Tribuneindia...Regional Briefs

	REGIONAL BRIEFS	Thursday, July 22, 1999
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LUDHIANA
Awarded: Dr S.P. Singh, senior soil chemist, Department of Soils, Punjab Agricultural University, has been awarded the S.N. Ranade Memorial Award for excellence in micronutrient research for the year 1999. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 51,001, a citation and a silver memento.

Arrested: The police has arrested Varinder Kumar and recovered one computer besides seven tolas of gold worth Rs 1,15000/-, from his possession. A case under Sections 457-380 of the IPC has been registered against him.

PATIALA
Dharna: The state SC/BC Teachers Union on Tuesday picketed the office of the District Education Office (primary). Mr Gajjan Singh Moon, President, said they were protesting against the alleged discriminatory and humiliating behaviour of the officer towards the teachers.

Urged: The local unit of the New Congress Party on Wednesday urged the Chandigarh Administration to withdraw the order on compulsory wearing of helmets by drivers and pillion-riders of two-wheelers. The order was meaningless as cyclists and rickshaw pullers, who were more prone to accidents on roads, were not covered, it said.

Mahila morcha: Ms Neena Tewari, President of mahila morcha of local unit of the BJP, has nominated the following office-bearers of District 4 of the unit: President — Ms Lakhvir Kaur; Vice-Presidents — Ms Nirmal Kaur and Ms Ajaib Kaur; General Secretary — Ms Sheela Devi; Secretary — Ms Sukhvinder kaur; and cashier — Ms Simiti Verma.

Trade unions: The local units of five trade unions — AITUC, CITU, INTUC, BMS and HMS — have decided to hold a dharna in front of the office of the Assistant Labour Commissioner on Friday to protest against his anti-labour attitude. A delegation of the trade unions had met him last week and protested against his attitude.

PANCHKULA
Mourned: The local Brahman Sabha convened a meeting on Tuesday to mourn the death of Mr J.D. Sharma, a former Vice-Chancellor of Jammu University. Ms I.S. Sharma, General Secretary of the sabha, said the deceased had done yeoman's service in the field of education.

AMBALA
Set ablaze: Rita, a resident of Barara was allegedly set ablaze by her husband. The victim has been admitted to the PGI, Chandigarh. The police has registered a case against the husband after recording her statement.

Nominated: Mr Suresh Mittal has been nominated Convener of Bavan Dwadshi Mela to be held here on September 20. It was disclosed by Mr Om Parkash Singla, President, Sanatam Dharm Sabha.

FATEHABAD
Medical camp: The Lions Club Rattia, organised a free medical camp on Wednesday at Mehamada village in this district. Doctors from the Civil Hospital, Rattia, examined children from the village anganwadi centre. According to Dr Vinod Sharma, President of the club, doctors led by Dr M.L.Gupta, examined and gave medicine to 168 children.

HISAR
Acquitted: Twenty one city traders including Mr Badrang Dass Garg, President of the Haryana State Beopar Mandal, were acquitted on Tuesday by the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr B.M. Bedi, in a case of attempted murder which was registered during the traders' agitation last year.

Sentenced: Mr Gulab Singh, Presiding Officer of the Environment Court, on Tuesday sentenced Sudarshan Shekhar, owner of the Shekhar Construction Company, of Umri village in Kurukshetra, to two years' imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5000 for violation of the Air Pollution Act. The company had not taken the permission of the Haryana Pollution Board to establish its plant.

SIRSA
Thief arrested: The police on Tuesday arrested Prem Singh of Kuttavadh village on charge of theft. The accused had stolen gold and silver ornaments and cash worth Rs 17,000 from the house of Bhola Ram a goldsmith of the village.

Sammelan: A one-day sammelan of panches and sarpanches of the block was held at Rania on Tuesday. It was presided over by Ms Sudesh Karra, chairperson of the panchayat samiti. She said the Jawahar Gram Samridhi Scheme and the Village Self Employment Schemes had been introduced from the current financial year.

Excise Act: Jagsir Singh of Gadrana village here was arrested by the police on Tuesday and a case under the Excise Act was registered against him. The police also recovered 180 bottles of country-made liquor from his possession.

Attacked: Karnail Singh, of Alikan village in the district succumbed to head injuries on way to the Civil Hospital on Tuesday. Sukhdev Singh, nephew of the deceased told the police that Jagraj Singh, son of the deceased, hadinjured Karnail Singh seriously with a weapon.

SONEPAT
Nabbed: Residents of Kalan Mohalla apprehended a thief on Tuesday night. Two accomplices of the thief, however, managed to escape. The thief was later handed over to the police.

Killed: An unidentified person was killed on Tuesday by a Canter on the Sonepat-Gohana road, 3 km from here.

Ashtami fair: More than 5 lakh pilgrims from all over the country are likely to take part in the Sharawan Ashtami fair commencing from August 12 at Naina Devi in Himachal Pradesh. Swami Krishnanand, founder of the Naina Devi cave, told mediapersons here on Wednesday that he had asked the district authorities of Bilaspur to provide adequate security to the pilgrims.

Arrested: Mr Surinder Singh Saini, DSP, said the local police has re-arrested Mohammad Jamil of Bhaini Kamoan village who had earlier escaped from police custody on March 22, 1998. A .12 bore pistol and four live cartridges have also been recovered from his possession. A case under Section 224 of the IPC has been registered against him.

