The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Tuesday, October 9, 2001,
Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

R E G I O N A L B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AHMEDGARH
AWARENESS CAMP: A two-day rural awareness camp for women workers was organised at the local Ram Mandir Dharamshala the by the Central Board for Workers Education Board, Chandigarh, in association with the Pt Dhanraj Social Welfare Society, Benra. The camp was inaugurated by Mr Bimal Sharma, a social worker and was presided over by Mr Ravinder Pur. Mr Jagdeep Singh Manjit, Education Officer of the Board stressed the need of understanding consequences of large family, sex discrimination, and poor hygiene Ms Chiter Rekha, Principal, for Janta College for Women, emphasised the need for women education.

GURDASPUR
RESENTMENT: Resentment prevails among residents of the Gharota area in the district against the state government for its failure to repair the 13-km Dina Nagar-Gharote road which covers Assembly segments of Dina Nagar, Sujanpur and Narot Mehra. Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, had ordered the authorities concerned in this connection, but nothing has been done so far.

INSTALLED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local Lions Club (Yoyal): president — Mr Ajay Kaushal; vice-presidents — Dr Suresh Sharad, Mr Kavi Dogra and Mr Yogesh Bhandari; secretary — Mr Gurcharan Singh; treasurer — Mr Kamal Sharma; and joint secretary — Mr Rajesh Ohri.

KAPURTHALA
WELFARE SOCIETY: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local Golden Avenue Welfare Society: president — Mr Mukesh Duggal; secretary — Mr Harish Ghai; joint secretary — Mr Mandeep Anand; auditor — Mr S.P. Arora; and treasurer — Mr Shyam Dhawn.

KHANNA
DISSOLVED: President of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front, Punjab Unit, Mr Jagmeet Singh Sahota Bawa, has dissolved the Punjab unit of the AIATF.

DANCE COMPETITION: The LTV and Jassi Cable Network organised an Open dance competition at Satkar Palace here. Nittu Gulati and Mohinder Singh were adjudged the best dancers in their respective categories. Mr Gurmail Singh Sidhu, SP (D), presided over the function. Mr Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal, SDM, was the chief guest. Mr Varinder Kaushal, former general secretary, the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front, presented prizes to the winner. Judge for the competition were Jagjeet Sekhon, Director, Malwa Cultural Centre, Balwinder Guru, Director, Lok Nach Academy and folk singer, Pawandeep.

LUDHIANA
'RELEASE ALLOWANCE': The Government Pensioners’ Association, Punjab, has demanded an immediate release of additional dearness allowance at the rate of two per cent which has become due since July this year. Stating this, Mr Yash Paul Ghai, Additional General Secretary, said the Union Government had already sanctioned the DA instalment for staff and pensioners in view of the festival season but the Punjab Government has not released it.

MEETING: The Punjab PWD Employees Union held a meeting with PUDA chairman, vice-chairman and chief secretary and demanded that they be employed on regular basis. Stating this, Mr Inderjeet Sharma, President of the union said the employees were assured that they would soon be confirmed on the post. The employees also demanded that they be paid instalment of dearness allowance, bonus and medical allowances at the earliest.

LAUDED: The Wool and Woollens Export Promotion Council has welcomed the decision of the government in revising the duty drawback rates for all woollen items and acrylic. The decision will be effective from Monday. According to Mr Ashok Jaidka , chairman of the council, the upward revision in the duty drawback rates would go a long way in augmenting woollen exports from the country.

CAMPAIGN: The All-India Women Spiritual Empowerment Campaign 2001 by Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa will start simultaneously from Bangalore, Brahmapur, Allahabad, Vaishnodevi, Kangra, Mount Abu, Porbandar, Nagpur and Singroli. The valedictory function will be celebrated in Talkatora stadium on Wednesday. One team will arrive in Ludhiana on October 23. This campaign is being organised to mark the Women Empowerment Year. According to Mr B K Rajkumari, centre in charge, Ludhiana, the programmes will be conducted in the educational institutions and women organisations of each city.

CRITICISED: The Northern Railway Pensioners Welfare Association has condemned the non-reimbursement of Rs 49,561 accrued on the medical treatment to Mr Jagdish Singh (retd) MOM, Jhansi. According to the members of the association the full reimbursement was permissible as he was member of RELHS.

FUN FAIR: A fun fair will be organised on the Punjab Day on November 1 by Thukral Image Creators at Embassy Palace. The participation in the various competitions will be on advanced registration basis while the entry to the fair will be free for all. Talent search competitions, entertainment and shopping events will be the part of the fair. Some stalls of social organisations will also be there.

MALERKOTLA
DEAD: A Punjab police constable, Harvinder Singh, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself on Saturday. A case has been registered under Section 174, IPC.

