R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Abohar
SENTENCED: The district-fast track court has sentenced Gurcharan Singh and his son Goldy to six years rigorous imprisonment under Section 306 of the IPC for creating circumstances that forced Surjit Kanwal, a noted writer, to commit suicide along with her two daughters on October 1, 1999. Surjit Kanwal, who had graduated from a local college, was married to a doctor, Jaspal Singh, at Jalalabad West. He left home and Surjit Kanwal had to leave Jalalabad West and settle here as she was unable to meet the expenses of her daughters’ education. Her husband had ancestral agricultural property at Diwankhera village near here and Sadhrana village near Fazilka. Kanwal asked her brother-in-law Gurcharan Singh and his son Goldy for their share of the property but she had to face humiliation. Finally Kanwal and her daughters consumed poison on the night of October 1, 1999.

Amritsar
TEACHERS’ DEMAND: While welcoming the decision of the state government to raise the age of retirement of its employees from 58 to 60 years, the Guru Nanak Dev University Teachers Association has demanded the raise in the superannuation age of the teachers to 62 years. Dr Narpinder Singh, president of the association, in a press note issued here on Sunday said keeping in view the University Grant Commission notification, the revision in the pay scales and service conditions the superannuation age of university teachers should be raised to 62 years.

LOK ADALAT: As many as 136 cases were settled through compromise in a Lok Adalat under the supervision of Mr M.R. Batra, District and Sessions Judge, here on Sunday. Thirteen Benches were constituted to settle the cases.

RECRUITMENT RALLY: A three-day rally for recruitment to the Parachute Regiment will be held from Monday at Khasa Cantonment post number seven. This was informed by Mr S.P. Singh, Deputy Director, Sainik Welfare, in a press note here on Sunday. Interested candidates should report with the necessary certificates and documents.

HEALTH CAMP: As many as 150 persons were examined at a free heart check-up camp organised by the Saffola Healthy Heart Foundation in association with the Escorts Heart and Multi-Specialty Institute on Sunday. The team of doctors from the Escorts hospital included Dr Arun Chopra, Dr Bipin, Dr Jagdeep and Dr Arvind Kaul.

Hoshiarpur
APPOINTED : The following have been appointed office-bearers of the local unit of the BJP Bihati Mandal: president — Mr Chair Singh; vice-presidents — Mr Ram Murti Nara, Mr Darshan Singh Bains and Mr Pal Singh; general secretary — Mr Ram Krishan; secretaries — Mrs Herjinder Kaur, Mr Balwinder Jalowal and Mr Hari Krishan; and cashier — Mr Balraj Kaushal.

Jalandhar
DECRIED: The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) on Friday alleged that the MPs belonging to the SAD had failed to extend support to important issues relating to Punjab and Sikhs, raised by the SAD (Amritsar) chief, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, in Parliament during the past four years. In a press release here on Friday, Mr Anup Singh Minhas, general secretary of the SAD (A), alleged that an array of important issues raised by Mr Mann were ignored by the SAD MPs, who were also alliance partners of the ruling NDA government.

Ludhiana
Demand: The Kirti Kissan Union, Bharti Kisan Union, Jamhuri Kisan Sabha, Panjab Kisan Sabha, Khetibari and Kisan Vikas Front, and Kisan Sangharsh Committee have warned the government that if the purchase of wheat was not started in Sangrur district, they would launch a campaign to get their demands accepted, said Hardev Singh Sandhu, state president of the Kirti Kisan Union. In a press note they demanded loan for farmers at the rate of 4 per cent per annum, as was the case with industrial sector. They also demanded free electricity and allotment of land to farmers who were in possession of land. The unions would also organise a state-level convention on February 21, near bus stand Ludhiana.

Meeting: The three-day state executive council meeting of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad concluded at Mandi Temple on Sunday. During the meeting, the members analysed the educational, social, economic and political scenario of the state. In a press conference, Mr Pankaj Kumar, state president, Mr Sushil Sharma, state secretary, and Ms Mukta Sharma, state vice-president, said the state policies towards education were an utter failure. Although government had taken the decision to withdraw fee hike, colleges were still charging the increased amount. The policy of hiring teachers on contract basis under village sarpanches would not provide quality education. They said the number of present units of the parishad would be increased from 38 to 60, with a membership rise of 35,000 from 23,000. The parishad would also observe black day this month to protest the state government policies.

Mandi Ahmedgarh
Camp: A medical and blood donation camp was organised by the Lions Club, Ludhiana, and Shanti Tara College on the college premises on Saturday. Mr Prem Gupta, chairman of the STC Educational and Medical Trust, inaugurated the camp, while Dr Ashok Puri, president, Lions Club, presided over the inaugural function. Mr Arvinder Malhotra, general secretary, said around 250 patients were examined by a team of doctors from Mohan Dai Oswal Cancer Hospital. Dr Pardeep Kapoor, Dr R.K. Garg and Dr Poonam and Dr K.S. Dogra examined patients for various ailments, including cardiovascular, neurological, chest and kidney disorders. Around 100 units of blood were donated by volunteers. Mr Ajay Batra, Principal of the college, asked patients to come for regular follow up. Mr Raghunandan Sharma, Block Samiti Member, Mr Rakesh Dhand, Mr Amarjit Singh and Mr Major Singh were president on the occasion.

