goel; and treasurer — Mr Brij Mohan Singla.

DEATH CONDOLED: A meeting of the ex-servicemen of the district was held on Monday under the chairmanship of Major (retd) A.S. Shergill, president of the Indian Ex Services League, Ambala. Major (retd) Shergill said that two-minute silence was observed as a mark of respect to Devi Lal. In a condolence resolution passed at the meeting, the ex-servicemen lauded the services rendered by him for the uplift of ex-servicemen by increasing the number of posts for employment in civil services and to grant Rs 10 lakh to the families of martyrs in Jammu and Kashmir, a release said.

HEPATITIS-B VACCINATION: A hepatitis-B vaccination camp was organised at the Primary Health Centre of HQ 40 Artillery Division on Monday. The vaccination was given to soldiers and their families. Among others, Lieut-Col Kiran Kumar, Lieut-Col C.C. Diwan and Lieut-Col S.D. Vashisht were also present on the occasion.

LIQUOR STILL DISMANTLED: A liquor still being operated in Mohra village was dismantled on Monday. The police seized 20 kg lahan and liquor bottles from the residence of Gurnam Singh.

WATER CONNECTIONS: The Public Health Department has replaced 287 connections passing through drains. Since the pipes were old, people were getting contaminated water. The Deputy Commissioner of Ambala, Mr D.D. Gautam, said that the places from where the complaints of contaminated water supply were received, the connections had been replaced. He said that from April 18 onwards, such connections would be replaced in Ambala City and Naraingarh, a press note said.

TRAINING PROGRAMME: The Haryana Institute of Public Administration, Panchkula, on Monday started a district-level five-day training programme on services and establishment matters. The latest information will be provided in the seminar and the problems faced by personnel will be redressed. Among others, Mr C.P. Malhotra, Mr V.P. Batra, Rajwanti Mann and Mr O.P. Dhingra will guide the delegates, a release said.

FARIDABAD
SUICIDES: Two persons, Raj (18) of Adarsh Nagar in Ballabgarh town and Badlu of Kisan-Mazdoor colony in old Faridabad, allegedly committed suicide by hanging at their respective places. Meanwhile, a cyclist Sanjay Vishwas, was crushed to death by a truck on the Delhi-Mathura highway on Sunday.

FATEHABAD
KILLED: A youth, Rahul a resident of Ellenabad, was killed while nine others were injured when the jeep in which they were travelling collided with a tractor-trailer, near here, on Sunday. The injured have been admitted to the local General Hospital.

CONVOCATION: The annual convocation of the NIIT was organised here on Saturday. Mr Leela Krishan Choudhary, an INLD MLA, was the chief guest.

KILLED: A farmer was killed when the tractor he was driving skidded and fell into a canal at Sirdan village in this district on Saturday. The farmer, Subhash, was going to his fields to fetch fodder for cattle when the accident occurred.

JIND
DIED: In two incidents, two persons — Teja of the local Vishwa Karma colony and Rakesh of local Indira maket — allegedly died on Sunday after consuming poison.

ROBBED: An Army personnel, Mr Sultan Singh, a resident of Katkar village in this disrict was robbed in Jammu-Tawi express on Sunday. According to a report, Mr Sultan Singh became unconscious when he was given some intoxicant by some persons who later took away his cash and luggage.

PANIPAT
DOWRY CASE: On the complaint of a newly married girl, Mukta, a dowry case has been registered at the local Model Town police station against her in-laws, including her husband Rajpal of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

KILLED: An autorickshaw driver, Roshan Lal, a resident of Pavti village was killed while four passengers were injured when the autorickshaw in which they were travelling was hit by a car from behind on the G.T. road, near Samalkha bus stand, on Sunday. In another incident, a rickshaw puller, Kishana, a resident of the local Azad Nagar was electrocuted when an electric wire fell on him on Saturday while he was sleeping in his rickshaw. 

SONEPAT
REVENUE: The Sonepat depot of the Haryana Roadways has earned a record revenue of Rs 7.39 crore during 2000-2001 as compared to Rs 4.42 crore earned during 1999-2000, thereby showing an increase of 67.16 per cent in the revenue. Mr H.C. Jain, General Manager of the Sonepat depot of the Haryana Roadways, told mediapersons here on Monday.

YOUTH KILLED: A youth, Naresh Jain, a resident of Rohini (Delhi), was killed when the Maruti car, which he was driving, dashed against a tree on the G.T. Road, near Bari village, about 15 km from here, on Sunday. In another accident, two persons were injured when a truck collided with a Tata Sumo on the G.T. Road, near Kundli village, about 25 km from here, on Monday.

ASSAULT: An old women and her son were injured seriously when two youths attacked them with lathis at Murthal village, 8 km from here, on Sunday.

FELICITATED: The acting president of the International Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Mr Ashok Singhal, was felicitated at a reception organised by the Haryana unit of the organisation at Shambhu Dayal Modern High School here on Sunday.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

NAHAN
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local Block Congress Committee president — Mr Jaggi Ram Sharma; senior vice — president — Mr Satya Pal Sharma; vice-presidents — Mr Sadhu Deen, Mr Satya Ram; Ms Vanita Singh, Mr Yasin, Mr Raghuvir Singh and Mr Pratap Singh; general secretaries — Mr Yogesh Kumar Aggarwal, Mr Mam Khan, Ms Nirmal Parmar, Mr Akhtar Ali, Mr Roshan Lal, Mr Avinash Gupta, Mr Anmol Singh and Mr Shokin Chand; and treasurer — Mr Mani Ram Saini.