R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

BUDHLADA
SEWERAGE: Mr Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Member, Rajya Sabha, and general secretary, Shiromani Akali Dal, has laid the foundation stone of the Rs 88-lakh sewerage here. This scheme was sanctioned by Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, during the sangat darshan programme held in the town on August 18. Mr Bhunder exhored the people to given them a chance to serve the state for another term of five years so that the unfinished projects started by the government may be completed and new units set up.

KHARAR
EYE CAMP: A free eye operation camp will be organised in Malkpur village from December 8 to 15. The patients will be given food and medicines free of cost. The camp is sponsored by the Project Optical Care Society, SAS Nagar.

LUDHIANA
GURPURB CELEBRATED: Students of Sant Kartar singh Kamaliawale Educational Institute celebrated the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev here on Monday. Students recited shoads and performed ardas. Ms Amarjit Kochhar, Principal of the school, enlightened the students about the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Langar was distributed among the students and staff.

EYES DONATED: Mr Gurdeep Singh donated both eyes of his mother, Darshan Kaur, who died recently, to the Eye Bank Mansuran. According to a press note, one of the eyes was transplanted into a resident of Ludhiana and the other into a person from Hoshiarpur free of cost. Dr Ramesh appealed to other social and voluntary organisation to come forward and serve for this noble cause.

CULTURAL FESTIVAL: Sambhav, a non-government organisation, will organise a cultural festival at Punjabi Bhawan on December 8. Stating this in a press note, Mr Jaswant Zafar, programme in charge, said festival would be inaugurated by Mr Surjit Patar, renowned Punjabi poet. Other 10 poets who will participate include Dr Ramesh, Dr Ravinder, Mr Ram Singh, Mr Darshan Buttar, Mr Gurtej K. Charula, Ms Sukhwinder Amrit, Mr Jaipal and Mr Mandeep. Another attraction of the festival would be a one-act play in Punjabi, ‘Jatt’ to be staged by Samual John and scripted by Balram. Photo artist Kamaljit will present a slide show depicting dialogue with dreams for better future. Singer Dev Dildar will bring the festival to conclusion with his melodious songs.

SANGAT DARSHAN: In the absence of the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, who is undergoing treatment for his hip injury, the Speaker, Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal, and the Minister for Technical Education, Mr Jagdish Garcha, will preside over the sangat darshan programme for the Ludhiana Rural Assembly segment at Jiffco Resorts, Sahnewal near here on December 5. According to Mr Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, who is the in charge of the SAD Ludhiana rural segment, development grants worth over Rs 2 crore would be sanctioned at the sangat darshan.

MALERKOTLA
ACCIDENT: Darshan Singh (40), son of Chand Singh of Bullanpur village, was killed in an accident near Sandour village on Monday when his tractor collided with a tree. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital where he was declared brought dead.

SATSANG: A mahasatsang was organised on the premises of Ram Sharnam near Thandi Sadak here on Monday. It was largely attended by residents of city as well as the surrounding areas. According to Mr G.K. Gupta and Mr B.K. Dhir, organisers, Bhagat Naresh Soniji regaled the audience with soulful bhajans.

MANDI GOBINDGARH
ASSUMES CHARGE: Mr Sukhwinder Singh Bhambri assumed charge as president of the local Municipal Council on Monday as per the notification issued by the Principal Secretary, Local Government, Punjab.

MANSA
GATE RALLY: Employees of the district branch of the National Federation of Telecom organised a gate rally here on Tuesday in support of their demands. They wanted an early payment of honorarium at the rate of Rs 2500 to the staff, grant of overtime allowances and supply of uniforms and tool items. They raised slogans against the authorities.

NAWANSHAHR
NOMINATED: Mr Iqbal Singh Transporter and Mr Ram Swaroop, local senior Congress workers, have been nominated to the PPCC as special invitees by Capt Amarinder Singh, PPCC president, informed Mr Kartar Singh Sekhon, president of the district unit of Congress here on Tuesday.

TICKET SOUGHT: The SC Cell of the district Congress owing allegiance to Mr Parkash Singh, PPCC member, organised a meeting at Punjab Mata Vidhyawati Bhavan, here, on Monday and passed a resolution demanding party ticket to Mr Parkash Singh from the Nawanshahr Assembly segment in the ensuing polls.

VISION CLUB: The local World Vision Club on Monday organised a function at the nearby Mallpur Arkan village. Mr Jatinder Singh Kariha, MLA, presided over the function. The club, under its social service project, donated desks the schools being run by social worker Baba Naubat Rai in the slum areas, informed Mr Pardeep Sharda, president of the club, in a press note here on Tuesday.

PATIALA
FAREWELL PARTY: A farewell party for outgoing class ‘A’ officers was organised on Punjabi University campus on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion, the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, assured the university officers of suitable modification on the pattern of the Punjab Government norms in provision of vehicle loans. The officers who superannuated recently include Mr J.K. Dhir, Mr Dalip Singh and Mr Raghbir Singh.

PSEB’S DECISION: The Punjab State Electricity Board directed its field officers on Tuesday to instruct the consumers to cover their meters within 30 days failing which the board will provide the same at consumer’s cost which shall be recovered from their power bills. The board has made the covering of meters mandatory so as to minimise power thefts.

