GURDASPUR
Duplicate paint seized: The police has seized a large quantity of duplicate paint which was being manufactured by Bharat Paint and Chemical Industries, Khanpur (Pathankot). According to Mr Varinder Kumar, SSP, the owner of the factory Arun Kumar Chawla has absconded. On information Inspector Prem Das SHO, Sadar Police Station, Pathankot, conducted a raid on the premises of the factory and seized the duplicate paint. The substandard quality paint was being sold at premium rates in Himachal Pradesh with brand names like Nerolac, Super Chamax, Mondla and Meri Gold. A case under Sections 420, 418, 482, 483, 488, 511 IPC, has been registered.

HOSHIARPUR
Ban order : Mr Iqbal Singh Sidhu, District Magistrate, has imposed a ban on the telecast of Pakistani TV programmes directly or indirectly through cable operators throughout the district. These orders have been issued under Section 19 of the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act 1995. He has also imposed restrictions on the assembly of five or more persons and for entrance of general public within the premises of 200 yards from all 18 examination centres of Panchayat Secretaries in the city on Saturday and Sunday for the smooth conduct of the examination and to prevent danger to public tranquillity or riot. This order shall, however not apply to police officials, teachers, and other forces in uniforms or on staff on duty.

JALANDHAR
Wall collapse: A 70-foot wall of M.G.N. School tumbled down on four houses adjacent to the school here on Wednesday evening. Although the Municipal Council has issued a notice to the school for flouting rules and constructing of a block, contrary to the "passed plan". The PWD has also issued a notice stating that substandard material was being used. Meanwhile, parents of school wards demanded that an engineer should supervise the construction.

LUDHIANA
Appointed: The National President of the Yuva Janata Dal has appointed Mr Manjot Singh Grewal as President of the Punjab State Yuva Janata Dal. In a communiqué sent by the national President, Mr K. Bala Subramanian, it has also been informed that the Punjab State Yuva Janata Dal Committee headed by Mr R. Surendra Sharma has been dissolved and Mr Grewal has been directed to send a list of new office-bearers for approval.

NAWANSHAHR
Power cuts: Frequent power breakdowns and unannounced power cuts here, have made the life of the residents quite miserable. The worst hit are residents of Mohalla Sharda, Gandhi Chowk, Gulshan Bazar and Ghas Mandi, where power breakdowns are common despite a new transformer being installed in Ghas Mandi a few months ago. Moreover, the erratic power supply is also affecting the supply of drinking water.

Funds received: Dr Roshan Sunkaria, Deputy Commissioner, while presiding over a meeting of the Kandi Area Development Committee here on Wednesday said that a sum of Rs 54.50 lakh had been received under the Backward Area Scheme which would be spent on constructing link roads, bridges and rural water supply schemes in the Balachaur subdivision.

Meeting: About 50 unemployed pharmacists of the district at a meeting here on Friday urged the state government to look into their demands which included termination of the services of pharmacists who had allegedly been recruited by the Congress government through 'backdoor' to fill up the vacant posts and to check exploitation of pharmacists by drug inspectors. They threatened to launch an agitation, if their demands were not fulfilled.

PHAGWARA
No water: Residents of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar on Friday threatened to stage demonstration in case erratic water supply was not improved. This locality is without water for the past two days. Power cuts have further added to their woes.

Demand: Punjab Pradesh Youth Congress President Davinder Singh Babbu, on Friday demanded that diplomatic ties with Pakistan should be snapped in view of repeated kidnappings and assaults on staff of the Indian Embassy in Pakistan. The issue of assaults should also be raised in the UN besides closing down the Indian mission in Pakistan, he demanded. He also demanded stopping of the bus service between Delhi and Lahore in view of Pakistani aggression in Kargil. The Youth Congress will despatch 15 trucks of essential goods from Jalandhar to J and K on Saturday for those families who had been displaced due to Kargil conflict.

