R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AHMEDGARH
TOP POSITION: Ahmedgarh Block has bagged the top position in the district-level science fare of primary schools held recently. According to the BPEO, Mrs Inder Paul Anita, Anjli of Jain Muni Public School stood first in GK and Simran Kaur of the same school secured position in the chart-making contest. Harash Dhir and Prabhjot of Sanatan Vidaya Mandir got second position in GK quiz.

CRACKERS: Unlike previous years, little display of crackers has been seen in local market till Sunday evening following Supreme Court’s directive on the use of crackers. However, octroi records reveal that huge amounts of crackers have been ‘imported’ into the town. A police party had earlier booked five traders for keeping crackers without valid licences. The local police did not confirm whether there was any trader in the town who was having a valid licence. 

CELEBRATIONS: Mr Swaran Singh Ubhi, general secretary of the Baba Vishvakarama Mandir Parbhandhak Committee, has informed that Mr Simranjit Singh Mann President SAD (Amritsar), would be the chief guest at the Vishvakarma day celebrations on Thursday. Hira Singh Gabria, MLA, would unfurl the flag. An Annual election meeting would also be held on that day.

HONOURED: Mr Nusrat Akram Khan Bagga, Cabinet Minister for Sports, honoured the tug of war teams from Government Senior Secondary School Kanganwal for their achievements in the state sports meet. Mr Bhupinder Singh Bath, Principal of the school, stated that school’s u-12 girls teams had won second position whereas u-12 boys bagged third position. Teams and their coaches, Mr Gurcharan Singh and Mrs Sukhwat Sandhu, were honoured by the minister at a function held at Baurhai Kalan village.

BARNALA
VACCINATION CAMP: Mr Kanwarjit Singh Sandhu, SSP, Barnala police district, on Monday inaugurated a free “hepatitis B” vaccination camp for police personnel and retired police officers organised by the Barnala police and sponsored by the Trident Group of Industries at the local Police Lines. This was stated by Dr Jyoti Kaushal, Medical Officer, Police Lines, Barnala, here on Monday.

JAGRAON
PROCESSION: Students of various recognised schools took out a procession and held a rally in front of the office of the local SDM. Addressing the rally, leaders complained that in spite of the concession in fare and facility of passes provided to the students, mini-bus operators did not allow them to travel on their buses and compelled them to buy half tickets. They later on handed over a memorandum to Mr Jaspal Mittal, SDM.

CULTURAL FESTIVAL: The Naujawan Sabha organised the third cultural festival on Monday near the truck union, in the memory of late Amar Singh Chamkeela and Bibi Amarjit Kaur, both folk singers of Punjab. Mr Swaran Singh, Sarpanch, Chuharchak, inaugurated the festival and was the chief guest. Kiranjit Soni lighted the candles. Mr Jagdev Singh Jassowal, president of the world Sabhiachark Manch, was the guest of honour. Various famous folk singers presented their folk songs before hundreds of people who had gathered there.

MOGA
BANNED: The District Magistrate, Mr Kanwalbir Singh Sidhu, through a notification on Monday banned the sale of crackers at public places and in thickly populated areas of the town with immediate effect. The order will remain in force till November 16.

THREATENED: Journalists of the town at a meeting held here on Monday threatened the local administration that it would launch an agitation if demands were not met. They also submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner in this regard.

MANSA
BAIL DENIED: Mr Sukhdev Singh, additional District and Sessions Judge, here on Monday rejected the bail application of Mr Harpal Singh Pali, Municipal Councillor, belonging to SAD. Mr Pali was arrested by the police following the registration of a case under various sections of the IPC against him and two others.

INAUGURATED: Ms Raji P. Srivastva, Deputy Commissioner, inaugurated here on Monday a computerised agriculture development branch of the State Bank of Patiala. Mr Mahadev Balani, Deputy General manager, and Mr S.K.Singla, Assistant General Manager of the bank highlighted various schemes of the bank.