EYE CAMP: The State Bank of Patiala (Bhogiwal) organised an eye and dental camp at Bhogiwal village on Saturday. Mr V.A. Ghai, AGM with the bank’s head office, inaugurated the camp. About 550 persons were examined at the camp.

MANSA
RENT ENHANCED: The Municipal Council of Mansa has implemented the new decision of the Punjab Government regarding the recovery of rent for municipal stalls and has also withdrawn 125 cases filed against stall holders for the recovery of enhanced rent. According to the new decision, the municipal council will enhance the rent at the rate of 10 per cent after every five years. Mr Krishan Sodhi, spokesman of the Stall Holders’ Union, in a statement issued here, his expressed gratitude to the state government.

OLD-AGE PENSION: Ms Raji P. Srivastava, Deputy Commissioner, Mansa, while talking to mediapersons here on Monday said that old-age pensions had been sanctioned to 7110 persons. She said bank accounts of 4285 beneficiaries had been opened in various banks and they would be paid pension through banks. She informed that pensions payable upto June 1 would be released upto October 15.

NAWANSHAHR
SORE: Residents of the local Satgur Nagar, Sharda Mohalla and Bhucheran Mohalla are sore over the erratic supply of drinking water. They have complained that the Municipal Council is not paying any heed to their repeated complaints.

CONFERENCE HELD: Unruly scenes, exchange of blows and raising of slogans were witnessed during the delegate conference of the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Punjab, held at R.K. Arya College, here on Sunday. About 250 delegates from all over the state participated in the conference held under the presidentship of Mr Harbans Lal Sharma. A unanimous resolution was passed to expel Mr Harbans Lal Sethi, Mr O.P. Tandon, Mr Navneet Sharma and Mr Sarabjit Sharma (all belonging to Ludhiana) from the primary membership of the sabha.

GRANT: The DYFI and the Samaj Bhalai Sanstha, Heon, located 15 km from here, organised a medical check-up camp in memory of Dr P.B. Paul on Sunday. Mrs Santosh Chaudhary, MP, who inaugurated the camp announced a grant of Rs 50,000 each for the dharamshalas of Heon village.

TREE PLANTATION: The NSS unit of the local Doaba Arya Senior Secondary School, organised a tree plantation day on the school premises here on Monday. Mr Jagjit Singh, Deputy Commissioner, inaugurated the function by planting a sapling. Mr Prem Bhardwaj and Mr Surinder Mohan Tejpal president and secretary, respectively, of the local Arya Samaj and Mr H.R. Sharma, principal, also planted saplings.

PATIALA
DECLAMATION CONTEST: Government Mahindra College will hold an inter-college declamation contest on “Female Foeticide is causing dangerous imbalance in the male-female ratio in the population of the country” on the premises of the college here on Wednesday. Giving the information, the Principal of the college, Dr Vidwan Singh Soni, said the contest would be organised in association with Aruna Asif Ali Memorial Trust. Mr S.K. Ahluwalia, Additional Commissioner (Appeals), would be the chief guest on the occasion.

RALLY: Protesting against the non-fulfilment of their demands, the representatives of the joint action committee, Rajindra Hospital and Medical College, staged a rally in front of the office of Medical Superintendent, Rajindra Hospital, here. Giving the information, the press secretary, Mr Pritpal Singh Badungar, said the protesters had demanded the implementation of 15 per cent house rent, bonus for the Class III and Class IV employees, filling up of vacant posts and increase in pay scale.

MEDICAL CAMP: The Lions Club Patiala Fort organised a tooth and eye check-up camp at Government Senior Secondary School, Kaliyaan, near here on Monday. Over 500 patients, apart from schoolchildren, were examined on the occasion. It also organised a Population Control Seminar during the camp to create awareness about increasing problem of population in the country. The seminar was delivered by the Civil Surgeon, Dr Sunita Sharma. The district chairman of the club, along with the school Principal also spoke on the subject and said immediate steps must be taken to curb the menace.

ROPAR
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Bar Association of Anandpur Sahib: president — Mr HB Sharma; vice-president — Mr CS Virk; secretary — Mr Dinesh Singh; and joint secretary — Mr Balbir Singh Bhattal.

SAMRALA
POST VACANT: Post of the Tehsildar in the local tehsil has been lying vacant since long, causing inconvenience to the public, as well as to school going children who have to apply for caste or residence certificates. Local leaders, including Mr Amarjit Singh, general secretary of the Punjab Lambardar Union, appealed to the Punjab Government to fill the post at the earliest.

ENCROACHMENTS: Encroachments in the town were removed by Nagar Council officials on Monday. The local SDM, Mr S.S. Brar, asked the shopkeepers to remove the remaining encroachments within two days or strict action would be taken against them.