Boycott: The Congress councillors boycotted the dinner hoisted by the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) in honour of the outgoing Commissioner, Mr Satish Gathwal, at the UT Guest House on Friday.

The councillors: Mr Raj Kumar Goyal, Ms Kamlesh and Ms Sunita — alleged that they were not allowed to speak at the farewell party. Only the Mayor, Mr Kewal Krishan Addiwal, and two former Mayors, Ms Kamla Sharma and Mr Gian Chand Gupta, reportedly spoke on the occasion.

Elected: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Rotary Club Safidon for the year 1999-2000: Mr M.P. Jain President; Dr N.K. Garg and Mr S.P. Dewan Vice-Presidents; Mr N.K. Sethi Secretary; Mr Satish Garg Joint Secretary; and Mr I.C. Jain Treasurer.

PANCHKULA
Saplings: As many as 2000 tree saplings will be planted in public parks and open spaces in Sector 10 as part of the ‘second Vanamahotsava Function’ being organised by the association here on Saturday. The Administrator of HUDA (Panchkula), Mr M. Kithan, will be the chief guest on the occasion. The general secretary of the association, Mr M.L. Gupta, said the saplings and the tree guards were being provided by Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA).

HISAR
6 hurt in mishap: Six persons, including two policemen, were injured when two jeeps coming from opposite directions collided on the Hansi-Barwala road, about 30 km from here, on Thursday. One of the seriously injured constables Naresh Kumar has been shifted to the Medical College and Hospital’s Rohtak. The other injured include Head Constable Saheb Singh, driver Narender, Banarsi, Harphool Singh and Jora Singh. The Hansi police has registered a case of negligence against Narender, the driver of one jeep.

KAITHAL
Demand: Resentment prevails among students of Masters in Mass Communication, Guru Jambeshwar University (GJU) Hisar, over the delay in despatch of study material by the department concerned. Some students said on Thursday that they had paid Rs 7500 at the admission time for the material to be provided by the department of distance education. Though the university had fixed July 17 as the examination date about 40 per cent of the study material was yet to be received by them and the rest of the material was received as late as in May and last week of June. In a letter to the Vice-Chancellor of GJU, the students have demanded that the postponement of the examination fixed for July 17.

Protest: Owners of a private bus as a protest closed the entry to the office of the Xen, PWD ( B&R) here by parking a bus inside the gate on Thursday. The protest was against the poor condition of a road between Pundri and Chochra village. They alleged that all their requests made to the local authorities to repair this road had fallen on deaf ears.

SONEPAT
Resentment: Resentment prevails among city residents against the suspension of water supply in the evening by the Public Health Department. They said earlier they were getting the water twice in a day for half an hour in each zone, but now they were being supplied water once a day i.e., in the morning. They alleged that their complaints to the authorities concerned in this regard had fallen on deaf ears.

Medical camps: The Nav Jagriti Manch, the State Bank of India and the Bharat Vikas Parishad will jointly organise a one-day dental and heart check-up camp on Sunday at Murthal. Specialists will examine and treat the patients. Mr Rajiv Jain, political press adviser to the Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, will inaugurate.

Burnt to death: Urmila (22) was burnt to death in her house at Rathdhanna village, about 6 km from here on Wednesday. The police is still investigating into the case.

Car recovered: The Kharkhauda police recovered a Maruti car (DL 1 C/3544) stolen on July 4 last, from Delhi. The car belongs to Mr Vijay Aggarwal, a resident of Kharkhauda town in this district.

Office-bearers: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Tehsil Kot Addu Biradari, Sonepat: President — Dr Dev Rattan Madan; General Secretary — Mr Harish Bhagat; and Treasurer — Mr Sunder Das Nagpal.

Open darbars: The district administration will hold janata darbars on July 16 at Gohana, on July 23 at Sonepat and on July 30 at Kharkhauda towns. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anil Kumar, will hear the grievances of the people and redress them.