The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Tuesday, November 6, 2001, 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

AMLOH
SAHIT SABHA: The 11th annual session of the local Punjabi Sahit Sabha, was organised at Government Senior Secondary School here on Sunday. It was inaugurated by Mr Ishar Singh Passi, and presided over by Mr Dharam Singh Dhaliwal. Mr Harminder Singh Dhindsa was the chief guest at the function. Songs and poems were presented on the occasion. ‘Katak Koong Harrey, Sajan Awan Gharey’, a song, sung melodiously by Surjit Marjara, and Jagjit Singh Chaman’s poem about the achievements by the Khalsa were highly appreciated.Gurmukh Singh Jabomajra and Chaman were presented shawls and ‘maan pattars’ for their valuable service to the Punjabi language.

BATHINDA
OFFICE BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Technical Services Union, Civil Lines subdivision: president — Mr Tarsem Lal; vice-president — Mr Narain Dutt; and secretary — Mr Jugraj Singh.

LOK BHALAI CLUB: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Balmiki Lok Bhalai Club, Teona village: president — Mr Simarjit Singh; vice-president — Mr Buta Singh; general secretary — Mr Gurjinder Singh; finance secretary — Mr Satnam Singh; and press secretary — Mr Jagsir Singh Gharu.

DORAHA
DHARNA: Non-teaching staff of the local Guru Nanak National College, staged a dharna as part of the protest by the Private colleges’ Non-Teaching Employees Union, Punjab and Chandigarh, against the indifferent attitude of the government towards their pending demands. According to Mr Sohan Singh Malhans, President of the Doraha unit, the demands included payment of arrears, revision of scales, implementation of anomalies committee report, sanction of pension and gratuity on a par with government employees and payment of minimum wages to the uncovered non-teaching employees.

FARIDKOT
VOTERS LIST: The Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer has extended the date for the revision of voters list for the SGPC elections to December 12 in this district. In a press note issued here on Monday he said application forms could be collected from notified gurdwara and submit them to patwaris and executive officers of the nagar councils.

FAZILKA
POLIO DRIVE: A six-day drive to eradicate polio in five districts of Punjab concluded on Sunday. According to Dr P.M. Kakkar, Senior Medical Officer, Primary Health Centre, Dabwala Kalan, 50 teams of health workers and volunteers covered a population of about 1,70,000 in 97 villages of this subdivision.

HOSHIARPUR
BAN ORDER: The District Magistrate, Mr Iqbal Singh Sidhu, has banned the sale and storage of crackers in populated areas without permission from the Sub-Divisional Magistrates in the district.

KAPURTHALA
PROTEST MARCH: The protest and awareness march launched by Mr Sukhpal Singh Khaira, secretary, Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee, was received at Lakhan ke Padde village on Monday. A public meeting was also organised at the village.

KHAMANO
EXTEND LAST DATE: Candidates seeking admission to ETT course have urged the Punjab Government to extend the last date for submission of admission forms as the result of the supplementary examination held in September has not been declared yet.

LUDHIANA
ELECTION RALLY: The Punjab Agricultural University Employees’ Forum will hold its election rally in front of Thapar Hall on Tuesday in view of the elections to the PAU Employees’ Union. Giving this information, Mr D.P. Maur said the rally would be held as per the schedule of the Election Commission.

SEWA INTERNATIONAL: Dr G.B. Singh, a surgeon from Phagwara, on Monday took charge as the president of the Sewa International, a wing of the Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle. Giving this information, Mr Harmit Singh, secretary, said the new president would involve himself in promoting blood, eye and organ donation as well as holding free medical camps.

SEMINAR ORGANISED: The Education and Training Directorate of the Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle organised a seminar at Sant Darbara Singh College for Education at Lopon on Monday. A gurmat quiz was also conducted and winners were given prizes.

MACHHIWARA
GRANT DISBURSED: Mr Charanjeet Singh Atwal, Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, distributed grants worth Rs 15.7 lakh to 11 villages on Sunday, said Mr Harjit Singh Sherian, a local Circle Jathedar. He said grant worth Rs 3 lakh was given to the Gram Panchayat of Barma, Rs 2.25 lakh to Kakrala Khurd, Rs 2 lakh to Behlolpur, Rs 1.50 lakh to Mushkabad, Rs 1.25 lakh to Kakrala Kalan, Rs 1.20 lakh to Kotala Dhaha, Rs 1 lakh each to Chooharpur (Jhar Sahib), Sihala, Khirnian and Herian, and Rs 50,000 to Todarpur.