Seminar: A seminar on “Democracy and Corruption” was held at Gobind National College at Narangwal. In his keynote address, Dr Pirthi Paul Singh Sohi, a critic, accused a section of politicians and bureaucrats of nurturing corruption. He said undue delay, centralisation of powers and lack of responsibility aggravated the problem. He said political leaders after coming to power forgot real issues and gave more importance to money. He satired that instead of being a “Government by the people, for the people”, democracy had now become “government by specific persons, for specific persons”. Prof Kamaljit Sohi, Prof K.K. Batta and Dr Bachiter Singh Somal, Principal, also spoke on the occasion. 

Phillaur
WLL INTRODUCED: The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has introduced WLL technology in the Jalandhar telecom circle comprising Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Nawanshahar districts. This was stated by the General Manager Telecom, Jalandhar, Mr K.C. Zindal, on Sunday. The BSNL will provide 10,000 WLL connections in urban areas of the circle while 14,000 connections will be provided in rural areas by March 31. The Telecom Department has exempted installation charges for new telephone connections applied before March 31.

HARYANA

AMBALA
INAUGURATED: Local MLA Anil Vij inaugurated a free medical check up camp in Topkhana at Ambala Cantonment on Sunday organised by Medical College, Mulana. Besides, a team of doctors and other paramedical staff, the Chairman of the college, Mr Tarsem Kumar Garg, and the Director Dr S.K. Gupta, were also present on the occasion. Around 1,500 patients were examined at the camp. They were also provided the facility of various pathological tests and free medicines. Mr Garg announced on the occasion, that a bus service from Topkhana area to Mulana Medical College would be provided free of cost to the patients daily. He said the number beds in the Medical College, Mulana, would be increased from 350 to 450 by the end of this year.

Fatehabad
SELJA’S CALL: Former Union Minister and AICC secretary, Ms Selja, on Sunday asked the Congress workers to gear up for the forthcoming parliamentary elections. She was addressing party workers at the local Shri Ram Samiti Dharamshala. Ms Selja, who has represented the Sirsa parliamentary constituency, of which Fatehabad is a part, three times in the Lok Sabha, has already announced that she would contest from here. She is to accompany the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, on her three-day tour of eastern Uttar Pradesh from Monday.

DISTRIBUTED: The Haryana Finance Minister, Mr Sampat Singh, today distributed cheques worth Rs 5.25 lakh at Khabra Kalan, Dhabi Kalan, Thuian and Kirdhan villages in the district. Dr Sushil Indora accompanied him.

Hisar
INJURED: More than 36 persons, including children and women, were injured when a private bus fell in a pond at Madha village, about 40km from here, on Saturday. According to reports, the bus of a co-operative society was going to Hansi from Jind. The driver lost control while trying to save a cyclist. The injured were admitted to Hansi civil hospital from where most of them were discharged after first aid.

Rohtak
DA DEMAND: The Haryana School Lecturers Association has demanded the merger of 50 per cent of dearness allowance with the basic salary of government employees on the pattern of the central employees. In a statement issued here on Saturday, the association president, Mr Jasbir Singh Dhanker, said Haryana should give its employees the benefits that the Centre had given to its workers. He said although the government had announced that it would accord gazetted status to school lecturers in 2000, the necessary notification had not yet been issued. He said the Chief Minister had also assured removal of anomalies in pay scales of school lecturers, which had not been done so far.

ROAD SHOW: Officers and employees of the local branch of the Vijaya bank have devised a unique way to recover dues from chronic defaulters. They staged dharnas in front of business premises and residences of the defaulters located on Railway Road, Jhajjar Road and Chhotu Ram Park areas here on Saturday. The employees termed it as “road show”. A spokesperson for the bank claimed that the results were encouraging and a majority of chronic defaulters had agreed to pay their loan instalments within a week.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Nahan
CULTURE TESTS: The zonal hospital here has got the facility to carry out tests for culture and sensitivity with the opening of a testing laboratory in the hospital on Sunday. Funds worth Rs 1.11 lakh were provided by the DRDA. The hospital will soon get facilities for thyroid tests, according to the Deputy Commissioner Sirmaur, Mr M.L. Sharma.

Nurpur
ENGLISH CENTRE: The Himachal Pradesh School Lecturers Association (HPSLA) on Saturday demanded the revival of the prestigious District Language Centre for English at Dharamsala. In a press note, general secretary of the HPSLA, Mr Anil Nag, said the centre was established at Dharamsala in 1988 under a scheme sponsored by the centre. The institute was provided free academic inputs and guidance by the Central Institute of English and Foreign Language (CIEFL), Hyderabad, and many english language teachers working in Hiamchal Pradesh school had been trained here.

Shimla
MURDERED: Satya Devi of Dhalli village in Kumarsain was allegedly murdered by her husband Sanjay Kumar on Saturday. Her relatives lodged a complaint in this regard. The police has registered a case.