R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
Phro on waters’ accord: The Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO) on Thursday endorsed the Punjab Chief Minister’s terminating water-sharing accords with neighbouring states. The PHRO stated the step was constitutional. The PHRO urged Mr Parkash Singh Badal, president, SAD, to break away from the NDA as BJP workers and leaders had opposed the Punjab’s move.

Bathinda
SESSION INAUGURATED: First academic session of Swami Vivekananda Girls’ College, set up by Mrs Raj Gupta, for poor girls, was inaugurated by Mrs Shushma Singla, wife of Punjab Finance Minister, Surinder Singla, on Thursday.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Urban Estate Residents Welfare Association: president — Mr Karnail Singh Brar; secretary — Sadhu Singh; joint secretary — Mr Vijay Kumar, and cashier — Mr Ajaib Singh Sibia.

A CORRECTION: In the story “43 gastroenteritis cases reported in 5 days” published in these columns yesterday, the gastro cases were mentioned to be reported at Faridkot Civil Hospital instead of Jaitu Civil Hospital. The error is regretted.

Jalandhar
Appointed: Prof Jagroop Singh has been appointed Head, Department of Civil Engineering of Mehar Chand Polytechnic, here by the DAV College Managing Committee.

Ludhiana
JHOOLA UTSAV: The annual ‘jhoola utsav’ started here on Thursday at Sakhi Mandir, Maleri street, amid chanting of Vedic hymns under the supervision of Pandit Shiv Kumar Modgil. Mr Mohan Lal, chairman of the Baghwali Gali Shopkeepers’ Association, performed ‘puja’ on the occasion. Members of the Mahila Sankirtan Mandal, including Ms Sheila Devi, Ms Vimla Rani, Ms Gita Jayaswal, Ms Krishna Rani, Ms Savita, Ms Renu Bala, Ms Parveen Kumari and Ms Santosh Rani, rendered hymns on the occasion and rocked the ‘jhula’ in which idols of Radha-Krishan were kept.

RECITATION: The Shri Hanumant Seva Samiti organised a programme of musical recitation of Sunder Kand in Bhai Manna Singh Nagar on Thursday. Among those who recited the epic after a ceremony of Ganesh pujan were Mr Viresh Vij, Mr Sudhir Beri, Mr Tarsem Khanna, Mr Gobind Nanda, Mr Jagdish Puri, Mr Ramesh Gulati, Mr Rakesh Chopra and Mr Ramesh Soni. A ‘langar’ was also organised.

FAIR: an annual fair in the memory of Pir Dasondhi Shah was organised at Shanti Van, near the bus stand, on Thursday. Hymns were sung on the occasion by various singers, including the descendants of Yamla Jat. Poor schoolchildren were given notebooks. Langar was also served. Among those who attended the fair were Mr Arun Attari, Mr Tara Singh, Mr Raj Kumar, Mr Kuldeep Singh and Mr Hari Mohan.

Moga
TEACHER ARRESTED: The Vigilance Bureau has arrested a government schoolteacher while working as a private school principal. Vigilance sources said that Harpreet Singh, who was working as principal of a Samalsar-based private school, was recruited by the Punjab Government in 2001 and he was posted at government primary school in Manuke village of Moga district. Sources said that Harpreet Singh went on leave without pay on January 16, 2002, and quit the job on October 22, 2002, but the education department did not accept his resignation. The bureau disclosed that during the period he continued to work as principal of Giani Kartar Singh Memorial School.

POPPY HUSK SEIZED: The police seized 5.7 quintals of poppy husk and arrested five persons after conducting raids at various places on Thursday night. SSP M.S. Chhina told that CIA in charge SI Tehal Singh set up a checkpost on the Singhawala-Bukanwala road. The police party stopped a Santro car on suspicion and seized 1.5 quintals of poppy husk from it.

Muktsar
HELD FOR MINOR’S RAPE: Dheeraj Kumar of ward number six of city was arrested for raping a minor girl. His mother, was also booked for the allegedly abetting the rape.