RALLY: A youth rally will be organised at Sarabha village on November 17, where the youth will present its demands. This was stated by Mr Sandeep Sharma, general secretary of the Sarv Bharat Naujwan and Students’ Sabha.

YOUTH ORGANISATION: The Secular Youths’ Welfare Organisation, Punjab, was formed here on Sunday. The following have been unanimously elected office-bearers of the organisation: president — Mr Mohit Kundra, vice-president — Mr Karamjit Nagra, senior vice-president — Mr Khushwant Singh Rai, secretary — Mr Daljit Singh, and cashier — Mr Ramnish Bansal. The organisation aims to fight against drug-addiction in the area.

MALERKOTLA
BAN ON CRACKERS: The Subdivisional Magistrate, Mr Gurloveleen Singh Sidhu, has banned the manufacture, storage and sale of high-noise crackers in the subdivision. He has, however, exempted the sale of small crackers.

SAMAJ SEVA CLUB: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Samaj Seva Club, Mubarakpur Chungha village: president — Mr Buta Mohammed ; vice-president — Mr Paramjeet Singh; secretary — Mr Rajinder Singh; and treasurer — Mr Amrit Singh.

MOGA
BRICK MANUFACTURERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the All-India Brick and Tile Manufacturers Federation: president — Mr Surinder Bansal of Moga; vice-president — Mr Rajinder Partap of Kanpur; and general secretary — Mr Surinder Paul of Meerut.

PATHANKOT
CRACKERS BANNED: The District Magistrate, Mr Kulbir Singh Sidhu, has banned the storage and sale of fire crackers for Divali to ensure public safety. The Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Ms Bhawna Garg, convened a meeting of SHOs on Monday and directed them to implement the orders.

PATIALA
AMBULANCE UNIT MEET: Nearly 36 teams from various academic and service institutions participated in the 35th District Ambulance Unit Competitions held at Government Girls Senior Secondary School here on Sunday. The team from Hindustan Lever Limited, Rajpura, bagged first prize in the senior male event while the team from the Government College for Girls won the senior female event. Doctors from Medical College and Civil Surgeon’s office assessed the participants while Nursing Sisters from Diesal Component Works Hospital examined the girls in Home Nursing. Ambulance unit teams from Bhai Ghanayaji attained second and third positions while teams from Sant Nirankari Mandal and Horlicks Factory, Nabha, secured special positions. In the junior male event, the team from D A V Public School secured first position while teams from Pheelkhana School bagged second and third positions. In the senior female event the second position was secured by the host team of while team from the Government College for Girls secured third position. In the junior female competition the team from Pheelkhana school bagged the first position while teams from Shakuntala Girls School and Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Old Police Lines bagged second and third positions, respectively.

CONFERENCE: The second Punjab Geographers Conference on ‘Sustainable Urban Development’ was organised by the Association of Punjab Geographers in association with the Institute of Town Planners India at the Government College for Men, Ludhiana. Academicians and experts discussed issues like urban scenario of Punjab and problems and planning perspective of Ludhiana city in the two-day conference that began on Saturday. Eleven eminent geographers and town planners were honoured for their achievements in their respective fields. Mr J.S. Garcha, Minister for Technical Education, Punjab, was the chief guest on the occasion.

UNIFORMS DISBURSED: Winter uniforms, fees and educational items were distributed among over 50 underprivileged students by the Helping Hands Society in its winter distribution function held at Sunflower School here on Monday. The students were also examined by a team of doctors. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Vijay Gupta, president of the society, advised the students to take care of their health along with their studies . Mr Jatinder Singh Narula, general secretary of the society, said a free medical camp would be organised shortly.

STRIKE: The non-teaching staff of Modi College, Khalsa college and P.S.N. College, Rajpura, observed a stay-in-strike on Monday in response to a strike call by the Private Colleges Non-Teaching Employees Union Punjab. The union has threatened to carry on the strike till Saturday in case the state government does not fulfil its demands regarding payment of arrears in single instalment and implementation of pension, gratuity and rural allowance.