PROCUREMENT ENDS: The Deputy Commissioner, Ms Raji P. Srivastva, said on Monday that in the district the purchase of paddy had been completed. All purchase centres have been closed and paddy purchased by the government agencies.

COMPETITION HELD: A competition was held here on Monday on the premises of the local SDKL DAV Centenary Public School in which DAV schools from Malerkotla, Bareta, Chanarthal and Mansa participated. A science exhibition, declamation contest and poetical recitation competition were organised on the occasion.

MALERKOTLA
CAMP: A free dental and hepatitis-B vaccination camp was organised by the local unit of the Bharat Vikas Parishad at Hanuman Mandir here on Sunday. This was stated by Mr Nasir Ali, secretary of the parishad.

DENTAL FORTNIGHT: The Punjab Health Department will observe a dental health fortnight at the local Civil Hospital from November 17 to December 1. According to Dr Mohammad Shabbir, CMO, the treatment and medicines will be provided free of cost.

NABHA
CONTEST: The local unit of the ABVP has organised state-level General Knowledge contest-2001 at various centres here. As many as 700 students have participated in the contest.

NAWANSHAHR
FAIR ENDS: The local Rotary Club with a view to raising funds for the construction of a Rotary bhavan organised a two-day Rotary Bal Mela here at the Adarsh Bal Vidayalaya which concluded on Sunday. Entertainment programme were organised on the occasion.

PATHANKOT
ROLLING TROPHY: The National Martial Arts Championship concluded here on Sunday. About 1500 students from all over the country participated in the competition. KLM International School won the rolling trophy for best performance. Master Mohan Lal, Minister for Higher Education, distributed the prizes.

ARRESTED: The police has arrested a women, Leelo of Sujanpur, and seized 900 l of illicit liquor. A case under Section 61 of the Punjab Excise Act has been registered.

BREACH CLOSED: A minor breach in the Mankpur hydle canal was reported on Monday by the residents of Faridanagar village in the subdivision. The officials concerned the Irrigation Department went to the spot and closed the breach.

PATIALA
RALLY: The local unit of the Schedule Caste/Backward Class Teachers Union, Punjab, will hold a rally on November 21 in protest against the non-implementation of SC/SC quota while awarding promotions to teachers.

PHAGWARA
20 KIDS HURT: At least 20 school children and a driver were injured when the vehicle, in which they were travelling, hit against a tree here on Sunday. The police confirming the mishap said the driver lost control over the wheel and it hit against a tree near Rampur Sunnrra village on the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road. The children were on way to picnic near Jalandhar.

ROPAR
BANNED: As per the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr G.S. Grewal, has banned the manufacturing and use of polythene bags made from recycled plastics. The ban would remain in force till January 7, 2002.

SAMRALA
STRIKE: Commission agents observed strike here on Monday in protest against the non-payment of paddy purchased by the government agencies for the past one month. Mr Harpal Singh Dhillon, president of the local Commission Agents Association, and Mr Sher Singh Mushkabad, general secretary threatened in a press statement that if the payment was not made till Wednesday (Divali Day) they would go on a hunger strike. Both leaders said the farmers of the area were angry against the lackadaisical attitude of the government and would be compelled to celebrate Divali as “Black Divali”.

APPEALED: Mr Major Singh, president of the Sher-e-Punjab Sports and Cultural organisation of Mushkabad village, near here, said in a press note that Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal, speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, had sanctioned Rs 25,000/- to the club at the time of the upgradation of their school but money had so far not been given. He appealed the Speaker to fulfil his promise at the earliest.

LITERARY PROGRAMME: Ru-B-Ru’ a literary programme, would be held at Rampur rest house on Friday at 10 a.m. Ru-B-Ru would feature Canada-based Punjabi poet Harbhajan Singh Mangat. Poets present during the function would recite their new poems.

PENSION CASE: Prof Pannu Hamdardvir Nausheharvi, a retired college teacher, has appealed to the leaders of Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union to contribute some money towards the expenses incurred by retired non-government college teachers in the case of their pension and gratuity, which is being pursued in Punjab and Haryana High Court since past two years. The retired non-government college teachers have already spent around Rs 75,000 on the case and now the PCCTU was required to share the expenses.