Nawanshahr
Attacked: Nearly 12 persons in three cars attacked Mr Manjit Singh of Rurki Khas village, under the Garhshankar police station and injured him seriously near Chuharpur, here on Thursday. He was returning to his village on a scooter after attending a court case here. He was shifted to the Civil Hospital here.

Dharna: Activists of the Pendu Mazdoor Union on Thursday held a dharna in front of DC’s office here on Thursday. They were demanding old-age and widow pension, electricity free of cost up to 150 units to farmhands, drinking water in mazdoors’ bastis, residential plots free of cost. Union leaders Hari Ram Rasoolpuri and Kamaljit Sanawa addressed the workers.

Samana
Dharna: About 600 employees and members of the Trade Union Council organised a rally and held a march in protest against the murder of Harjit Singh, president of the Technical Employees Union of Patiala. Acid was poured on his body at Patiala on July 8 which resulted in his death. The employees and workers raised slogans against the state government and sat on a dharna in front of the office of the SDM. Speakers at the rally demanded immediate arrest of the killers and negligent doctors of Rajindra Hospital, Patiala.

SAMRALA
COMMITTEE FORMED: To enhance awareness against corruption and social evils, an anti-corruption committee has been formed at the local level here. A meeting of the committee will be held on Sunday at 5 p.m. at Munsand mohalla, Mr Surinder Kumar Angrish said the committee would help the downtrodden. The names of the members of the committee would be declared on the same day.

SEMINAR: In the coming four years, 70 lakh job opportunities will be available in the field of information technology, so there is a need to provide technical education to students rather than producing clerks in colleges,” said Mr Amrik Singh Dhillon, MLA, here. He was speaking at a seminar on career opportunities in the field of IT. The seminar, organised by Punjab Technical University, was attended by a number of students and their parents. Mr Harinderpal Singh, zonal head, and M Ranjodh Singh, Director, PTU Learning Centre, said experts in the field of computers were much in demand in foreign countries as well. Mr Jaspal Singh Jassi, SDM, and Mr Jasvir Singh, DSP Samrala, also shared their views on the occasion.

HARYANA

Fatehabad
ACCIDENT: Mr Dalip (35) died and Vinod, Rajinder and Diwan Chand were injured when the jeep they were travelling in collided with a truck near Barota village, on Wednesday.

Hisar
COTTON VARIETIES: Two new high-yielding and disease-resistant cotton varieties — germplasm HGMS-1 and HD 266, developed by Haryana Agriculture University (HAU) scientists have been registered by the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resource (NBPGR) said VC M.K. Miglani on Thursday.

Jhajjar
DISTRICT’S ANNIVERSARY: The district administration organised a function here on Thursday to mark eighth anniversary of Jhajjar as district. It became a district in 1997. Mr Mohinder Kumar, Deputy Commissioner was the chief guest. Later, he honoured students and sportspersons hailing from the district who won distinction. A cultural programme was also held.

MISHAP: Bharto Devi, an old woman, died and two others — Ravinder her son and driver Dharambir, were injured in an accident involving a jeep and a tractor-trailer near Dulina police post on the Jhajjar-Gurgaon road here on Thursday. A case has been registered.

Kaithal
TRAFFIC BLOCKED: Residents of six villages blocked traffic for three hours at Polar village on the Kaithal-Patiala road on Thursday against irregular supply power and water supply in these areas. Protesters raised slogans agains the government, the Power Board and Public Health officials.

Karnal
NOMINATED: The Sugar Technologist Association of India has nominated Dr R.P. Singh, Adviser to the Haryana State Cooperative Sugar Mills Federation as its national vice-president. He has worked in the sugar industry for 16 years.

Rewari
JAILED: Mr Bashruddin, Judicial Magistrate, has sentenced Rajesh, a resident of Jaswant Nagar Mohalla of the Qutabpur locality here, to two years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 500 for making an attempt to outrage the modesty of a woman here in August, 2003. According to the prosecution story, Rajesh indulged in obscene overtures and also made a bid to outrage the modesty of a young woman of the Jaswant Nagar mohalla, on August 29, 2003. Following a complaint lodged by the victim, the Government Railway Police ( GRP ) registered a case under the Obscene Act, assault to outrage the modesty of a woman and criminal intimidation under Sections 294, 354 and 506 of the IPC against Rajesh.