THREATENED: At a meeting held here on Tuesday, the Punjab Nagar Palika Karamchari Mahasangh threatened to disrupt essential services in protest against the Punjab Government’s decision to abolish octroi. President of the sangh Balwant Singh Sidhu, in a press release, said this decision would lead to massive unemployment and the government must make immediate arrangements for the employees who have lost their jobs. Warning the state government of protest rallies, agitations in front of government buildings and relay fasts, Mr Sidhu gave an ultimatum that in case the government does not pay any heed to their demands the employees will refrain from performing their duties.

PROTEST RALLY: The RSS will organise a protest rally on December 8, 2001 at Arya Samaj chowk here, in protest against the atrocities committed on Hindu community in Bangladesh. In a press release, the president of Bhartiya Janata Yova Morcha, Mr Inder Kumar said, that the Bangladesh government under the leadership of Begum Khalidya Ziya has been systematically targeting the Hindus and alleged that the insensitive behaviour of the West Bengal Government, where the harassed are fleeing, has further complicated the situation.

INAUGURATION: The newly constructed ‘sarovar’ in the Kali Mata Mandir Complex, which is being given finishing touches presently, will be inaugurated by Ms Surinder Kaur Badal, wife of Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Punjab, on December 17. State Science and Technology Minister Chiranji Lal Garg after participating at a meeting organised to review the work on the sarovar which was attended by Deputy Commissioner Jasbir Singh Bir, senior Akali leader Surjit Singh Rakhra, Shiv Sena President Vijay Kapoor and district Bharatiya Janata Party Chief Ram Kumar Goel. Explaining the process of construction of the sarovar, the Deputy Commissioner informed the minister that construction work had started after the need for the same was conveyed to the Chief Minister during a ‘jagran’ held in the complex on April 28 last.

SEMINAR: Punjabi University, Patiala has been asked by the Punjab government to organise a National Seminar as part of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s coronation celebrations. The seminar would be organised at New Delhi on December 16 and 17. The university has requested all the faculty members to attend the seminar.

PHAGWARA
‘BOOK KANSHI’: Dalit leader and former minister Santokh Singh on Monday demanded the registration of a criminal case under the Prevention of Untouchability Act against Mr Kanshi Ram, president, Bahujan Samaj Party, for repeatedly using in his public rallies words for Scheduled Castes that have been banned. Talking to newsmen here, the Congress leader alleged that Mr Kanshi Ram’s actions would revive untouchability.

DHARNA: The local Nagar Council Karamchari Union and Safai Devak Union on Monday staged a dharna and demonstration against octroi abolition. The protesters demanded that either octroi be restored or the employees given pay protection. Union leaders declared that three-hour dharnas would be staged daily till December 8 to be followed by a full-day protest on December 9.

SAMRALA
KILLED: Mr Sardari Lal, nambardar of Hambowal Bet village, 13 km from here, was killed by his oxen, here on Tuesday. According to sources, he was going along with the animal when it suddenly got enraged and attacked him, injuring him seriously. He was immediately brought to Machhiwara, from where he was referred to Ludhiana. However, he succumbed to his injuries there.

AID DISTRIBUTED: Jathedar Kirpal Singh Khirnian, a member of the SGPC and member of the District Planning Board, has distributed Rs 30 lakh among 30 villages of the tehsil for their development. While Mal Majra and Sangarpura got an aid of Rs 3 lakh each, Ghulal got Rs 2.75 lakh, Ottalan Rs 2.50 lakh, Dhilwan and Rajewal Rs 2 lakh each, Takhran/Kokhra and Kulewal Rs 1.5 lakh each, Chack Muafi Rs 1.25 lakh, Shamaspur and Dayalpura Rs 1 lakh each, and Ghungrali Sikhan, Dhandey and Lal Kalan got Rs 50,000 each. 

DEMANDED: Two trainees of the local Shahi Sports Centre, Karamjit Kaur and Rupinder Kaur, had won two gold medals for Punjab in boxing at the 31st National Games, according to Mr Gurbir Shahi, Director and boxing coach of the centre. He has welcomed the state government’s decision to give an award of Rs 1 lakh award to gold medalists, Rs 50,000 to silver medalists, and Rs 25,000 to bronze medalists. He also demanded that the government should also give jobs to these players.

HARYANA

YAMUNANAGAR
TIMT FUNCTION: The Tilak Raj Chadha Institute of Management and Technology organised its annual function and first alumni meet on Sunday. The Deputy Commissioner, Yamunanagar, Mr Rajeev Sharma, Prof H.L.Verma, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Guru Jhambheshwar University, and general secretary, TIMT, were among the dignitaries present on the occasion.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

HAMIRPUR
DISABLED DAY: Mr Urmila Thakur, HP Parliamentary Secretary, presided over a district-level disabled day function here on Monday evening. She said that a Rs 64-lakh ‘pariyojna’ had been started in Hamirpur district for the rehabilitation of the handicapped and efforts were on to set up a permanent disabled rehabilitation centre in Hamirpur. Mrs Thakur informed that the Rs 15-lakh scheme for providing artificial limbs to the disabled in the district had shown good results.

KANGRA
SHOP GUTTED: A fruit shop belonging to Netar Singh in the New Bus Stand was gutted on Sunday night, reducing property worth Rs 20,000 to ashes, the police said. The cause of the accident was said to be a short circuit. 

NAHAN
CHALLANED: A special campaign has been launched in Sirmaur district to book offenders of traffic rules. In the past one week, 783 vehicles challaned under the Motor Vehicles Act. Mr S.P.Singh, SP, Sirmaur, disclosed here on Monday that 232 vehicles were challaned for the offence of non-dipping of headlights during the night. The maximum number of 389 vehicles were challaned in the Paonta police station.