R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AHMEDGARH
SELECTED: Dr Tejinder Singh, a senior consultant surgeon, has been selected as a fellow under the Varoon Mahajan Memorial Foundation of the USA. While talking to Ludhiana Tribune Dr Tejinder Singh claimed that he was the first surgeon to apply Minimal Access Surgery (Laparoscopic and Tharacoscopic) in North Western India. Currently working as senior consultant surgeon at Mohan Dai Oswal Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation, Ludhiana, he had earlier been selected by Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, where he had undertaken special training at the Department of Minimally Invasive surgery.

AMLOH
MC STEPS: The Municipal Council has taken various steps to improve the financial health of the civic body, which include notices issued for house tax recovery of Rs 17 lakh to defaulters to appear in the office of the Deputy Director, Local Bodies, Patiala on December 13. A fresh survey of house tax will be conducted from December 2, said Mr Baldev Singh Aulakh, President, Municipal Council, Amloh, while speaking to mediapersons here on Sunday. He said the work on streetlights was near completion and the renovation of main road of the bazaar would be undertaken after the release of grant of Rs 12 lakh, which was earlier withheld by the government. The work on the renovation of municipal office and meeting hall would be done in January 2003, he added.

COMPETITIONS: The Punjab School Education Board is organising district-wise educational competitions in the state. The competitions in Fatehgarh Sahib district were held on Saturday at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Memorial Public Senior Secondary School, Mandi Gobindgarh, the results of which were declared by Mr Inder Pal Singh, Senior Project Officer of the Board here on Sunday. In shabad gayan and vaar gayan contests Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Naraingarh, got the first positions, Basi Pathana and Tibbi schools got the second positions while SBS Model School, Mandi Gobindgarh, and Government School, Jalwera, secured the third positions.

MEMORIAL FUNCTION: Sant Ishar Singh Memorial Public High School at Chehal village near here, organised a function in memory of the sant at the school on Saturday. An Akhand Path was also performed and langar was served to the people. While addressing the function, Master Kuldeep Singh, District Secretary of the Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), flayed the new education policy of the state. He said instead of appointing an IAS officer as Director General of Schools, an advisory board should have been constituted consisting of noted educationists and teachers unions should have been taken into confidence.

GOVERNMENT FLAYED: The Punjab Government headed by Capt Amarinder Singh has failed to implement promises made to the electorate, said Mr Dalip Singh Pandhi at a meeting of Akali workers at the Canal Rest House on Saturday evening. Talking about the new education policy, he said no proper arrangements had been made for its implementation. Teachers, parents and students had no proper information about its working. Mr Pandhi flayed recent instructions issued to the Treasury offices to stop pension payments to government employees, who draw their pensions after 10th day of every month.

ALUMNI REUNION: The Annual Alumni of old students of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College, Fatehgarh Sahib, was organised at the college campus on Sunday. More than 200 alumnus participated in the reunion. The College Principal, Dr D.S. Hira, welcomed old students and said such function would be organised on the occasion of 10th anniversary of the college next year. Training and Placement officer I.P.S. Gill said a directory of old students was being prepared which would benefit old and current students of college.

BATALA
PRINCIPAL RETIRES: Mr Mohinder Pal Seth, Principal, Government Senior Secondary School for Boys, here retired on Saturday. Mr Seth had put in 25 years of service in the Education Department. He was given a farewell where Mr Ashwani Sekhri, State Minister for Culture and Industry, Punjab, was the chief guest.

BATHINDA
YOUTH CAMP: The Nehru Yuva Kendra organised a youth development camp at Burj Mehma village from November 21 to 26. This was stated in a press note issued here on Saturday by the Guru Gobind Singh Sports Club of Burj Mehma village. At least 43 boys and girls belonging to Goniana Kalan, Sema, Kararwala, Mannwala, Burj Ladhasinghwala, Deon, Bhisiana and Burj Mehma villages participated.

KAPURTHALA
MAN ARRESTED: The Bholath police arrested Raj Kumar of Bholath village on Friday on the charge of screening a blue film. The police has found a colour television, VCR and three cassettes of blue films from him. A case under Sections 292 and 294 of the IPC has been registered against Raj Kumar.

LUDHIANA
PROMOTED: Mr Kuldip Singh, Area Traffic Manager, Ludhiana Railways Department, has been promoted as Senior Traffic Manager, New Delhi.

MANSA
ONE DIES: In a head-on collision between a truck and a Maruti car here on Saturday, a person of Khiala village called DC, died while the car driver Surinder Paul was wounded. The truck (No HR 22-8675) was headed to Sirsa in Haryana when it collided with the Maruti car (No DL 2CJ 8788) coming from opposite side.

MOGA
PROTEST: A large number of traders in the district on Sunday protested against the Food Corporation of India for its failure to pay them money against the sale of the paddy crop sold this year during paddy season. RESENTMENT PREVAILS: Resentment prevails among residents of Baghapurana over the accumulation of stagnant water at various places in the township which they said had caused health problems. They have urged the municipal council to look into the matter.

DRIVER KILLED: The driver of a car which was coming from Ludhiana on Saturday evening, was killed on the spot when a vehicle coming from the opposite direction collided with it, about 7 km from here, near Paraomehna village in this district. The police has registered a case while the body of the deceased has been sent for a post-mortem.

AWARENESS CAMP: An awareness camp on AIDS, drug de-addiction and misuse of pre-natal diagnostic techniques was held here on Saturday at the Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Engineering College by the Health Department Moga. Addressing the gathering Additional Deputy Commissioner H.L. Kumar, Moga expressed concern over the increasing number of HIV patients in the district.

ANIMAL WELFARE CAMP: An animal health welfare camp was organised at Khosa Panab village in the district on Saturday. The Deputy Commissioner, Moga, Mr G. Romesh Kumar, who inaugurated the camp advised the villagers to come forward to adopt various schemes advocated by the Animal Husbandry Department.

PATIALA
MEDICAL CAMP: The State Bank of India, Model Town branch, organised a free diabetes and hypertension detection camp in Garg Hospital and Maternity Centre here on Saturday. More than 230 patients were examined by a team of doctors led by Dr Naresh Garg and Dr Meena Garg. ECG and TMT were done free of cost in case of patients suffering from high blood pressure and cardiac problems.

HARYANA

AMBALA
LOK ADALAT: An amount of Rs 34.34 lakh was paid as compensation in 42 cases at a lok adalat organised in the District and Sessions Court here on Saturday. The cases pertained to motor accidents. As many as 246 cases were settled out of 710 cases. An amount of Rs 8.17 lakh was paid as compensation in the court of Additional Sessions Judge, Mr M.M. Sharma, in 16 cases of MACT. Similarly, in the courts of Mr B.N. Bedi and in the court of Mr S.K. Kaushik, amounts of Rs 8.39 lakh and 15.35 lakh were paid as compensation.

BHIWANI
SESSIONS JUDGE RETIRES: The District and Sessions Judge, Mr B.M. Bajaj, was given a warm farewell by the employees of the judicial services at the judicial complex in mini-secretariat here on Saturday. Mr Bajaj took charge of District Judge on September 1, 2002. Besides, settling several pending cases Mr Bajaj also settled cases through Lok Adalats.

KAITHAL
SCIENCE CONGRESS: The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anuraj Agarwal, inaugurated the Haryana State 10th National Children’s Congress 2002 at Government Boys Senior Secondary School here on Saturday. This science congress was organised by the Haryana Vigyan Manch. Earlier, the Deputy Commissioner inspected an exhibition of models made by students. The theme of the congress was “Food System — Towards Nutrition for All”.