Killed: One person was killed in a clash between two groups at Bayyanpur village near here on Wednesday. The victim has been identified as Pardeep.

Body recovered: The body of a newly-born baby was recovered by the city police in front of the Head Post Office here on Tuesday.
Suicide: Mamta, a 16-year-old girl allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison in her house at Bhim Nagar here on Tuesday. A family quarrel is stated to be the cause of the suicide.

BILASPUR
Elected: Mr Harinder Singh Pathania of the Himachal Vikas Congress was declared elected the Vice-President of the Chhat Gram Panchayat near Ghumarwin on Monday. He defeated Congress party candidate, Mr Nand Lal by 139 votes.

Tenders: The Himachal Government has asked the Assistant Engineer in the PWD here not to call tenders at the sub-Divisional level. Tenders for construction works and other supplies should be called only at the divisional level by the Executive Engineers concerned. This decision was taken at a meeting of the Advisory Committee, presided over by the PWD and Excise and Taxation Minister, Mr Mohinder Singh.

NURPUR
Two dead: Subash Chand (39), and his wife Surinder Devi, (36) of Raja Ka Bagh village allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison. Both were rushed to the Civil Hospital where they were declared dead. The deceased Subash was a Havaldar in HP police (2nd battalion).

SUNDERNAGAR
Demand: The local unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has demanded that MLSM College be immediately taken over by the HP Government. They have also demanded a judicial enquiry into the alleged irregularities being committed for the last many years.

Regional Potpourri

New rail reservation centre

A NEW computerised rail reservation centre has started functioning in Ambala Cantonment from June 14, near the goods godown, though it is yet to be formally inaugurated.

Earlier, computerised reservation was done at the first class entrance gate of the station building. The new centre is about half a kilometre away from the present place on G.T. Road. The reasons for shifting it are believed to be security of VIPs and avoiding congestion at the entrance hall.

According to Mr G.S. Mann, Superviser of the computerised reservation, there are four computer terminals and a manual counter, where on an average 800 to 900 reservation requests are handled daily. At present, only three computers are functioning. A separate counter is meant for senior citizens and disabled persons.

Though air conditioners have been installed for the computers and the staff manning them, there are none for the public visiting these. There are only nine ceiling fans in the main hall.

The staff complains that power supply to the old computerised reservation centre at the station was provided through the Railways supply line, but the new centre gets it through the HVPN. This leads to power supply going off many times during working hours.

In the absence of a bus stop at the new reservation centre, Mr Sudhir Sharma, a local resident, says he has to spend Rs 5 (to and fro) to hire a rickshaw from the nearest stop.

Mr B.G. Mule, a sepoy in the Army, says for exchanging the warrant he had to first go to the first class entrance gate and then come to the new centre for reservation. He was, however, satisfied with the staff at the centre.

He gave his life for jawans’ cause

Though Avtar Singh Bhatti, a budding youth of Mandi Gobindgarh town in the district, did not sacrifice his life while fighting in Kargil, he lost his life while helping the families of Kargil martyrs.

Avtar Singh, who heads the district Yuva Shakti unit, died in an accident on July 10 near Phillaur when he was on his way to Jalandhar to deposit the amount collected for the families of Kargil martyrs collected from Mandi Gobindgarh. His car met with an accident. His friend also died with him.

A day before his death Mr Bhatti had organised a rally in Mandi Gobindgarh against the nefarious designs of Pakistan in Kargil. After the rally an effigy of Nawaz Sharif was burnt by his organisation, Yuva Shakti. He along with his other friends moved from door to door to collect the money for Kargil martyrs.

While talking to this correspondent before his death, he had collected Rs 4 lakh from this town.

He leaves his wife, a month-old son and a 18-month-old daughter. Being from a middle class family, all the hopes of livelihood of the family have closed.

Various social and political organisations have demanded that his family should also be compensated and one member from his family be given a job so that the family may earn a livelihood.

AWWA care for soldiers

The Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) is doing a commendable job in helping the families of soldiers fighting in Kargil and providing facilities in hospital for families of soldiers belonging to the Northern Command.

The AWWA president, Mrs Veena Khanna, is supervising work at the Northern Command Hospital. Free telephone facilities through mobile to connect their families is being provided in hospital. Phones are connected with injured soldiers beds for convenience. Sunday is fixed for free call but, if needed, they can call at any time and could contact their families. The families of deceased soldiers can also avail of this facility to contact relative at any time. The AWWA president and the vice-president Mrs A. Aruna Reddy, regularly see the injured soldiers and their families and provide all type of help to them. They enquire about their problems.

Mrs Deepa Joshi has been appointed chairperson of Patient Welfare Committee to see the facilities and requirements of the injured soldiers at the Command Hospital. Mrs Kunti Chowhan has been appointed chairperson of the Separated Family Committee to look into the problems of separated families and their welfare. AWWA is also organising prayers in temples and gurdwaras for the welfare of soldiers. Soldiers are sent parshad and tilak.

AWWA has opened an information centre that operates round the clock with fax and computer facilities. Those desiring information can contact numbers 38 and 6939 (Army) and 42014 (Civil).

— Contributed by Anil K. Sharma, Surinder Bhardwaj and Romesh Gupta.