INQUIRY DEMANDED: Mr Karnail Singh Panjoli, youth Akali leader of the SHSAD, on Monday demanded a CBI inquiry in the recent incidents of buring of holy birs. Another leader, Mr Gurtej Pal Singh, also demanded an inquiry against police officers associated with Baba Bhaniarawala.

TARN TARAN
MEDICAL CAMP: Three hundred patients were examined at a medical camp organised by the local unit of the Vishav Hindu Parishad (VHP) here on Sunday. A team of specialists, including Dr Bhim Sen Prinja, Dr Dinesh Gupta, Dr Mohinder Pal Arora, Dr Rohit Omparkash, examined the patients. Medicines were given free of cost. The patients were examined for general, dental, eye and heart ailments.

OBEISANCE: Mr Inder Singh Namdhari, Speaker of the Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha, along with his family paid his obeisance at the local gurdwara, on Sunday.

DEAD: Mr Kabul Singh (49), a local municipal councillor, and former president of the local Bar Association, died on Sunday following heart failure. Mr Kabul Singh was also a former member of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana High Court. His cremation was largely attended.

SEIZED: Mr Jagdish Kumar Mittal, SSP, in a press note issued here on Sunday said that the police had seized two countrymade revolvers and live cartridges from Gurnam Singh of Valtoha village and Bohar Singh of Khalra village. Cases under Section 25, 27, 54, and 59 of the Arms Act have been registered.

ZIRAKPUR
CAMP ORGANISED: Over 2 00 children were examined during the third free medical camp organised by Mount View Public School at Rampur Kalan village on the Zirakpur-Patiala road, about 3 km from here on Sunday. Mr Gurcharan Singh, Principal of the school, said besides schoolchildren, children from the surrounding villages were also examined and were educated about keeping good health.

CHANDIGARH

APPOINTED: Chaudhary Dharm Singh Dilod has been appointed president of the the Sector-12 block. The appointment was communicated by the chairman of the SC/ST Cell of the Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee, Mr Phool Chand. The Sector-12 block comprises of areas of Sectors 10, 12 and 14 and Khuda Lahora village.

VACCINATION CAMP: The Rotary Chandigarh Central and NSS wing of DAV college would organise a subsidised hepatitis-B vaccination camp here on Tuesday. The camp would start on the premises of the college in Sector 10 from 9.30 a.m.

DEMONSTRATION: Employees of the Chandigarh Administration held a lunch-time demonstration demanding payment of bonus along with other demands. A statement issued by the Chandigarh UT Subordinate Services Federation and Federation of UT Employees and Workers said the employees will go on a strike for two hours on October 10.

ASSOCIATION FORMED: The State Bank of Patiala VRS retired officers today formed Voluntary Retired Bank Officials Association. Following were elected as the office-bearers of the association: Mr D. K. Verma — president; Mr Trilok Singh — vice-president; Ms Devinder Bains — secretary; Mr S. K. Jain — treasurer; and Mr Ruldhu Khanna — adviser.

ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Shri Vishwakarma Ramlila and Dramatic Club: President — Mr Banarsi Dass, vice-presidents — Mr Raj Kishore Verma, Mr Harmohan, Mr Kishan Lal, Mr Tara Chand, Mr Nanak Chand, Mr Pala Ram, Mr H.S. Sandhu and Mr Sunder Lal Kansal; general secretaries — Mr Irfan Mohammed, Mr Lalit Mohan, Mr Pammi Rana, Mr Bhupinder, Mr Sunder Bansal; head cashier — Mr Gautam Kumar; stage secretaries — Mr Kanhaiya Lal and Mr Radhe Shyam; advisers — Mr Nand Ram, Mr Mohan Lal and Mr Satish Kainth; and director — Mr Ramesh Kumar.

REFRESHER COURSE: The Department of Physical Education, Panjab University, will organise a 21-day UGC refresher course on physical education beginning from Tuesday. This is the first time that such a course is being organised.

UT ADMN THANKED: The Grain Market-Subzi Mandi Joint Action Committee here congratulated all political parties, Chandigarh Administration, Market Committee and the local MP, Mr. Pawan Bansal, for removal of barriers. The committee mentioned Market Committee Chairman, Mr Kesar Singh and Mr Bansal for making efforts to have the barriers removed for the benefit of the dealers and the people. A committee press release said the barriers have been removed from Monday following a long struggle for the same.