COINS DISBURSED: Coins of different denominations were distributed among people and traders of Sunam and surrounding villages at the Coin Mela organised by the State Bank of Patiala at Sunam on Monday. Mr V.A. Ghai, Assistant General Manager, inaugurated the mela and gave away coins to the public. Earlier, Mr Ghai also distributed loans worth Rs 9 lakh among 51 persons under the bank’s Utsav Scheme at Channo Village in Sangrur district.

CHANDIGARH

CHARGE ASSIGNED: All Administrative level work relating to technical institutions, i.e. the Government College of Art and Chandigarh College of Architecture, will now be handled by Mr Vivek Atray, Deputy Secretary Technical Education and Director Information Technology. He relieves Mr Ashok Sangwan of the work. Last week, the work of Controller Weights Measures was taken away from Mr Sangwan and handed over to Mr Chandersekhar.

PANCHKULA
GIRL MISSING: A 13-year-old girl has been reported missing from her Indra Colony residence. According to a DDR registered at the Sector 16 Police Station, Rita had come here from her native village to visit her brother. She was last seen playing outside her house on the Friday morning before she was reported missing.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been nominated office-bearers of the Haryana Pradesh Youth Congress: Mr Ravinder Rawal and Mr Vijay Bansal — general secretaries; Mr Tarun Bhandari — president of the Panchkula District Youth Congress (rural); and Mr Vijay Sharma — president of the Panchkula District Youth Congress (urban).

LPG USAGE: The Deputy Commissioner, Ms Jyoti Arora, has appealed to all traders associations, dhaba owners and sweet shop owners against using domestic cooking gas for commercial purposes. In an official press note, Ms Arora said according to LPG (Regulation of Supply Distribution) the domestic LPG cylinder ideally weighs 14,200 grams and the government was providing subsidy only for its domestic usage. She said the commercial users were entitled to use only 19.2 kg commercial cylinders. She warned of action against those violating the law.

RESENTMENT: The House Owners Welfare Association, Sector 20 has resented the HUDA policy of reserving 800 sq mts of land for religious places. In an official press note, Dr P.K. Bansal, president of the association, informed that a meeting of the association was held on Sunday to discuss the issue. The residents demanded that they be allotted land at the place where the Pracheen Kali Mata Mandir existed. They also decided to approach the HUDA administrator over the issue.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

CHAMBA
ENCROACHMENTS: The District Magistrate, Mr S.C. Mehta, has issued directives to all Subdivisional Magistrates and Executive Magistrates to get encroachments in the townships removed in the district with immediate effect. The District Magistrate has also ordered to remove illegal kiosks, rehris and phadis in the district.

UNRECOGNISED INSTITUTIONS: The Department of Ayurveda has written to the Police Department to conduct raids on unrecognised homeopathic medical colleges being run by certain persons in the district. The District Ayurveda Officer in his official letter has asked the police to register cases and initiate legal action against the persons involved in running such institutions.

KULU
ROOM BURGLED: An amount of Rs 35,700 was stolen from a Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development hotel here on Saturday. The police said intruders entered a room through the window and took Rs 32,500 from a briefcase belonging to an Additional Sessions Judge Ropar and Rs 3,200 from a bag belonging to Mr V.K.Sood, an engineer of National Fertilisers Limited. No arrest has been made.

SHIMLA
BJP RALLIES: The BJP “vikas yatra” rallies, scheduled to be held at Una on November 5 and Mandi on November 8, have been postponed. The rally to be held at Solan will be addressed by the Information and Broadcasting Minister, Mrs Sushma Swaraj. The rally at Nurpur in the Kangra parliamentary constituency will be held on November 11.

STATEMENT DECRIED: The Shimla Upnagria Jan Kalyan Samanvay Samiti has criticised the statement of a former Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, regarding exclusion of the newly merged areas from the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC). Mr R.L. Dogra, vice-president of the samiti, said 59 villages were merged into the SMC by the previous Congress government without taking residents and gram panchayats into confidence. Mr Virbhadra Singh’s statement that people of these areas were taken into confidence was false and misleading, he alleged.