The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Tuesday, August 6, 2002, 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

ABOHAR
2 COPS ARRESTED: Constables Sahib Singh, Gurdyal Singh and watchman Ram Parsad of a local hotel have been arrested for rape. The case was registered under Section 376, IPC, and investigated under the supervision of Rakesh Aggarwal, SP.

AMRITSAR
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following were elected office bearers of the House of Holy Spirit on Sunday. They are patron — Pastor Raj Kumar; chairman — Emmanuel — vice-chairman — Pastor Deheeraj; general secretary — Pastor Joginder and secretary — Pastor Manohar Masih.

BATHINDA
I-DAY BOYCOTT: The Unemployed B.Ed Front, Punjab, has decided to boycott the Independence Day celebrations to protest against the yet-to-be-adopted education policy. He said rallies would be organised at Bathinda.

FAZILKA
WOMAN ASSAULTED: Shashi Bala, wife of Navdeep Chopra, employee of Industrial Training Institute here, in a report lodged with the police has alleged that she had been assaulted by her husband for dowry. A case has been registered against her husband who has reportedly absconded.

GURDASPUR
FAKE CASSETTES: The police has arrested Manmohan Kumar and seized 102 duplicate video cassettes of new films from him. According to Mr Varinder Kumar, SSP, the suspect clandestinely indulged in the sale of proscribed video cassettes and CDs. A case under Section 420 of the IPC and 63, 68 and 68-A of the Copyright Act has been registered.

ROTARIANS: Mr Khushhal Behl, Education Minister, presided over the installation meeting of the local Rotary Club on Sunday night and exorted Rotarians to come together and raise their voice against global terrorism. The following were installed as office-bearers of the club: president — Dr Rana Verma; senior vice-president — Mr Dinesh Mahajan; vice- president — Mr Vinod Gupta; secretary- Mr Vipin Mahajan, joint secretary — Mr Deepak Mahajan; and treasurer— Mr Sunil Sharma.

HOSHIARPUR
ILLICIT LIQUOR: The Hajipur police arrested Puran Singh of Bela village and seized 30,000 ml of illicit liquor from him on Sunday. The Tanda police seized 6,000 ml of illicit liquor a local resident Kaushalya, wife of Jita. About 5 kg of poppy husk was also seized from Bimla, wife of Darshan Singh of Chotala village, on Sunday.

JALANDHAR
HOARDING OF MARTYRS: The Kashyap Naujwan Dharmik Sabha put up a hoarding having the pictures of the 12 martyrs of Kargil war from here at the Harnamdasspura cremation grounds on Sunday. The hoarding has pictures of Major Raman Dada ( Kirti Chakra), Major Kanwal Gulzar Singh, Major Rohit Sharma ( Shaurya Chakra), Capt Gurpreet Singh Chahal, Capt Satnam Singh, Capt Mandeep Harry, Lieut Gurbinder Singh, Sepoy Nastinder Pal Singh, Sepoy Daljit Singh, Gunner Buta Singh, Lieut Sachin Khenderiya and Lakhbir Kumar. Hundreds of residents, including kins of martyrs paid tributes to the war heroes.

MACHHIWARA
BEREAVED: A former Minister of State, Mr Ishar Singh Meharbaan, General Secretary of the Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee was bereaved on Monday when his younger brother, Piara Singh (47), died of an heart attack. He was cremated at Jugiana village in the afternoon. He is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters. Mr Tej Parkash Singh, Minister for Transport; MLAs, Mr Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal, Mr Malkiat Singh Birmi, Mr Malkiat Singh Dakha, Mr Amrik Singh Dhillon; a former minister, Mr Darshan Singh Brar; President of the Nagar Panchayat, Machhiwara, Mr Anil Sood; the district Congress Committee president, Mr Gurdev Singh Lapran; the vice-president, Mr Tejiner Singh Kooner; The PNB Employees’ Union state vice-president, Mr J.P. Singh Makkar; and many other prominent persons were present on the occasion.

MANSA
LOK ADALAT: A state-level Lok Adalat was organised here at the judicial courts complex under the supervision of Mr Harbans Lal, Additional District and Sessions Judge. As many as 101 cases were put up for hearing, according to a press note issued here on Monday.

ROTARY CLUB: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local Rotary Club: president — Mr Rajinder Garg; and secretary — Mr Pawan Kumar Garg.

MOGA
RAPE ACCUSED ARRESTED: The Punjab police on Monday claimed to have arrested an accused for allegedly raping a 20-year-old unmarried girl within 15 hours of the crime. Senior Superintendent Police Shiv Kumar said the crime was committed yesterday when the accused Mangat Ram alias Manga, resident of Moga intercepted the rape victim by parking his scooter in front of the victim’s cycle while she was going to the Gill road where she was serving as a maid servant.

COMMITTEES FORMED: Subdivisional-level committees headed by Sub-Divisional Magistrates have been constituted to monitor the availability of power and water in the agriculture sector in the district. This was stated here on Monday by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr G. Romesh Kumar.

PATHANKOT
CAMP HELD: The Lions Club Services organised a free vehicles pollution check-up camp here on Sunday. According to Mr Ramesh Mahajan, secretary of the club, more than 60 vehicles were checked.

APPOINTED: Mr Satya Pal Saini, a former Punjab minister, has been appointed member of the BJP National Executive. Mr Bal Krishen Mittal, president of the district Gurdaspur BJP unit, Mr Anil Vasudeva, member of the BJP Punjab Executive, has welcomed the appointment.