SAS NAGAR
ELECTED: Mr Amar Singh Randhawa was today unanimously elected president of the Diploma Engineers Association of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority for the 14 th consecutive term. The other office-bearers of the association are Mr Balwant Singh — general secretary; Mr J.S. Tiwana and Mr Vijay Paul Sharma — senior vice-presidents; Mr H.S. Pannu, Mr V.K. Syal and Mr Gurjant Singh — vice-presidents; Mr Narinder Singh — joint secretary; Mr N.S. Kalsi and Mr Ranbir Singh — press secretaries. Before the election it was decided to take up the problems faced by the engineer with the PUDA Chief Administrator, Mr K.B.S. Sidhu.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following persons have been elected office-bearers of the Kendriya Sanatan Dharma Mandir Kalyan Samiti: president — Mr Gopal Sharma, general secretary — Mr Nirmal Kaushal, chairman Mr Reshav Jain and senior vice-president — Mr Mahender Kaushik. A press note issued by the samiti said office-bearers of 15 Sanatan Dharam Mandir took part in the election. The election was held on Sunday. The elections were held under the Returning Officer, Mr Vidhi Chand Minhas, who was appointed by the samiti.

DEATH ANNIVERSARY: The JCT Electronics Employees and Workers Union would observe the 10th death anniversary of Late Shiv Dutt Gautam in front of the factory premises in Industrial Area, Phase 8, here on Tuesday. A community kitchen would follow the recital of the Gurbani. Mr R.S. Sharma, general secretary of the union, said the late union leader was killed on October 9, 1991, when agitating workers were attacked by goons. A blood donation camp would also be organised on the occasion.

HARYANA

AMBALA
WELFARE SOCIETIES: A general body meeting of the federation of 13 welfare societies of Mahesh Nagar area was held under the chairmanship of its convener, Mr G.R. Sharma. The office-bearers of associations from Raja Park, Mahesh Nagar, Ram Nagar, Shiv Partap Nagar, Kabir Nagar, Dayal Bagh, Mati Dass Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Gobind Nagar, Ajit Nagar and Tagore Garden attended the meeting. In the meeting, it was decided to make a representation against the unwarranted notice of enhancing house tax after two years of the last survey, to hold a dharna before the office of Municipal Council, and to start a relay hunger strike.

SANGHARSH SAMITI: The convener of the Haryana Sangharsh Samiti, Mr Om Prakash Malik, on Monday claimed that the violation of human rights was on a rise despite best efforts by the Central and state governments. A press note stated that in a number of instances, innocent persons were being detained and arrested. Mr Malik suggested that seminars at district level in each state be convened and a high ranking officer of the Human Rights Commission be invited.

PHONE NOT TRANSFERRED: The Ambala Cantonment elected member, Mr Umesh Sahni, has stated that he would sit on a dharna outside the office of the Chief General Manager Telecom, Haryana circle, if his telephone was not transferred. Mr Sahni said he had applied for getting his phone no. 651457 transferred three months back but the transfer was yet to take place.

FATEHABAD
SANCTIONED: The Union Ministry of Information and Technology has sanctioned Rs 1,5 lakhs for the local Manohar Memorial Institute of Computer Education, a wing of the local MM College, under employment schemes for students belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes. The college principal, Mr Darshan Singh, informed mediapersons here on Monday, that the local college was the only college in Haryana to receive the grant. He said the IT ministry would provide Rs 6 lakh for the purchase of computers and software, Rs 1.5 lakh for computer furniture, Rs 1 lakh for UPS and air conditioners, Rs 1 lakh for the purchase of library books and Rs 5 lakh towards the salary of the faculty in a span of five years.

KURUKSHETRA
HONOURED: A function was organised by Lions Club, Kurukshetra at Government Senior Secondary School, Jyotisar, about 5 km from here, on Friday. The Haryana Transport Minister, Mr Ashok Arora, honoured a state awardee, Mrs Neelam Girdhar, Principal of the school, on the occasion. School uniforms and shoes were also distributed. A water cooler was also donated by Mr Arora.

SONEPAT
BOYCOTT: The district administration has failed to shift the office of the Consumer Redressal Forum to the new judicial complex in the mini secretariat, despite a directive issued by the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala. Members of the District Bar Association have started boycotting the courts of the Deputy Commissioner, the SDM and the tehsildar to press for their demand.

SEALED: Officials of the Excise and Taxation Department conducted raids on the premises of cold storages at the HSIDC complex in Kundli village along the Haryana-Delhi border, about 30 km from here, on Saturday and sealed as many as 40 of these for checking and scrutiny of records.

INJURED: A scooterist was seriously injured when his vehicle was hit by a speeding car on the GT road near the Murthal chowk, 8 km from here, on Sunday. He was rushed to hospital.

EYE CAMP: A two-day free eye operation camp concluded in the premises of the Shiva Shikhsha Sadan here on Sunday evening. More than 1,200 patients suffering from various eye ailments were examined and given medicines free of cost. More than 200 patients were also operated upon.

YAMUNANAGAR
TALENT SHOW: A talent show was organised by the Tilak Raj Chadha Institute of Management and Technology here on Saturday. Students participated in various cultural activities like dance, singing, mimicry, painting and poetry. Dr K. L. Johar, former Vice-chancellor, Guru Jhambeshwar University, Hisar was the chief guest. He distributed prizes among the winners of various competitions.