R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
NO TO VAT: Mr Amrit Lal Jain, president of Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal, has demanded that no haste should be made in the implementation of value-added tax (VAT) from April and a national consensus on the issue be arrived at. In a press statement issued here on Wednesday, Mr Jain questioned the need for implementing VAT under ‘‘pressure’’ from the WTO and European countries.

BATHINDA
KISAN CAMP: A training camp to appraise the farmers on the latest developments in the cultivation of rabi crops would be held at Sartaj Marriage Palace, an official press note said. The Director, Agriculture, Punjab, would inaugurate the camp.

STUDENTS’ RALLY: A struggle committee of students from different educational institutes of the said district on Thursday that it should hold a rally at Rampur Phul on November 13 to register resentment against the adamant behaviour of the administration towards a row between minibus operators and students. Mr Rajwinder Singh, office-bearer of the committee, said concessional passes issued to students by the state government were not considered by the operators.

SENIOR CITIZENS: A meeting of senior citizens/pensioners would be held in the city on October 27. Mr Kartar Singh, office-bearer of the Senior Citizens/Pensioners Association, said in a press note on Thursday that the meeting would discuss problems faced by them.

SHABAD RECITATION: The local unit of the Sri Sukhmani Sahib Sewa Society will organise the annual programme of recitation of shabads of the holy Guru Granth Sahib between October 27 and 29 at different places in the city. Mr Balwant Singh Panchhi, chief Secretary of the association, said in a press note that various saints would recite shabads during the programme.

PARKS’ DEVELOPMENT: The Malwa Residents Association of the local Urban Estate Phase-II will develop two parks of the area. One of these will be developed as a seasonal flower park, while the other as a cactus garden. The office-bearers of the association said the PUDA would provide infrastructure to the parks while the association would arrange plants and seeds.

FARIDKOT
‘KHULA DARBAR’: The District Sainik Welfare Board will hold a ‘khula darbar’ on November 15 here to address the grievances of exservicemen of the district. Stating this at a board officers’ meeting here on Thursday.

GURDASPUR
LEVY POLICY: Rice mills in Punjab are likely to face closure if levy policy regarding the lifting of rice is not announced shortly. A spokesmen of rice millers said procurement agencies, including the FCI, would not lift the rice till levy policy was announced by the government.

HOSHIARPUR
PROHIBITED: Mr Kirandeep Singh Bhullar, District Magistrate, has prohibited the sale of medicines which contain dextropropoxiphene and pentazocine; syrups — phensedyl, corex and codeine mit’s tincture, tablets — lomotil, lomofen, mandrex, proxytab, dexvone and corbutyl, capsules — sudhinol, proxyvon, buta proxyvon and carbutyl parvon, injections — morphine, norphine, pethdine, fortwin, pentavon, pentawin and calmpose and carisoma compound. However, the sale of the above medicines has been allowed on a valid prescription from a registered doctor or practitioner.

LUDHIANA
GURMAT SAMAGAM: A gurmat samagam was held at Gurdwara Dukhnivaran on Wednesday in connection with the birthday of Shri Guru Ram Dass. Bhai Gurmej Singh, a former hazoori raagi of Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, Bhai Kamaljit Singh, Bhai Onkar Singh, Bhai Joginder Singh, Bibi Varinder Kaur Khalsa, Bhai Harnek Singh, Bhai Arjun Singh, Bhai Lakhwinder Singh, Bhai Balbir Singh, Giani Dharamvir Singh, Principal Jaswinder Singh, students of Gurmat Sangeet Vidayalya and members of the Mahila Satsang Sabha regaled the audience.

MARRIAGE: The Ma Bhagwati Club will arrange the marriage of a poor girl on Gurdwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha in Deep Nagar, according to Mr Avinash Sikka, president of the club. Mr Gurdial Singh, SP (Traffic), will be the chief guest.

KIRTAN DARBAR: The Dashmesh Sewa Society will hold its ninth annual Rainn Subai Kirtan darbar on Saturday at Shri Dashmesh Singh Sabha Gurdwara in J-Block, Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, according to Mr Gurdip Singh, a spokesman for the society.

BHAGWATI JAGRAN: The Connaught Place Market Association of Ghumar Mandi will hold a Bhagwati jagran on Saturday according to Mr Sushil Vij, programme director of the association.

CONDEMNED: Former youth Akali leader Amrik Singh Aliwal has condemned the statement of Mr M.S. Ghuman on his “anti — panthic stand by facilitating a Congress backed candidate to become the SGPC chief.” The senior vice president of the SAD, said Mr Ghuman had forgotten that he enjoyed the honour bestowed upon him by the Panth and remained the SGPC secretary for many years and elected a number of times to the house on the SAD ticket.