RAJPURA
FAREWELL FUNCTION: Members of the Welfare Association of the District Public Relations office, Patiala, gave a warm send-off to Mr Balwant Singh Lailpuri, Drama Inspector, at a function here on Sunday. Mr Ujagar Singh, chairman of the association, appreciated his 36 years’ job in the department. Mr Surjit Singh Saini, Assistant Public Relations Officer, Rajpura, also wished Mr Lailpuri a long and healthy life after retirement.

SAMRALA
SALARY NOT PAID: Village chawkidars in the tehsil have not been paid their salaries for the past four months, said Mr Sarup Singh, general secretary of the District Ludhiana Chawkidara Union and Mr Gian Singh, president of the Tehsil Chawkidara Union, here on Monday. The union leaders said that while salaries had been dispatched by the Punjab Government to the Deputy Commissioners, but in Samrala the salaries were yet to be received by the tehsil authorities.

DRIVING LICENCE: Rules in the Motor Vehicle Act regarding the issuance of driving licenses to adults may be amended as recommended by the Social Workers of Samrala, said Mr Kuldeep Khullar, former counsellor, and Mr G.S. Prince in a press note, here today. They demanded that the age for issuing a permanent driving license should be reduced from 18 years to 15 years for motor cars and from 18 years to 13 years for two-wheelers. This, they said, would also enhance the state revenue.

PENSION: No pensions have been paid to old-aged persons and widows in the tehsil since the Congress came to power, alleged Mr Malkiat Singh Guman, a leader of the Lok Bhalai Party, here on Monday. Mr Ghuman said the old-aged persons and the widows were awaiting their pensions since long.

HARYANA

AMBALA
‘ABDUCTED’ GIRL FOUND: A girl, who had allegedly been abducted, was recovered by the district police on Monday. The Superintendent of Police, Mr Manoj Yadava, said on August 2, Mr Bhag Singh had informed the police that his brother’s daughter had been abducted by Palwinder Singh, a resident of Alawalpur village. Both the girl as well as Palwinder Singh have been traced by the police.

BAN SOUGHT: Members of the Citizens Council here on Monday demanded a ban on ‘gutkha’ in Haryana. They appealed the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, to immediately impose a ban on the sale of ‘gutkha’ in the state. They pointed out that some states had already imposed a ban on its sale, according to a press note.

THREATENED: The president of the District Bar Association, Mr Devender K. Bansal on Monday threatened to suspend work if IPS officer R.K. Sharma, who is allegedly involved in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case, was not arrested soon.

OPIUM SEIZED: At least 6 kg of opium was seized from a dhaba owner by the Special Task Force of the Inspector General of Police, Ambala Range on Sunday. The opium and a few grams of smack were seized from Man Singh by a team led by Inspector Devinder Singh. An Esteem car used in the crime has also been seized.

MEETING: A meeting of the Haryana Vigyan Adhyapak Sangathan was held here on Monday. It was presided over by Mr Devendra Gautam. A number of issues were deliberated upon during the meeting.

BHIWANI
TEACHERS PROTEST: The Haryana Rajkiya Adyapak Sangh held a meeting on Sunday on the premises of Government Primary Pathshala, Bhiwani No 2. The chief adviser of the Sangh, Mr Sher Singh, said the Sangh would oppose “reduce expenditure, remove posts” policy. The state secretary, Mr Chand Rani Siwach, said Mr Vazir Singh, Jarnail Singh and Ram Nath Dhiman had been authorised to hold a meeting with the minister. A state-level meeting would be held at Rohtak on August 18.

POOR POWER SUPPLY: Residents here have urged the HVPN authorities to end discrimination in power supply. They say that HUDA, Housing Board and Vidya Nagar colony have been exempted from power cuts, but supply remains off mostly during night in Hanuman Dhani, Bawri gate, Loharu Road areas. The Congress has threatened to launch an agitation against power shortage in and around Charkhi Dadri town.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
TRUCKS SENT: The district Truck Operators Cooperative Society at Barmana near here has sent 400 trucks during past two days to the upper Shimla areas for lifting of apple crop to save the farmers from huge losses. Addressing mediapersons here on Sunday president of the society Ramdass Thakur said convoy of trucks was sent after an SOS from HRTC Vice-Chairman Khushiram Balnahta and Himachal Pradesh Government.

SHIMLA
ACCIDENT: Anand Sharma of Phagli colony here was killed when his scooter met with an accident near the Kanhlog bypass on Saturday night.

DATE EXTENDED: The Himachal Pradesh Government has extended the cut-off date for receiving proposals from non-loanee farmers at the Primary Agricultural Cooperatives and Cooperative banks branches up to August 15 in view of the delay in the onset of the rains. An official spokesman said here on Sunday that in case of loanee farmers there was no change in the cut-off date of September 30 already fixed. He said the non-loanee farmers should get the proposal forms verified from an expert of the Agriculture Department.

UNA
MAHANT WRITES TO PM: The Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Shakti Sena national vice president and Shri Sanatan Dharam Mandir Suraksha Samiti state president, Maha Mandaleshwar Mahant Swami Virendra N., talking to media persons on Monday said he had sent a letter to the President, Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, requesting the imposition of President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir as the Chief Minister had failed to protect the lives of pilgrims.