VALEDICTORY PARTY: The employees of the PSEB gave a valedictory party to Mr Dhan Singh, circle assistant, on his retirement. The leaders of the various unions presented gifts and mementoes to Mr Dhan Singh.

FLAYED: Mr Bheari Lal Saddi, vice-president of the Teachers Union Punjab, has alleged that the Punjab Government was unnecessarily spending money on statues and celebrations while the payment of monthly salaries to the teachers and govt employees was being withheld by the government. Non-government aided retired college teachers were also not being paid their pension and gratuity for want of money. Mr B.S. Pannu, a retired teacher, questioned the validity of such extravagant, celebrations.

TARN TARAN
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local circle unit of the Technical Services Union of the PSEB: president — Mr G.S. Uppal; vice-president —Mr Rajinder Singh Babbari; secretary — Mr Deepak Kumar; assistant secretary — Mr Nirbhai Singh; and treasurer — Mr Sarwan Singh Dhillon.

CHANDIGARH

SAS NAGAR
SERIAL: Problems faced by allottees of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) will be the subject of the tele-serial ‘Lok Vedna’ to be aired on Jalandhar Doordarshan at 7.15 pm on Friday. The serial focuses on public grievances against government departments and institutions. In this particular programme, problems of the allottees of new Sectors 66, 67 and 68 in SAS Nagar urban estate would be aired. The PUDA has taken development charges from allottees but no facility has been provided in the sectors. PUDA officials would also give their replies to the public grievances.

HARYANA

AMBALA
CONCERN: The Consumer Helpline Sangathan, Ambala, has expressed concern over the “communication gap” between the HVPN and the consumers. Sangathan president K.K. Sharma and general secretary R.N. Mittal, said there was communication gap with respect to the introduction of electronic meters, and the rules and regulations passed and amended from time to time by the authorities. A meeting of the sangathan was held in Ambala City where this issue was discussed. According to a press note the sangathan exhorted the electricity authorities to invest some of the amount which it collects from consumers to educate them in this regard.

SELECTED: The Haryanvi dance team of MDSD Girls College, Ambala City, has been selected to participate in the National Youth Festival. Haryanvi dance team of MDSD girls college represented Kurukshetra University at the North Zone Inter-University Youth Festival at Punjabi University, Patiala. It will now participate at the national youth festival to be held at GND University, Amritsar, on February 1, 2002. MDSD Girls has been declared the “Best women college of the zone” at the zonal youth festival for the past two consecutive years.

QUIZ CONTEST: SD College team has won the state level inter-college quiz contest. The team comprising Anuj Sharma, Sneh Lata and Sidhant won the quiz organised at Mukand Lal National College, Yamunanagar.

SHUSHMA SWARAJ: The Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, Ms Shushma Swaraj will be visiting Ambala on November 16. According to the Deputy Commissioner, Ambala, she will inaugurate DD Metro, low power station at Ambala City. Earlier the foundation stone of this station was laid at Ambala Cantt but following objections raised by the Air Force authorities the project was shifted to Ambala City. Ms Swaraj will also inaugurate several projects constructed through the fund provided by Mr Swaraj Kaushal, MP (Rajya Sabha) from his MP fund.

SONEPAT
INJURED: Four persons were injured when a truck collided with a Maruti car on the G.T. Road near Easoi village, about 15 km from here, on Sunday. A case has been registered in this connection.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

CHAMBA
PENSIONERS' PLEA: The Chamba District Pensioners Association has expressed concern over the plight of pensioners. A press note issued by the association here on Monday requested the government to sanction a hike of 5 per cent and 10 per cent in the pensions of persons above 65 and 75 years of age, respectively.

DECISION HAILED: The Chamba Welfare Association has hailed the decision of the Himachal Pradesh Government to open another engineering college in the state. Mr J.R. Kapoor, general secretary of the association, in a statement here on Monday has urged the state government to open the engineering college in the town where the necessary infrastructure is already available at Biyodh on the outskirts of the town.