WELCOMED: The divine chariot carrying Lord Jagannath arrived in the city on Wednesday night to a rousing welcome by the Jagannath Rath Yatra Mahotsav Committee, according to Mr Satish Gupta, the committee president. Among those who received the chariot were Mr D.P. Aggarwal, chairman of the Mahotsav committee, Mr Mukesh Ghai, vice-chairman, Mr Rajiv Duggal, Mr Sukhdarshan Jain, Mr Ashok Gupta, Mr Ashok Dhawan, Mr Sunder Dass Dhamija, Mr Basant Kumar, Mr Amit Garg, Mr D.K. Sharma, Mr Avinash Gupta, Mr Harmesh Arora and Mr Rajesh Gupta.

OSHO CAMP: Osho Friends in Ludhiana have organised a Osho meditation camp at Flora Resorts (Doraha) for Osho lovers living in north India. The camp which begins on Thursday will conclude on Sunday 27. The camp is to be led by Ma Dharm Jyoti, one of Osho’s seniormost disciplines.

FIRECRACKERS: The Shiv Sena on Thursday called upon people not to use fire crackers that carried pictures of Hindu deities on their covers. Such fireworks should be banned as these hurt sentiments of Hindus, demanded a meeting of the local party unit presided over by its president Inderjit Karwal.

HARYANA

FATEHABAD
SUICIDE: A married woman allegedly committed suicide at Sangthala village of this district by hanging herself from the ceiling. The deceased has been identified as Saraswati (23). She reportedly had an altercation with her husband before she took the extreme step.

KURUKSHETRA
REFRESHER COURSE CONCLUDES: A three-week refresher course in mathematics organised by the Department of Mathematics and Academic Staff College of Kurukshetra University concluded here on Wednesday.

YAMUNANAGAR
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local unit of the Income Tax Employees Federation Group C: president — Mr R.L. Kochar; vice-president — Mr Rulia Ram; secretary — Mr Mohamad Salim; joint secretary — Mr Dinesh Punj; and treasurer — Mr Kewal Singh.

UN DAY: We must celebrate festivals with serenity avoiding vulgarity, said Mr Vijayendra Kumar, Deputy Commissioner here, at the United Nations Day celebrations on Thursday at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Jagadhri. Mr Kumar appealed to the people of the district to celebrate Divali without bursting crackers, which caused both noise and air pollution, and give a lead in the matter in the state. Mr Rajinder Singh, District Education Officer, also spoke.

ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTIONS: Following the state government’s instructions to remove unauthorised constructions, a few buildings on the local Khajouri road have been demolished after the requisite notice period time lapsed, said Ms Gurmeet Kaur, District Town Planner, here on Thursday. She said the drive would continue in future also so that the town could be beautified and planning was implemented.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
EFFIGY BURNT: Led by the state congress general secretary and former minister Maj Vijai Singh Mankotia, a large number of Congress leaders from all parts of the district on Wednesday raised slogans against VHP leader Praveen Togadia for his adverse remarks against Congress President Sonia Gandhi. They burnt his effigy here in the main market and demanded a public apology from Mr Togadia.

DAM OUSTEES: Led by Mr Bhagat Singh Verma, an advocate, a deputation of the Kol Dam Oustees Union met Deputy Commissioner Chamel Singh and presented him a memorandum on Wednesday. Union president Lekh Ram Thakur and general secretary Harbans Lal Soni objected to the ‘‘partisan’’ role of the Land Acquisition Officer and demanded employment for the oustees.

CHAMBA
NEGLECTED HIGHWAY: The Chamba-Shimla highway between Kakira and Draman is in bad shape. Since this particular stretch of the highway is landslip-prone, it remains neglected and unmetalled in patches. The highway is quite narrow and risk-prone but has escaped the attention of the authorities concerned.

HAMIRPUR
PENSIONERS' RALLY: Members of the HP Pensioners Sangh has blasted the state government for its “anti-pensioner” attitude and has decided to organise a state-level rally at Hamirpur on October 28. Pensioners from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh will take part in the rally.

NAHAN
SUICIDE: Hari Chand (38) of Mohalla Kundan Ka Bag here allegedly committed suicide by jumping into the Rani Tal pond on Thursday. He was married and the cause of the suicide could not be ascertained, the police said.

SHIMLA
DESIGNATED: The HP High Court has designated Mr R.K. Gautam as Senior Advocate. Mr Gautam had been chairman of the HP Bar Council. Presently, he is holding the office of member of the HP Bar Council.