SIX BOOKED: Following orders of the court of the Ilaqa Magistrate here, the police has booked a girl’s father, Ranjit Yadav, mother, Jai Devi and grandfather, Ami Lal Yadav — all residents of Roliawas village, 12 km from here, as well as the girl’s husband, Babloo Yadav, and his father, Shri Chand Yadav, residents of Mundra village, near Kosli, under Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Child Marriage Restrained Act of 1959. The order came in the wake of a complaint by Rama Nand Yadav of Rolaiwas village who alleged that on account of a criminal nexus between the girl’s parents and her in-laws a minor girl, Mukesh Yadav (15), daughter of Ranjit Yadav, was married to Babloo Yadav, son of Shri Chand Yadav on May 30. How-ever, no arrests have yet been made.

Sonepat
2 ARRESTED FOR GANG RAPE: The Kundli police on Thursday arrested Sunil, Praveen and Mahesh in connection with the alleged gangrape of a Dalit girl at Nahri village in this district. The number of arrests has now risen to five in the case. All the arrested persons were produced before the Judicial Magistrate, Mr Rakesh Singh, here who remanded them to 14-day judicial custody. A case under Sections 376, 525, 452, 506 and 34, IPC, has been registered against them.

HELD ON RAPE CHARGE: The Kharkhauda police on Thursday claimed to have arrests Jasbir, father of three children, in connection with the alleged gangrape of a housewife, Mamta (26), on the night of July 12 at Rohna village in this district. The accused was handed over to the police by his parents.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Dharamsala
TIPS TO FARMERS: Scientists of CSK HP Agriculture University have advised farmers that for high-yielding varieties of rice, four kg of urea be sprayed after three weeks of transplanting and Nitrogen be given in ammonical from and seven kg of urea be used in high-rain areas of the state. The farmers were also told to include at least 2/3 per cent higher protein in animals feed. Wounds of animals be protected from flies by applying Himax or Lorexana ointments.

Hamirpur
MALES OUTNUMBERED: Hamirpur district has 1,099 females against 1,000 males, said Mr Devesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, at a meeting here on Thursday. He added 92.7 pc of population lived in villages and 7.3 pc in urban area.

STUDENTS’ PROTEST: Nearly 350 girl students of Maharani Luxmi Bai Women College, Bhareri blocked road for more than three hours at the Bhareri chownk in the district against throwing acid on Ishita, a college student of Shimla recently. They raised slogans and blasted the police and the Shimla administration for their failure to protect the girls there. Student leader, Lata Thakur and demanded strict action against the culprits. She appealed to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to provide protection to girl students all over the state.

Nahan
SEMINAR: At a seminar here on Thursday the Deputy Commissioner said population had grown 21 per cent in Sirmaur during past 10 years. He also flagged off a rally of schoolchildren from Chowgan ground.

Shimla
FRUIT PRODUCTS LAUNCHED: The state owned HPMC on Thursday launched two Kiwi and strawberry-based drinks. Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, launching the products said although 55 lakh apple trays were available with the HPMC, the government had decided to import another four crore trays to avoid shortage.

Sundernagar
FORUM’S ORDER: The Consumer Forum headed by Mr D.C. Chaudhary has directed National Insurance Company to pay Ra 46,420 along with interest at 9 per cent per annum plus Rs 1,000 as costs of complaint to Mohinder Pal, a resident of Nagchala, in Mandi district on account of damage caused to his bus in an accident. The bus of the complainant (HP-34-5401) met with an accident near Rewalsar on February 1, 2001, due to failure of brakes. The vehicle was repaired at Doaba Coach Builders, Jalandhar and the relevant bills were submitted to the insurance company. The insurance company rejected the claim of the complainant on the plea that the bills submitted were fake. The forum held that there was deficiency in service on account of insurance company and rejection of claim was wrongful.